ISLAMIC, Anatolia — Artuqids of Mardin Qutb al-Din IL-Ghazi II, AH 572–580 / AD 1176–1184. Æ Dirham (15.52 g, 32 mm), Mardin, dated AH 577 (AD 1181/1182). Obv: Two Byzantine-style draped and cuirassed busts facing; the date AH 577 appears above and to the left. Rev: Inscription naming the Abbasid caliph Al-Nasir, together with the name and genealogy of Qutb al-Din Il-Ghazi II. The lower three lines of the reverse legend contain the formula: “This dirham—cursed is he who abuses it.” (hadha al-dirham ma‘lun man yu‘ayyaruhu), References: Cf. Whelan Type I, 46–47; S&S Type 32.1; Album 1828.2. Condition: Very Fine, with attractive brown patina. ________________________________________ Historical note This coin was struck during the reign of Qutb al-Din Il-Ghazi II, a ruler of the Artuqid dynasty. The Artuqids governed a frontier region between the Byzantine world and the Islamic states of Syria and Iraq, which explains the strong Byzantine artistic influence seen in the facing busts on the obverse. The date AH 577 (AD 1181/1182) falls shortly after the accession of the Abbasid caliph al-Nasir, whose name appears on the coin as a sign of nominal allegiance. Artuqid coinage is particularly notable for its figural designs and eclectic artistic styles, blending Byzantine, classical, and Islamic elements—making these large copper dirhams among the most distinctive medieval coins of the Near East.