Gold of the Caliphs: Medieval Islamic Coins from the Gary Leiser Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art

  • 1

    World’s Oldest Coin
    Date: 600 BCE
    Mint: Ancient Lydia
    Ruler: King Alyattes (619–560 BCE)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, promised gift from Gary Leiser. 

  • 2

    Silver dirham, Abbasid Dynasty
    Date: 777–778
    Mint: None
    Ruler: Sa’id b. Dalaj (776–778), the Abbasid governor of Tabaristan
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2018.052.023.

  • 3

    Gold dinar, Abbasid Dynasty
    Date: 774–775
    Mint: None
    Ruler: Caliph al-Mansur (754–775)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2017.052.019.

    The most valuable coins were gold, based upon weight and purity, rather than a set monetary value. The coin shown above was punched to use as jewelry on a necklace or bracelet.

  • 4

    Silver dirham, Seljuk Dynasty of Rum or Anatolia (modern Turkey)
    Date: 1244–1245
    Mint: Konya (Central Turkey)
    Ruler: Sultan Kay Khusraw II (1237–1246)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2017.052.184.

    Used throughout the Muslim world, a silver dirhim was widely accepted as payment for a day of work.

  • 5

    Glass weight, Fatimid Dynasty
    Date: None
    Mint: None, made in Egypt
    Ruler: Caliph al-Hakim (996–1021) or al-Mustansir (1036–1094)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2017.052.482.

    Because coins were made by hand, it was difficult to ensure their true weight, and glass weights were devised to help establish that accurate measure.

  • 6

    Gold dinar, Seljuk Dynasty of Rum or Anatolia (modern Turkey)
    Date: 1217–1218
    Mint: Konya in central Turkey
    Ruler: Sultan Kay Kawus I (1211–1220)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2017.052.154.

  • 7

    Gold dinar, Il-Khanid Dynasty
    Date: 1292
    Mint: Probably Tabriz (Iran)
    Ruler: Gaykhatu (1291–1295) 
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2017.052.391.

    Arabic and Mongolian inscriptions in the Uyghur script appear on both the obverse and reverse.

  • 8

    Copper fals, Artuqid Dynasty
    Date: 1199–1200
    Mint: None
    Ruler: Yuluk Arslan, Husam al-Din (1184–1203)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, Gift of Gary Leiser, 2017.052.350.

  • 9

    Silver dirhams, Seljuk Dynasty of Rum or Anatolia (modern Turkey)
    Dates: 1240–1244
    Mints: Konya or Sivas
    Ruler: Ghiyath al-Din Kay Khusraw II (1237–1246)
    Collection of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, promised gift from Gary Leiser. 


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