Item number: A1476

Year: AD 1179-1180 (AH 575)

Material: Gold

Size: 19.9 x 18.8 mm

Weight: 5.45 g

Manufactured by: Al-Iskandariya (Alexandria, Egypt)

Provenance: Stack’s Bowers 2024

This is a gold dinar minted in the years AH 575 (AD 1179–1180) by Saladin, the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, who was regarded as one of the most prominent and respected opponents of the Crusaders during the period of the Crusades.

The obverse of the coin features three concentric circles. The central two lines of Arabic inscriptions display the name of Salah ad-Din, “يوسف بن أيوب” (Yusuf ibn Ayyub). The inner circle inscription reads “غياث الملك وعماده صلاح الدين” (The support of the king and his pillar is Salah ad-Din). The outermost circle contains a verse from the Qur’an: “محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى ليظهر الدين كله, صلى الله عليه وسلم” (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, sent with guidance to make the entire religion prevail; peace and blessings be upon him).

The reverse of the coin features four concentric circles. The central two lines of inscription display Saladin’s religious title, “الامام احمد” (The Highly Praised Imam). The inner circle inscription reads “لا اله الا الله ابو العباس الناصر لدين الله أمير المؤمنين” (There is no god but Allah, Abu Abbas, the supporter of the faith of Allah, Commander of the Believers), which is the title nominally held by the then- Caliph al-Nasir of the Abbasid Caliphate. The outermost circle inscribes that this coin was minted in the name of Allah in the year AH 575, in Al-Iskandariya, which is present-day Alexandria, Egypt.

Saladin was born in the Kurdish region of Iraq. In his youth, he served in the palace of the Zengid dynasty, which ruled over Syria. In AD 1160, Saladin accompanied his uncle, Shirkuh, on a military campaign in Egypt. Shortly thereafter, Saladin overthrew the local Fatimid Caliphate and became the governor of Egypt. In AD 1174, Saladin established his own Ayyubid dynasty through a military coup, marking the beginning of his independent rule.

While consolidating his power in Egypt, Saladin also launched multiple crusades to challenge the Crusader forces stationed in Jerusalem. In AD 1187, his successful recapture of Jerusalem shook the Christian world and triggered the Third Crusade. During the Third Crusade, the leaders, including Richard the Lionheart, negotiated a treaty with Saladin, allowing Christians free access to Jerusalem for pilgrimage. In European literature, Saladin is portrayed as a noble and chivalrous adversary. In the modern Arab world, Saladin is revered as a national hero. His eagle emblem, used as a personal totem, has been incorporated into the coats of arms of several Arab countries, including Egypt.

物件編號: A1476

年代: 公元 1179-1180 年 (回曆 575 年)

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 19.9 x 18.8 mm

重量: 5.45 g

製造地: 伊斯坎達利亞 (亞歷山卓，埃及)

來源: SBP錢幣拍賣 2024

這是一枚回曆575年 (公元1179至1180年)，十字軍東征時期十字軍最為顯赫和敬佩的對手，阿尤布王朝的奠基者薩拉丁鑄造之金第納爾。

錢幣正面有三道同心圓，正中央的兩行阿拉伯銘文是薩拉丁的名諱「يوسف بن أيوب」(優素福·伊本·阿尤布)，較內側的環形銘文為「غياث الملك وعماده صلاح الدين」(國王的支持和他的支柱是薩拉丁)，最外圍則是出自《古蘭經》段落「محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى ليظهر الدين كله , صلى الله عليه وسلم」(穆罕默德是真主的使者，他派遣他來揭示整個宗教，願真主保佑他並賜予他和平)。

錢幣背面有四道同心圓，正中央的兩行銘文是薩拉丁的宗教頭銜「الامام احمد」(高度讚揚的伊瑪目)，較內側的環形銘文是「لا اله الا الله ابو العباس الناصر لدين الله أمير المؤمنين」(萬物非主，唯有真主，阿布·阿巴斯，真主信仰的支持者，信士的指揮官)， 即名義上受到尊崇的時任阿拔斯帝國哈里發納賽爾的頭銜。最外圈的銘文則是標示這枚錢幣奉真主之名，於回曆575年鑄造於伊斯坎達利亞，即今日埃及的亞歷山卓。

薩拉丁是出身自伊拉克地區的庫德人，青年時期服務於統治敘利亞的贊吉王朝宮殿內。公元1160年，薩拉丁隨同他的叔父謝爾庫赫征戰埃及，不久薩拉丁就推翻本地的法蒂瑪王朝成為埃及總督。公元1174年，薩拉丁藉由軍事政變建立屬於自己的阿尤布王朝。

薩拉丁在埃及鞏固權力的同時，也多次發動聖戰挑戰盤據在耶路撒冷的十字軍勢力。公元1187年，成功收復耶路撒冷之舉撼動基督教世界，引發了第三次十字軍東征。後續第三次東征的領頭人獅心王查理和薩拉丁簽訂和約，允許基督徒自由進出耶路撒冷朝聖。薩拉丁在歐洲的文學創作中，是一名具有騎士風範的高貴對手。現代的阿拉伯世界則將薩拉丁視為民族英雄，薩拉丁使用的老鷹圖騰也被融入埃及等阿拉伯國家的國徽設計中。