Uzbekistan AR Silver Dirham • Isma'il ibn Ahmad, al-Shash Mint c.905 CE

• Denomination: Dirham

• Composition: Silver

• Weight: 2.92 grams

• Diameter: 22 mm

• Era: Medieval / Islamic Golden Age

• Dynasty: Samanid Empire

• Ruler: Isma'il ibn Ahmad (AH 279-295 / 892-907 CE)

• Caliph: al-Muktafi billah (AH 289-295)

• Mint: al-Shash (Modern Tashkent, Uzbekistan)

• Date: c. AH 292-293 (c. 905-906 CE)

• References: Album 1443

Item Description

An exceptionally crisp, well-centered medieval Islamic silver dirham struck during the height of the Samanid Dynasty.

This specific coin was minted in al-Shash (modern-day Tashkent, Uzbekistan), a vital hub of the Central Asian Silk Road near the rich silver mines of the Tien Shan mountains. High-purity silver dirhams like this example were highly prized by Norse traders and traveled extensively along the Eastern trade routes, frequently forming the backbone of major Viking silver hoards discovered across Scandinavia and the British Isles.

Design & Epigraphy

• Obverse : Features the central three-line Kufic script declaring the Kalima (Islamic creed): "There is no god but Allah alone, He has no partner." The bottom line showcases beautiful, highly stylized geometric 'X' forms for the outer characters—a signature style of the East-Islamic mints. The inner circular margin clearly retains the Bismillah striking formula, explicitly naming the mint of al-Shash.

• Reverse : Displays a five-line central inscription naming the Prophet Muhammad, the famous Samanid Emir Isma'il ibn Ahmad, and nominally acknowledging the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad, al-Muktafi billah. The outer circular margin contains the standard prophetic mission verse from the Qur'an.