ISLAMIC – ʿAbbasid Caliphate Temp. al-Amīn, AH 193–198 / AD 809–813 Dirham (Silver, 24 mm, 2.63 g, 6 h). Balkh mint, dated AH 193 (AD 809). Reference: Album 221.4. Rare. ________________________________________ Description Obverse: Central field: لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له (“There is no deity but Allah alone; He has no partner.”) Margin: بسم الله ضرب هذا الدرهم بمدينة بلخ سنة ثلاث وتسعين ومائة (“In the name of Allah. This dirham was struck in the city of Balkh in the year 193.”) Reverse: Central field, citing the heir apparent al-Maʾmūn: لله محمد رسول الله مما أمر به الأمير المأمون ولي عهد المسلمين عبد الله بن أمير المؤمنين (“To Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. From that ordered by the amir al-Maʾmūn, heir to the succession of the Muslims, ʿAbd Allāh son of the Commander of the Faithful.”) Margin: محمد رسول الله أرسله بالهدى ودين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون (“Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. He sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists may dislike it.”) Qurʾān: Sūrat al-Tawbah (9:33) (This verse also appears with minor variants in Qurʾān 48:28 and 61:9.) ________________________________________ This coin was struck at the outset of the ʿAbbasid succession crisis following the death of Hārūn al-Rashīd in AH 193 (AD 808/9). Although al-Amīn ruled in Baghdad, his brother al-Maʾmūn, governor of Khurasan and designated heir, exercised effective authority in the eastern provinces. The prominent naming of al-Maʾmūn as walī ʿahd al-muslimīn on this dirham underscores his claim to legitimacy during the growing rift between the brothers. The conflict escalated into civil war (AH 195–198 / AD 811–813), ending with al-Amīn’s defeat and execution and al-Maʾmūn’s accession as caliph. Coins such as this, struck at Balkh during the transitional year AH 193, are of particular historical importance, documenting the early stages of one of the most consequential political struggles in ʿAbbasid history. Balkh, one of the oldest cities of Central Asia and a principal center of Khurasan, played a crucial political and economic role in the early ʿAbbasid period. Its importance as a mint reflects the region’s strong military and administrative traditions and its position on major trans-Asian trade routes.