Lot 4044

Description

Late Medieval North Africa, Merinds, Abu Ya`qub Yusuf, (A.H. 685-706) (A.D. 1286-1307), square silver quarter dirham, Sabtah mint, (0.44 grams), (A.525, Hazard 1136, only one specimen noted), Muwahhid (Almohades), Anonymous issue, square silver dirham, Bijayah mint (Hazard 1085), another no date or mint name, but struck from A.H. 550's-668 (A.D. 1160's-1269), (A.497, 496, M.-, M.421). Nearly very fine, first extremely rare, second rare. (3)

ex Glendining's 1964. The Murabitids, Muhahhid, Ziyanids and Merinids form a group of various successive Islamic dynasties of North Africa. They issued coinage from the A.H. 480's until 950's. (A.D. 1080's -1540's). The square dirham and its fraction were introduced in A.H. 550's. The standard work on the series is H.W. Hazard, `The Numismatic History of Late Medieval North Africa' (ANS Numismatic Studies No.8), New York, 1954.