Early Arabic Glass Weights and Stamps With a Study of the Manufacture of Eighth-Century Egyptian Glass Weights and Stamps

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الامير al-amīr = The amīr, lord, prince, chief, commander

Used by Caliphs and Governors.

امير المؤمنين amīr al-mu'minīn = Commander of the Believers

Title of the Caliph.

عبد الله 'abdullāh = Servant of Allāh

Used by Caliphs.

مولى mawla = Freedman, client, servant

Used by Governors and other functionaries in conjunction with the name of the Caliph to whom they owe their liberty.

امر 'amara = Ordered, commanded

Used by the principal official, and also to introduce admonitions of the deity.

امر ...ب 'amara... bi.... = Ordered, commanded (transitive)

بصنعه bi-ṣan'ihi = The making of it

بطبعه bi-ṭab'ihi = The stamping of it 66

ممّا امر به mimmā 'amara bi-hi = Of, or among, those things ordered by = an order of

Used by the Caliph, Governor, or Finance Director. This phrase is common on the coins. 67

على يدي 'ala yaday = At the hands of = executed by

Used by the Prefect or mayor. This phrase sometimes occurs on the coins. 68

ابقاه الله 'abqāhu'llāhu = May Allāh preserve him

اصلحه الله 'aṣlaḥahu'llāhu = May Allāh mend him, keep him straight

اعنّره الله 'a'zzahu'llāhu = May Allāh strengthen him

اكرمه الله 'akramahu'llāhu = May Allāh be generous to him

امتع الله له 'amta'a'llāhu lahu = May Allāh give him long enjoyment (of his life)

Most of these phrases are also common on the coins.

امر الله بالوفاء 'amara'llāhu bi'l-wafā' = Allāh commanded the fulfillment of promises (payment of debts), i.e., honesty

This exhortation sometimes occurs on the coins. 69

امر محمد بالوفاء لله 'amara Muḥammadun bi'l-wafā' li'llāhi = Muḥammad ordered honesty to Allāh

بخ bakh = Bravo, good!

بسم الله bi'smi'llāh = In the name of Allāh

ربّى الله rabbīu'llāh = My Lord is Allāh

الوفاء لله al-wafā'u li'llāhi = The fulfillment of promises (payment of debts), i.e., honesty, to Allāh = honesty is an attribute of Allāh

يعبد الله الامير ya'budu'llāha'l-amīr = The Amīr worships Allāh

The two Qur'ānic quotations (Chap. XXVI, verses 181 and 183) which occur on the stamps are translated in the catalogue.

ثلث thulth = one-third

خرّوبة kharrubāh = kharrūbah, carob seed, siliqua

خرّوبات Kharrūbāt = kharrubāhs

درهم dirham = dirham (the coin)

دينر، دينار dīnar, dīnār = dīnār (the coin)

ربع rub' = one-quarter

رطل raṭl = raṭl, pound 70

رطلين raṭlayn = two pounds

رطل كبير raṭlun kabīr = great pound

سطر saṭr = row, series

سنة sanah = year

فلس fals = fals (the coin, or money)

قسط، القسط qisṭ = qisṭ, ξέστης, sextarius

قيرط ، قيراط qīraṭ, qīrāṭ = qrīrāṭ, κεράτιον, carat

قرريط qararīṭ = qīrāṭs

كيل kayl = weight, measure

مثقل ، مثقال mithqal, mithqāl = mithqāl, weight

مكيلة mikyalah = measure

نصف niṣf = one-half

واف ، وفيّة ، وافيّة wāf, wafīyah, wāfīyah = true or full weight, full measure

وزن wazn = weight

وقيّة wuqīyah = wuqīyah (or 'ūqīyah), ounce, ούγχία, uncia

وقيّة كبير wuqīyatun kabīr = great ounce

تسعة tis'ah = nine

احدى عشرة 'iḥda-'ashrah = eleven

اثنى عشرة 'ithna-'ashrah = twelve

اربع عشر 'arba'-'ashr = fourteen

جمسة عشر khamsat-'ashr = fifteen

سبعة عشر sab'at-'ashr = seventeen

ثمنية عشر thamanīyat-'ashr = eighteen

تسعة عشرة tis'at-'ashrah = nineteen

عشرين 'ishrīn = twenty

اثنين وعشرين 'ithnayn wa-'ishrīn = twenty-two

ثلث وعشرين ، ثلثة وعشرين thalath wa-'ishrīn, thalathat wa-'ishrīn = twenty-three

اربعة وعشرين 'arba'at wa-'ishrīn = twenty-four

خمس وعشرين ، خمسة وعشرين khams wa-'ishrīn, khamsat wa-'ishrīn = twenty-five

سبعة وعشرين sab'at wa-'ishrīn=twenty-seven

ثلثين thalathīn = thirty

اثنين وثلثين 'ithnayn wa-thalathīn = thirty-two

مئة ، مائة mi'ah = one hundred

مائتين mi'atayn = two hundred

ابيض 'abyaḍ = white

احمر 'aḥmar = red

الاسود al-aswad = black

الانز al-anz = lentils

ترمس ، الترمس turmus, at-turmus = lupins

تملّس tamallas = polished 71

جلبان julubān = pease

جلجلان juljulān = sesame seed

حبّ الكسبر habbu'l-kusbur = coriander seed

دهن duhn=oil, lard, grease

زيت ، الزيت zayt, az-zayt = olive oil

الطّلاء aṭ-ṭilā' = ointment, oil, tar 72

عدس 'adas = lentils

لحم، اللحم laḥm, al-laḥm = meat

مقشر muqashshar = shelled

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Blue-green is the dominant color, varying from a pale green-gray in thin half-dinar coin weights to a very deep green in the thick gobs of glass that formed the ring-weights. Much of the color range is due to the thickness of the weights and stamps, for the greater the depth of glass through which light must pass, the more light is absorbed and the darker in color the glass appears. There is also some color variation among pieces of about the same size. These differences did not correlate with the other physical properties of the glasses. Possibly if a large series were sorted with respect to color, some correlations might be found between the date of manufacture and the color. 80

The blue-green color and its variants are formed by the ac- tion of copper (CuO) and iron in the glass, much of the latter being in the ferrous (FeO) state, which colors a glass blue. Iron in its highest state of oxidation (Fe2O3) gives soda-lime glass a yellow-green color. Both forms of iron are present in the glass analyzed—so a blue-green color results, with emphasis on the blue because of the small amount of copper present. Flakes of iron scale such as those from the molds used to form the inscriptions begin to dissolve rapidly in glass when they come in contact with it and they, being mostly Fe2O3, cause olive-yellow to yellow-green streaks in the glass.

The total iron content of the glasses and the relative proportions of the ferrous and ferric forms in different melts is variable, as is shown by the two analyses (Table 3), so the color may also be expected to vary.

Copper is such a powerful coloring agent that the addition of only a small amount turns a clear soda-lime glass blue. Just a trace of copper occurs in the green glasses—enough to give them a bluish tint, but not enough to cause a true blue color. Chemical confirmation of the presence of copper in all the green and blue glasses, except No. 196, was obtained by a sensitive spot test (a-benzoinoxine).

The manganese that is characteristically present in these Egyptian glasses also contributes to the quality of the color, although it alone would impart a purple shade to the glass.

The two deep-blue coin weights have copper as their major coloring ingredient. This was confirmed by a spot test. A trace of cobalt is also present, identification having been made by a spot test, using hydrogen peroxide and potassuim acid carbonate. A faintly positive reaction (green) was obtained. It is interesting that cobalt appears in the glass in minute amounts, for there has long been much discussion, based on chemical analyses, as to whether or not cobalt was used in the production of Egyptian blue glasses. The problem was reviewed and settled with irrefutable spectrographic evidence by Farnsworth and Ritchie for glass of the XVIIIth Dynasty and for one fragment from the XIXth. 81 They found that the transparent glasses of a "dark rich blue, inclining towards indigo" were colored by copper and cobalt, modified by manganese, while the "bright greenish blue, or peacock blue" was due to copper and manganese alone. The blue coin weights fall in the first group in color, and our chemical tests show that Arabic glass of the eighth century was similar in manner of color formation to that of the XVIIIth Dynasty. Manganese is present in these blue glasses as shown by the sodium bismuthate test.

The amber coin weight could be of the normal composition used in the pale blue-green weights of the same size with the addition of a reducing agent such as coke, and possibly a small amount of sulphur. Amber glasses can so easily be made under reducing conditions from batches that would be colorless to blue-green in color when melted in an oxidizing or neutral atmosphere that there is no reason to suppose that a special composition radically different from the other was used. More will be said about this in connection with the discussion of indices of refractions and specific gravities.

With two exceptions the stamps and weights showed little weathering when examined superficially. This indicates that the glasses were reasonably resistant to attack, but the history of the objects must be known before any sure statement as to the quality of the glass can be made. Even the best soda-lime glass will develop a cloudy surface if it is kept in a moist, hot atmosphere, and poor glass may remain unmarred if stored in a dry region. The glass could have been buried in acid or alkaline soil subject to moisture from rain or river floods. It might have been protected from dampness, or exposed on the surface of the ground and eroded by wind-blown sand as well as water. After discovery in recent years, it could have been carefully cleaned, with the removal of the opaque surface patina such as is common on Roman glass, but even so, weathering can usually be recognized by microscopic examination of the glass surfaces.

The two noticeably weathered glasses were No. 196, a green-gray vessel stamp, and No. 164, a pale-blue ring-weight. Both were quite illegible. Any trace of inscription has completely disappeared from No. 164 due to the pitting and spall-ing of its surface. No. 196, though pitted, had not spalled. It was analyzed chemically. 82 Both these glasses had indices of refraction and specific gravities that were higher than those of the major group, which indicates that their chemical compositions differ from those of the majority.

Nos. 1, 3, 12, 34, 71 and 95 (amber) all show a slight degree of surface weathering when examined carefully under a binocular microscope. They have finely pitted surfaces in which clay is trapped. The depressions were not formed by bubbles breaking at the surface as the glass cooled, as is the case with a few of the pieces. The glasses in this weathered series date from the first half of the eighth century, with the exception of No. 71 (759–760 a.d.). The two badly weathered pieces, Nos. 164 and 196, 83 are of uncertain date, but may be from the early to middle eighth century. This may indicate that there was a slight change in glass composition about the middle of the eighth century. A much larger series of dated weights and stamps would have to be examined before this suggestion could be verified.

The outer rim of No. 176 is dulled by abrasion, while the central part of the surface that bears the inscription is glossy. This appears to be a case of exposure and possibly of the rub- bing of two objects together, for only the raised outer rim of the vessel stamp is abraded.

Of the two blue glasses, No. 132 shows pronounced weathering with the formation of areas of opaque brown glass as well as surface pitting, while No. 107 shows none at all; yet their uniform physical properties that were measured point to similar chemical compositions for both. Environment, if known, might explain this difference.

Small bubbles called seeds are quite numerous in the Arabic glass. As a glass batch begins to decompose and melt down when heat is applied, some of the materials such as limestone and soda ash give off gases which are trapped in the form of seeds in the sticky mass of nascent glass. When the firing temperature is raised, the glass becomes more fluid and many of the seeds can rise to the surface and break. If the temperature is not high enough for the seeds to escape freely and the glass remains quite viscous, the seeds will be trapped, unable to free themselves, and will appear in the cooled glass.

The seeds in the Arabic glass vary from pin points to bubbles 3 mm. in diameter, most being less than 1 mm. The coin weights and vessel stamps contained only very fine seeds, with a few exceptions such as Nos. 75, 104 and 139, but the large pieces of glass used in the ring-weights were very seedy.

Glass melts were made in the laboratory of the same compositions as those of Nos. 34 and 196. They behaved normally, but the final cast glasses were full of very fine seeds because the compositions lacked fining agents such as are used in modern glasses to help sweep out the seeds.

When a glass batch is melted, some of the sand does not completely disappear, but floats in the surface foam or is trapped at and above the glass surface on the vessel wall. Some of this will flow with the melt when it is poured and appear as unmelted granules, termed "stones," in the glass. A higher melting temperature and stirring would make this sand go into solution. The Arabic glass is so full of bubbles and imperfections that it is obvious that it was not in a very fluid state when poured. This will be considered later. It is not surprising that "stones" are found in such glass.

They occur in three of the large pieces—Nos. 34, 53 and 94 (two ring-weights and a disk-weight), and in No. 104, a one-quarter qisṭ vessel stamp. The latter contains four small grains with rounded edges. The rounding of sharp edges of grains shows that they were beginning to dissolve in the glass. Fine stones that can be seen only under the microscope, where they look like streaks of surface scum, and quartz grains up to 4 mm. in diameter occur in the large weights. They can best be seen in front of a strong light.

Conclusions based on the study of sixteen specimens have not the certainty that would result from an examination of a much larger group, but these sixteen pieces, selected as representative by Dr. Miles, give many indications as to how the stamps and weights were made. They are sufficient to suggest a broad picture of the processes. In the following discussion my conclusions (printed in italics) are followed by a statement of the supporting evidence.

A button of glass was poured from a crucible or ladle onto a flat iron plate. Iron scale in the form of flakes up to 2 mm. in diameter occurs on the flat reverse surfaces, thus indicating close contact with iron. The iron was identified chemically by the potassium thiocyanate test. A relatively large deposit of iron oxide on the back of the coin weights (up to 5 mm. wide and 12 mm. long), some of it folded into the glass, was picked up by the first—the hottest—glass to touch the plate. Hot glass will stick to cold iron, so that the first area of contact as a tongue of glass touches the metal will stick, not unlike a warm hand or tongue on a very cold doorknob in the winter. This iron deposit is quite marked on the back of the coin weights. The seeds, iron scale, and streaks formed by dissolving iron tend to be concentrically distributed. This would result if the glass were poured in pyramidal fashion at a spot on the plate, for the glass would fall in a circular pattern. The large number of iron flecks appearing within the weights, some of them even having been in the glass long enough to start dissolving in the form of yellow-green streaks, suggests that an iron ladle had been used to handle the glass. The ladle, through use, would develop an oxidized crust that would tend to scale off when coming in contact with hot glass.

An iron die was then pressed against the disk of hot glass to produce the inscription. A careful examination of the inscribed surfaces under a microscope shows iron scale on the surface at the base of letters, in open areas on the disks, and down in the glass just below the inscription, where it has begun to dissolve.

The die was carefully centered over the gob of glass before pressing. The raised ring of glass around the edge of the weights is uniform in size. However, the disks are sufficiently irregular in shape to show that they were not cast in depressions in an iron plate. Surface tension will cause gobs of hot glass to tend to assume a round shape on a clean, flat surface.

The remarkable uniformity in weight of the several types of coin weights has been discussed in detail by Dr. Miles. 84 The precision attained in manufacturing these glass weights is an indication of the skill of the eighth-century glassmakers. In any repetitive process, such as ladling out a small amount of glass into which an inscribed iron stamp is pressed, it is pos- sible to obtain sufficient dexterity so that almost identical amounts of glass will be used for successive stampings. One is always impressed when watching skilled glassworkers, such as those in the Steuben shops at Corning, N. Y., or the Venetians who were at the Chicago and New York World's Fairs, by the skill with which they gather exactly the right amount of glass to form a handle or an ornament. In modern optical glass manufacture, the operator at the "glory hole" must shear off exactly enough soft glass from a cylinder that he has been shaping in a flame to fill precisely a mold into which the glass is pressed. There is no reason why earlier glassmakers could not have attained the same skill, particularly if they used a small ladle with which to dip out exactly the right amount of glass.

Glass weights are relatively cheap to make and can be prepared in large quantities, so it would be quite feasible to weigh the weights after manufacture and to reject those that differed from the standard. Such discarded pieces could easily be remelted as cullet and could then be reshaped.

Skill in manufacture and the low cost of rejection of substandard weights would seem to account for the accuracy in weight that has been found.

A gob of molten glass was ladled or poured on the red-hot and still plastic wall of a glass vessel at or just below the rim. The inscribed stamp was then pressed on the hot glass while the interior of the wall at the spot where the impression was being made was supported to prevent deformation. There are only four vessel stamps in the collection studied, so these statements may have limited application. The stamps were not formed separately and then attached to the vessels, i.e., made by the coin weight technique, because none of the stamps had the prominent iron deposit on their reverse that is characteristic of all the coin weights in the group. At the stamp-vessel interface there are several large bubbles which suggest air entrapment when the two pieces were joined. There is an oval lozenge-shaped projection on the interior of the vessel wall behind the stamp which indicates that the support during the time of pressing had a sunken area into which the glass flowed under pressure. This technique would more or less rivet the stamp to the wall and the union would be much stronger than if two flat glass surfaces were pressed together when still soft. None of the four lozenge surfaces shows any trace of iron scale, so there is no evidence as to the form of support used to back up the wall. It is possible that a tong-like mold was used. 85

The disk-weight examined (No. 53) appears to have been made by the same technique as that used for the coin weights. It is fragmentary, but originally was about 8 cm. in diameter with an inscribed central depression 4 cm. in diameter. The outer ring of glass is 2 cm. thick. On the base of the disk the glass shows many folds indicative of the way in which it was poured to form this large disk. There is an iron-scale deposit about 3 cm. in diameter near the center of the base. A large amount of glass was needed to form this stamp and most of it is of poor quality, full of seeds, stones and streaks (striae). Judging from its appearance, the glass was probably quite viscous when poured.

The three specimens examined are too fragmentary to permit detailed reconstruction of the techniques used in forming them. Glass could be poured in the form of a strip, bent into shape around an angular core, and then impressed with the stamp. As with the disk stamp, large quantities of glass were used, so quality suffered. There is every indication that the glass was not heated at a temperature sufficient to make it fluid enough to eliminate the bubbles and other unhomogeneities and dissolve all the stones. 86

It requires much more heat to melt a glass batch, bringing all the materials into solution and eliminating at least the larger bubbles, than it does to soften it once it has been formed. Therefore, softening temperatures cannot indicate differences between glasses but can only give a minimum temperature above which the glasses were melted.

Glass batches were calculated and weighed out on the basis of the chemical analyses of Nos. 34 and 196, and were fired in clay crucibles in an electric furnace to 2000o F., at which temperature they were held for two hours. When the crucibles were removed from the furnace at the end of this two-hour holding period, it was found that there was much unmelted batch at the surface, and that there was some molten glass in the bottom of the crucibles. The glass set up very quickly when drawn from the crucibles on an iron rod. No. 196 was more completely melted than was No. 34.

Similar batches were melted in a gas-fired furnace in the Research Laboratories of the Armstrong Cork Company and were held at 2680° F. for one hour, after which they were poured into molds to form plates. The batches behaved in the normal manner of modern container glass compositions as they melted. They poured readily and were quite uniform in quality and were free of stones or very coarse striae. Both glasses contained many fine seeds, far more than are acceptable in modern compositions. These would be eliminated today by the addition of suitable fining agents in the glass batch. Fine seeds are very common in the Arabic glass. Even when there are not large bubbles in the weights and stamps, there are many fine seeds which are often clustered at the surface or aligned in streaks.

The experiments showed that the glass was not completely melted at 2000o F., but at 2680° it was in an excellent condition, free of bubbles, stones, streaks of seeds and cords. The melting temperature used in the eighth century lies between these two limits. After the glass is molten the viscosity decreases very rapidly with a temperature rise, the glass becoming more and more fluid. The stamps and weights bear evidence that the glass flowed but was rather viscous and poorly fined. As a guess, 2300° to 2500°was about the range of melting temperatures used. Time is also a factor to be considered in maturing a glass, for within limits, a short time at a high temperature has the same effect as a longer time at a slightly lower temperature. Time may not have been an important factor in the eighth century, but fuel was, and the glasses show by their imperfection that they were not kept in the furnace very long after they became molten.

Strains develop in glass when it is cooled too rapidly from its molten state down to lower temperatures where it is rigid and the strains are "frozen in." Well annealed glass is cooled slowly and does not contain serious strains or stresses. Poor annealing usually results from fast cooling, and glass so treated can crack easily. Two of the glasses, No. 12, a coin weight, and No. 3, a vessel stamp, contained several internal cracks which indicate that they were poorly annealed, and the strains were later released by the fracture of the glass.

The degree of annealing can be determined by looking at the glass through a Polaroscope. The Arabic glasses that are thin enough to transmit light were so examined. (The thick pieces, such as the ring-weights, absorbed most of the light, and strain patterns could not be seen.) All the pieces were strained, the area of greatest concentration of stress being around the raised rim of the coin weights and vessel stamps, which was the region that cooled most rapidly when the weights and stamps were formed.

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There are many analyses of ancient glasses in the literature, most of which have been summarized by Partington. 88 They all indicate that the compositions used in the past, at least of glasses that have resisted weathering and so existed to the present time, are mostly of the general soda-lime-silica type that is still used today in the manufacture of bottles and plate- and window-glass. The relative proportions of soda, lime, and silica that can be successfully used in glassmaking are rather limited, so it is not surprising that the range in compositions is small.

When Dr. Miles asked me to analyze one of his glass weights that could be sacrificed for that purpose because the inscription was illegible (No. 196), I pointed out the pattern uniformity that is likely to be found in glass compositions of this type and indicated that it would be well to examine a representative sampling of the weights and stamps from the period being studied. Their indices of refraction and specific gravities could be measured, and if these data showed that the group was consistently of one type of glass, then an analysis could be made of No. 196 with good assurance that it was a representative example. Dr. Miles then furnished me such a sampling and indicated that on the basis of inscriptional evidence, the weights and stamps were all made in Egypt, possibly in one shop. It was immediately noted that No. 196 showed considerable surface weathering, a characteristic that was lacking on most of the other pieces. The measurement of the physical properties showed that No. 196 was quite different from all except one other specimen in the group of sixteen. Therefore an analysis of it would not give a fair indication of the glass composition used in eighth-century Cairo for metric purposes. 89 Fortunately, one of the large ring-weights, No. 34, which was a typical glass of the major group, had excess glass on a broken portion of the ring from which a sample could be removed without endangering the inscription. A 2-gram sample was therefore cut out with a diamond saw.

The physical properties of Nos. 196 and 34 were considerably different, so it seemed of interest to try to determine the basis of this variation. Miss M. C. Parrish of the Glass Section of the Research Laboratories of the Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, most kindly analyzed the two glasses. I wish to acknowledge with much appreciation her aid in this study. Her methods were those she employs daily in the chemical analysis of modern commercial glasses.

The results of Miss Parrish's analyses are shown in Table 3.

The immediate tendency when one obtains a new analysis of an ancient glass is to compare it with those already published. Before turning to this confusing pleasure, there is much that can be observed from the present analyses alone. In summary, it can be said that the two glasses are quite dissimilar in composition, yet appear to have been made from the same raw materials. No. 34 is a glass very low in lime (CaO) and rich in alumina (Al2O3) and iron (Fe2O3) as compared with No. 196. The latter is a normal composition that is quite similar to some in use today and some known from antiquity that will be cited later.

An idea of the ingredients used to make up a glass batch can be obtained from a study of the chemical analysis of the finished glass. Lucas (op. cit.) has ably discussed the origin and chemical composition of most of the Egyptian glass batch materials, so his points will not be repeated here.

Sand. The major building block of soda-lime-silica glasses is SiO2. Most of it is added to the batch as sand which is usually over 99% SiO2. It may contain some impurities—other mineral grains mixed in with the quartz and flint particles that make up most sands, and some clay and iron stain that may coat the sand grains. Some of the A12O3 and Fe2O3 in the glass is probably derived from the impurities in the sand. Sand is the cheapest and most readily available of the raw materials and the exact amount used can be varied within fairly wide limits without spoiling the glass. The amount present in Nos. 34 and 196 is in the normal range of modern soda-lime glasses—close to 70%.

Limestone is the second of the foundation stones of a glass. It furnishes the CaO (and the MgO often associated with it) and acts as a stabilizer which causes a glass to stiffen rapidly as it cools. It also improves the resistance of glass to attack by water, thus greatly aiding durability. Modern glasses contain 6–13% CaO and MgO, so the 11.6% in No. 196 falls within the normal range. That of No. 34, however, is phenomenally low—3.55%· Usually a glass composition with such a low amount of lime and magnesia would not be practical, but the high alumina and iron content increases its stability, and in fact it is far more resistant to weathering than is No. 196. The low lime content of No. 34 makes it unique when compared with most other analyses of Egyptian glasses. It may be that no lime was intentionally added to the glass batch of No. 34, for Lucas (p. 119) states that much of the sand of the northern shore of Egypt contains calcium carbonate as an impurity. Thus the composition of the sand might be responsible for the lime found in the glass.

Many limestones are of a dolomitic variety which contains a variable amount of MgO with the CaO. Often the two are present in equal proportions. Analyses published by Lucas and Neumann show that MgO is a common constituent of Egyptian glasses. In some, such as the two here analyzed, it is only a very minor ingredient. Since both the CaO and the MgO are derived from a limestone, the ratio of the two is quite constant for any given type of limestone and can serve as an index of the type of limestone used. It is possible that the place of manufacture of many Egyptian glasses could be traced if the CaO:MgO molecular ratio of the Egyptian limestones was found to be characteristic of certain localities, for the same ratio would hold in glasses made from such limestone. The ratios for the two glasses analyzed will be compared with those of published analyses in the following section. These two glasses have a remarkably low MgO content in contrast with most Egyptian glasses.

It is probable that the low magnesium limestone used in the two Arabic glasses came from the vicinity of the glass factory. This could have been the general region of Cairo, for Lucas says (p. 362), "Out of 132 specimens of limestone from the neighbourhood of Cairo analyzed by the author, all contained magnesium carbonate, but only 15 contained more than 5 per cent and only two contained more than 20 per cent."

Soda is the third dominant constituent. The alkali (Na2 Oand K2O) serves as a flux in a glass batch, making the mixture melt down more rapidly and uniformly. High soda glasses melt at fairly low temperatures and the various batch ingredients are easily dissolved with its aid. Such glasses may contain as much as 23% Na2O; they weather easily, being quickly attacked by water. The Na2O content of the two glasses analyzed is moderate. Many old Egyptian glasses contain much more, a few somewhat less. A significant feature of the present analyses is the almost complete absence of potash (K2O), which is the second alkali and is often associated with Na2O. The Na2O:K2O ratio may be a useful clue to the origin of the alkali, for in many Egyptian glasses the K2Ocontent is appreciable.

Both the alkalis Na2O and K2O are abundant in plant ashes which are often used as the source of alkali in old glasses, even those of the past few centuries. Another type of alkali found in Egypt is natron, which is obtained by evaporation from the waters of the Wadi Natrun, a depression in the Libyan desert about forty miles northwest of Cairo. The material is formed into cakes and was an item of commerce in antiquity, as it is today. Natron is a mixture of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate. Lucas' analyses of ancient and modern natron (pp. 430–431) show that no potash is present in the salts, although in the text (p. 121) he mentions it as "present in very small amount." He makes the point that when very little K2O occurs in an Egyptian glass, it may be assumed that natron was used as the source of alkali, "but where there is a notable amount of potash this points to the use of plant ashes or to a mixture of these with natron." Neumann's analyses show that there is appreciable K2O in most of the XVIIIth Dynasty glasses from Tell-el-Amarna and Thebes, but the majority of the pieces from the Island of Elephantine that date from 200100 B.C. and those from Alexandria lacked K2O or had only a very small amount. The same is true of the two Arabic glasses being studied, although Lucas' report on glass from Fostat (p. 422) shows appreciable potash in three of the four pieces analyzed. Linke's analysis of fourteenth-century glass from Cairo that is listed in Table 4 90 also shows potash. One would have to investigate the Na2O:K2O ratio of plant and wood ashes of Egyptian flora before deciding whether or not ashes, or a mixture of natron and ashes, was used in the potash-bearing glasses. From the evidence cited above, it seems likely that natron was the source of the alkali in our two Arabic glasses. Neumann (op. cit., p. 780) says that the Egyptian soda came from the soda sea at Wadi Natrun in Nubia. The variation in the ratio of the two alkalis in the published glass analyses would suggest that more than one source of alkali was used in Egypt. Some could have been supplied from plant ashes such as the seaweed mentioned by Pliny in his account of the origin of glassmaking. The soda for the two Arabic glasses analyzed must have come from a rather pure source, possibly the Wadi Natrun.

Alumina. The A12O3 content of No. 34 is remarkably high for a glass, because it is a refractory material that does not go into solution readily. It accounts for much of the resistance to weathering of the weights and stamps made from this glass.

Clay would seem to be the obvious source of AL2O3, and a small amount may have come into the glass as clay adhering to sand grains, but clay does not melt easily in a glass batch. It is possible that clay was an intentional batch ingredient if the glass was made in two stages. After the first melt there would be much insoluble material present and the chunks of usable glass would have to be separated from it when the melt was cool. This selected glass would then serve as a major component in the second melt from which the glass objects were formed. There are indications in ancient texts that such a procedure was followed, because many of the formulas call for the use of one or more special glasses in compounding a batch. If clay were used in the first composition together with much soda which would help dissolve it, a high alumina glass could result from such a two-step process of glass preparation.

Today alumina is compounded in a glass by using a crushed rock that contains considerable feldspar, as it has a high alumina content. The various granite and syenite rocks of Egypt would do for this purpose, but so far there is no evidence that such rocks were used. It might not be necessary to crush the rock. Geological weathering processes might have rendered this service and added the broken-down rock fragments and their mineral constituents to the sands, which would then, in certain localities, have a high feldspar content and consequently the glass would contain alumina. Without a knowledge of the Egyptian sands, such a supposition is of the armchair variety and open to question. The facts would seem to be: The alumina content of Egyptian glasses varies widely in the range 0.7–5.0%. Clay is not a good batch material for glasses. Feldspar is. Feldspar as a free mineral or as part of a rock aggregate could have been used in the glass (a) intentionally, or (b) unintentionally as an ingredient of the sand, if Egyptian sands are found to have a fairly high feldspathic content. I do not have the library facilities available at present to undertake a search of the geological and mineralogicai literature for information on this point.

Another small source of alumina could be the attack of the clay crucible in which the glass was melted. Although clay is relatively insoluble in glass, small amounts can be dissolved especially as the soda melts down and begins to attack the surrounding materials, both batch and pot.

Iron. The iron content is very high according to present standards. It is a strong colorant and is therefore kept at a minimum in most modern glass batches so as to avoid a green tint in the glass such as can be seen in the edge of a sheet of plate glass. The iron appears to have been intentionally added to the two Arabic glasses. This is not strange, for the Assyrian recipe for green glass calls for the addition of iron rust to the batch. 91 This would not be difficult to obtain. The iron scale seen in the Arabic glass did not come from the original batch addition because iron goes into solution readily in a glass and the flakes had sharp, not rounded, edges, indicating that they had not been in contact with the hot glass very long. Some of the iron could also be present as an impurity in other batch materials, but there is no doubt of the intentional addition of iron to the batch, especially in No. 34.

In most chemical analyses the total amount of iron is reported in the form Fe2O3, but this does not mean that all of it is present in that state of oxidation. In the present analyses, both forms of iron oxide, the ferrous (FeO) and the ferric (Fe2O3), are reported as well as the total iron calculated to Fe2O3, because the relative proportions of each have a great influence on the color of a soda-lime glass. A high proportion of ferrous iron imparts a pale-blue color to the glass, while ferric iron makes it green. The ratio of the two forms of iron is in part controlled by the glass composition, but it is also strongly influenced by the degree of reduction that a melting batch and molten glass receive from organic material in the batch and from the furnace atmosphere. If too much carbon is present or the atmosphere is too reducing, the glass will be amber in color.

No. 34 contains twice as much iron as No. 196, so its color is a much deeper green. The blue tint in both green glasses is due in part to the presence of a sizeable proportion of ferrous iron as well as to copper. Iron acts like alumina in improving the weathering resistance of glasses, so the combined high iron and alumina of No. 34 more than counteract its low lime value and establish it as a good weather-resistant glass.

Manganese. The purple color of many soda-lime glasses is due to manganese. When it is present with iron or copper, it merely deepens the green or blue color natural to those glasses. Manganese is a common constituent of Egyptian glasses, as much as 2% being present in some. The very small amount that appears in the two glasses analyzed could indicate that it occurs as an impurity in another material such as the iron, for it has very little, if any, effect on the color of the glass. Its presence may be of traditional or symbolic significance, for the importance of ritual in technical operations such as glass-making must not be overlooked. Thompson's translation of the Assyrian directions for the preparation of a glass-melting furnace supplies ample evidence. A favorable day in a fortunate month must be selected, embryos are used in the ceremonies, strangers and unclean people are prohibited from the area, and incense and beer are sacrificed. The Egyptians doubtless had analogous customs that might well involve a pinch of mineral ingredients as well as beer and incense. By Arabic times the significance of the addition of manganese to the batch may have disappeared, but the tradition could still have been in force. This is sheer conjecture, but the non-material elements of a culture often influence or even dominate the material.

A spot test showed that manganese was present as a minor ingredient in most of the green glasses and in the two blue specimens.

Copper. Only a small amount of copper, 0.1%, is present in glass No. 34 and none was found in No. 196. A spot test showed that copper was present in all the blue-green glasses of the major group from which No. 34 was selected as representative. In Neumann's analyses of green glasses, much larger amounts of copper were reported if it was present at all. (Possibly colorimetric tests by which very small quantities can be detected were not used for copper in Neumann's work.) In larger amounts, copper would give a blue color to the glass if the coloring action of the iron were not too strong. The small quantity present might indicate that a blue frit containing copper as its coloring agent was used as one of the batch ingredients, for there is hardly enough copper in the glass to consider it an intentional addition to the batch. Copper-blue frits have been found in many excavations, and even the Assyrians used frits in their glass formulae. (R. Campbell Thompson, op. cit.) Another source might be cullet (scrap glass) that is remelted with the batch to speed up the rate of melting and to conserve materials. A small amount of copper-blue cullet could account for the 0.1% copper oxide, but the consistent appearance of this trace of copper in all the green glasses makes the use of a frit seem more probable.

Sulphur, reported in the trioxide form as SO3, is present in the same percentage range (0.1–0.2%) as in modern soda-lime glasses. Its presence may be due to sulphur-containing compounds in the glass batch or to sulphur products in the fuel used to melt the glass. Neumann reports sulphur contents as high as 2.4% SO3 in the older Egyptian glasses from Tell-el-Amarna. In such cases it is quite possible that all or much of the lime in the glass batch came from gypsum (CaSO4. 2H2O) rather than from limestone (CaCO3), or from sodium sulphate (Na2SO4), which can be a constituent of the alkali.

Tin and lead are found in many ancient glasses and glazes, particularly those of the Arabic period, so their presence was sought in the two glasses analyzed but was not found. Phosphorus was reported as present in Arab glass from Fostat, 92 but tests for it gave negative results.

This detailed consideration of the probable batch materials used to prepare the two glasses that were analyzed may be summarized as follows:

Sand—possibly contaminated with feldspar, limestone and clay.

Soda—probably natron from the Wadi Natrun.

Limestone—a low-magnesium variety such as is found near Cairo.

Iron—source could be either an ore or an ochre.

Frit—a deep-blue glass containing copper and perhaps manganese.

It is possible to calculate the batch formula from the chemical analysis of a glass if the chemical composition of the several batch ingredients is known. They can only be guessed at in the present instance, but if it is assumed that a soda feldspar was the source of the alumina, and the possible presence of frit (which is a colored glass and would contain many of the glass ingredients) is ignored, then approximate batch formulae that would give glasses of the compositions found by Miss Parrish in her analyses would be:

These formulae can only serve as an approximate indication of the simple proportions used in compounding the glass batches.

The outstanding work in the field of ancient glass analyses is that of Dr. Bernhard Neumann. He and his associate, Miss Kotyga, analyzed over 100 glasses of fairly well-established provenience and evaluated the results of their work critically. There are a few good analyses in the older literature, but many of the early workers did not clearly state the source and date of their analytical samples (often they were not completely known). A statement, for example, that a piece was "Egyptian glass" is not particularly helpful. Some analysts, to judge from their published results, did not test for all the glass components, especially for those such as copper that might be present in very small amounts. Often it is the minor ingredients that define the character of a glass. Neumann's data are the only trustworthy large group of ancient glass compositions that can be used for comparison with our own results. Two other analyses are also of interest and will be examined.

There are two ways of comparing analyses that will be used. (a) The general similarity of the composition patterns will be sought, for exact agreement cannot be expected. (b) The ratios of ingredients such as CaO:MgO and Na2O:K2O characterize glasses made from certain raw materials that may possibly be typical of specific regions.

In general pattern both the glasses analyzed belong with the good glasses that adequately resist weathering. They contain 67–70% SiO2 and 12–17% Na2O. Many of the earlier glasses such as those from Tell-el-Amarna and even several of the Roman glasses of the first several centuries a.d. have a lower silica content (56–65%) and a much higher alkali value, that may be as high as 22% Na2O. Within the group of good glasses with high silica and moderate soda figures there is much variation, especially in the lime and alumina content. The two glasses of most immediate interest to us represent two extremes in this series—No. 34 with high A12O3and very low CaO, and No. 196 with relatively low A12O3 for a good glass but with high CaO. The pattern of what is here termed "good" glass is not limited in time or space, as the analyses in Table 4 show. It is found at Thebes in 1500 B.C., at Pompeii, Fostat, and Samarra. Roman glasses other than that from Pompeii could be cited, but this survey must be limited to Arabic types. Before discussing the data in Table 4, the second method of scrutinizing the glass compositions will be presented.

The significance of ratios has already been considered in the preceding section. There it was pointed out that limestones vary in their CaO and MgO content, so the ratio of these two oxides may help characterize the type of limestone used in the glass batch. The two glasses analyzed had a low magnesia content, hence the molecular ratio CaO:MgO is high, 2.45 and 4.6 for No. 34 and No. 196. Both these glasses also have an extremely low K2O content, although many Egyptian glasses contain much more. This alkali relationship can serve as a good comparative tool.

Thus far in our discussions the differences between Nos. 34 and 196 have been emphasized. In comparing the compositions of these glasses with a large group of analyses, one is more impressed by their basic similarity in pattern than by differences which tend to be relegated to a less prominent position in the vitreous picture. Both glasses were made from the same general stock of raw materials, as a study of some of their ratios has shown. No. 34 is representative of the major group studied, but No. 196, also of local origin, may represent a later series of glasses or merely a different workshop

• a Thebes, 1500 B.C., dark blue, Neumann, No. 72.
• b Gorub Medined, 1500 B.C., dark blue inlaid with yellow and gray, Neumann No. 95.
• c Alexandria, late Egyptian, dark blue, Neumann No. 23.
• d Alexandria, late Egyptian, dark blue, Neumann No. 24.
• e Fostat, analyzed by J. Clifford, Lucas, p. 422.
• f Samarra, dark blue plate, Neumann No. 83.
• g Samarra, emerald green window glass, Neumann No. 84.
• h Cairo, 14th century, Linke in Schmoranz.
• i Arab Glass, blue, Parodi quoted by Lucas, p. 420.
• j Pompeii, green, Neumann No. 47.

The pattern of "good" glass was not new in Roman times, but was in use in the XVIIIth Dynasty, as the examples from Thebes and Gorub Medined demonstrate. Neumann points out that the glasses of the XVIIIth Dynasty were technically much better and more durable than all the known glasses of the next 2000 years. The tin reported in No. 95 (Neumann) is from the surface strip decoration of the glass. The SO3probably comes from the alkali sulphate, Na2SO4. There is a marked similarity in the pattern of these two glasses with the two from Alexandria that Neumann analyzed. In batch materials, however, the latter two agree with the Arabic glasses, for they are low in MgO, K2O, CuO and SO3. They have both the high Al2O3 of No. 34 and the high CaO of No. 196. These glasses were certainly made in the same tradition as those of the Arabic weights and stamps.

An Arabic glass from Fostat that was analyzed by J. Clifford and reported by Lucas (p. 422) also belongs in our group, for it conforms to the general pattern, has a high calcium to magnesium ratio and lacks K2O. It is very low in A12O3, but this is in part compensated for by its high iron content.

It is of interest to compare the glass compositions made at Samarra less than a century later with those from Egypt. This can be done because Neumann analyzed five pieces. Three of them contained a small amount of lead but were otherwise of the same general composition as the two shown in Table 4. These glasses are lower in SiO2 and much higher in MgO and SO3 than the Egyptian glasses. If the CaO:MgO ratio were found to hold true in other Iraqi glasses and glazes, this could be a means of determining the place of origin of questionable pieces, providing a fragment could be spared for chemical analysis. The basic pattern of the Samarran glasses is the same as that of Arabic Egypt.

An early (1896) chemical analysis accompanied by an excellent discussion is that of Dr. F. Linke, 94 who studied a fragment of glass thought to have come from the fourteenth-century mosque of Sulṭān Hasan in Cairo. As can be seen in Table 4, this glass adheres to the general pattern, but was made from dolomitic limestone and a mixture of alkalis. It has a high lime-magnesia content and is low in iron.

The series of Arab glass analyses made by Parodi 95 were republished by Lucas (p. 420). Most of his examples have a high alkali content (22–31%). One of the analyses is listed in Table 4 because the high SiO2, Fe2O3, and Al2O3 content, together with the low CaO and MgO, makes this glass very similar to No. 34 except for the high alkali.

The Pompeian glass is very similar in composition to the Arabic. This is an excellent example of the fact that the basic formulae for easily workable yet durable glasses are very restricted in their possible variations among the major ingredients.

This survey of the chemical literature of ancient glass has shown that No. 196 is similar to other Arabic and Roman glass in composition, particularly if the source of the limestone and the alkali is disregarded. No. 196 was a rather unique specimen among the sixteen samples studied in terms of its index of refraction and specific gravity. Possibly it was an imported piece from another part of Egypt or the Middle East. Its inscription was obliterated, so we shall never know. 96 No. 34, the glass chosen for analysis because in its physical properties it was typical of the majority of the samples studied, finds no compositional counterparts as a glass of very low lime and relatively low alkali content.

The search for analyzed compositions similar to those of the two glasses being studied has shown that a general pattern of "good" quality glass with a relatively low alkali content has existed at least since the time of the XVIIIth Dynasty, but that glasses with a high alkali content were also made at the same time. This could mean that even in Arabic times, the proportions of sand, alkali and limestone used were not critical, yet this hardly seems likely when one recalls that the Assyrians had definite glass formulae and that the Arabs were using an accurate system of weights and measures. It is more probable that different traditions existed in different glass factories. Each glassmaker would work out or inherit a formula by which he could successfully manufacture his ware. Unless the alkali content were extremely high, the weathering qualities of the glass would not be important during the lifetime of the owners, but would only serve archaeologists as a guide to variations in glass compositions. Secret formulae are still in use today for many products, such as, for example, glasses, glazes, cough drops, and soft drinks.

We must be careful to place the correct emphasis on the variations in glass composition. They can indicate different places of manufacture and sources of raw materials and thus give valuable information as to trade relationships of different regions and the constancy of ceramic traditions within a region. They can also be used to trace the improvements in ceramic compositions as experience was gained and as experimentally minded artisans developed more satisfactory products.

A thorough study of the manufacture of glass in any region must include a detailed knowledge of the composition and variations in the raw materials that could be found locally and of the ingredients indicated by literary sources to have been used in trade and imported. Such a program, while ideal, is not very practical because of the time and cost involved. It takes two full days at a minimum to analyze a glass completely. Egyptologists are most fortunate that a competent chemist like Mr. Lucas was able to spend many years of his life studying the technical processes of ancient Egypt. His pioneer work is of tremendous value and will serve as a cornerstone for all future technical studies. While few people with adequate training will be able to devote their full energies to such work, it is to be hoped that many ceramists and chemists will become interested in the problems of technological evolution and will actively cooperate with archaeologists.

Since technical studies will never be abundant, it is most essential that the material examined come from well-stratified deposits that have been competently excavated or from material, as in the present case, that bears a datable inscription. It is also important that the materials taken for detailed study be selected only after a large and representative group has been examined carefully and given physical tests such as the measurement of the index of refraction and apparent specific gravity. In the current study such tests showed that glass No. 196, which Dr. Miles supplied for analysis, was not chemically representative of the major group of stamps and weights. 97 Fortunately, it was possible to remove for analysis a sample from one of the pieces shown by the tests to be typical (No. 34)·

End Notes

Governor, 90–96 a.h.: 709–714 a.d.

1. One-half dīnār.

امر الا

مير قرة و

زن نصف

Ordered the Amīr Qurrah: weight of one-half.

Pale green. 22 mm. 2.11 grm.

Plate I

2. One-half ra of oil.

Vessel stamp with legend within dotted border:

امر الامير

قرة نصف

رطل دهن

Ordered the Amīr

Qurrah: one-half raṭl of oil.

Green. 32 mm.

Plate XII

One-quarter qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

امر الامير

قرة ربع

قسط

واف

Ordered the Amīr

Qurrah: one-quarter qisṭ, full measure.

Pale blue-green. 31 mm. Nies No. XII.

Plate XII

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 367, No. 96.

Qurrah b. Sharīk b. Marthad b. Ḥāzim b. al-Ḥārith al-'Absi al-Qaisi was Governor of Egypt from 3 (or 13) Rabī' I, 90, to the date of his death on 23 Rabī' I, 96 (20 Jan., 709–6 Dec, 714 a.d.). His duties as Governor included the functions of Finance Director. He was responsible for a number of important tax measures and reforms, and his adminis- tration is especially well documented by the finding of the Aphrodito and other papyri. Recent writers have inclined to vindicate him of bitter charges of cruelty, impiety and oppression brought against him by the 'Abbāsid historians, who are believed to have falsely represented his character for partisan reasons. Among other things Qurrah's name is associated with the reconstruction and reorientation of the qibla of the famous mosque of 'Amr, the conqueror of Egypt. 1 One of Qurrah's measures that has a direct bearing on the glass weights was an instruction to the effect that jizyah payments were to be accepted only according to the standard weight of the Treasury, 'alā wazni bayt il-māl. 2

corpus: ½ dīnār

½ raṭl of oil

qisṭ

½ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

Finance Director, 96–99 a.h.: 714–717 a.d.

Interim Governor, 102 a.h.: 720–721 a.d.

4. Fragment (¼ or less ?) of disk-type weight.

Fragmentary legend:

امر اسا

مة ب]ن زيد]

. . . . . . . . .

Ordered Usā-[mah bi]n Zayd:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Green. Stamp: 35 mm. Piece: 56 mm.

5. Qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

امر ا

سامة بن ز

يد بقسط

واف

*

Ordered Usāmah bin Zayd one qisṭ, full measure.

Green. 34 mm. Nies No. XVIII.

Plate XII

6. One-quarter qisṭ of olive oil.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

امر اسا

مة بن زيد بر

بع قسط

الزيت

Ordered Usāmah bin Zayd: one-quarter qisṭ of olive oil.

Pale blue-green. 34 mm.

Plate XII

7.One-quarter qisṭ of ointment.

Vessel stamp, legend about ¾ preserved:

[امر اس[ا

[مة بن زي[د

[ربع قس[ط

[الط[لا

Ordered Usāmah bin Zay[d]:one-quarter qis[t] of oint[ment].

A fragment of the final 1 is preserved.

Pale blue-green. 29 mm.

Plate XII

8. Measure of........

Vessel stamp, legend about ¾ preserved:

امر اسامة

[بن زيد مكي[لة

....ل.....

Ordered Usāmah bin Zayd: meas[ure] . . . . . . of...........?

Green. 42 mm.

Plate XII

Usāmah b. Zayd al-Tanūkhi was appointed Finance Director by the Caliph al-Walīd b. 'Abd al-Malik in 96 (714 a.d.), and was removed by the Caliph 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Azīz in 99 (717 a.d.). According to Ṭabari's (and ibn al-Athīr's) sources he was also interim Governor ( and Finance Director) in 102 (720–721 a.d.). Usāmah had the reputation of being particularly oppressive in his tax administration, and it is reported that he vigorously implemented the Caliphal instruction to "milk till the udder be dry, and let blood drop to the last drop." It is interesting to note that in 97 (715 a.d.) he built the first Nilometer (miqyās), an apparatus closely associated with the collection of revenues, on the Island of Rawḍah (Rōḍa) in Cairo; and also that he built the Bayt al-Māl, or Treasury, in Fusṭāṭ, near ''Amr's mosque. 3

corpus: ½ dīnār

dirham

fals of 14 kharrūbah

uncertain coin weight (Mainoni)

uncertain disk-weight

qisṭ

½ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ of olive oil

uncertain measures

Finance Director, 99–101 a.h.: 717–720 a.d.

9. One-half qisṭ of olive oil.

Vessel stamp:

امر حيان

بن شريح

نصف قسط

ز]يت وا]

ف

Ordered Ḥayyān bin Shurayḥ: one-half qisṭ of olive oil, full measure.

Pale blue-green. 31 mm.

Plate XII

10. One-quarter qisṭ of olive oil (.?).

Vessel stamp:

امر حيان

بن شريح

(بربع قسط(؟

(زيت(؟

Ordered Ḥayyān bin Shurayḥ: one-quarter (?) of olive oil (?).

The last two lines are garbled, but the legend as given above seems to be intended.

Pale green. 27 mm.

Plate XII

Cf. Petrie No. 92, a quzrter-qisṭ of oil (wrongly read as "quarter qist of the Bedawin?"), with a legend substantially the same as the above but differently arranged.

The exact dates of Ḥayyān b. Shurayḥ's term of office as Finance Director are somewhat uncertain. The tradition is simply that he was 'āmil for Miṣr (Egypt) under the Caliph 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Azīz (10 Ṣafar, 99–20 Rajab, 101 a.h.: 717–720 a.d.). At least he was in office until the death of the Governor Ayyūb b. Shurahbīl on 11 Ramaḍān, 101 (26 March, 720 a.d.); and it may be that he was not relieved of his duties until 'Ubaydullāh b. al-Ḥabḥāb came in about 104 a.h., because Ayyūb's two successors as Governor were not charged with the finance functions. However, the tradition that Usāmah b. Zayd was interim Governor and Finance Director in 102 a.h. 4 weakens the argument. 5

corpus: dīnār

raṭl of meat

¼ qisṭ

½ qisṭ of olive oil

¼ qisṭ of olive oil

Finance Director, 102–116 a.h.: 720–734 a.d.

11. One-third dīnār.

مما امر

به عبيدا

لله ابن الحبحا

ب مثقال ثلث

واف

Of what ordered 'Ubaydullāh ibn al-Ḥabḥāb: weight of one-third, full weight.

Pale green. 20 mm. 1.43 grm.

Plate I

Cf. BM No. 3G (1.42 grm.), also one-third dīnār·, but with a different inscription.

12. Fals of 20 qīrāṭ.

بسم الله

امر عبيد الله

ابن الحبحاب

مثقال فلس

عشرين قير

ط

In the name of Allāh: ordered 'Ubaydullāh ibn al-Ḥabḥāb: weight of fals of twenty qīra-

Pale green. 30 mm. 3.97 grm.

Plate I

13. Fals of 17 qīrāṭ.

بسم الله

امر عبيد الله

بن الحبحاب

بمثقال نصف

فلس سبعة

عشر قيرط

واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥāb: weight of one-half of Sevenig teen qī full weight.

Pale green. 27 mm. 3.22 grm.

Plate I

14. Fals of 15 qīrāṭ.

بسم الله

امر عبيد الله

بن الحبحاب مثقا

ل نصف فلس

خمسة عشر

قيراط وا

(ف(؟

In the name of Allāh: ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥāb: weigh- of one-half fals of fifteen qīnāṭ, full- weight.

Pale green. 24.5 mm. 2.90 grm.

Plate I

15–16. Fals of 12 kharrūbah.

بسم الله

امر عبيد الله

بن الحبحاب مثقال

سطر اثنى عشر

ة خروبة و

(زن(؟

In the name of Allāh: ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥāb: weight of series(?) of twelve kharrūbah weight (?).

Pale green. Two specimens: 22 mm., 23 mm. 2.31 grm., 2.32 grm.

Plate I

17. Two raṭls of meat.

Fractured ring-weight bearing stamp, about four-fifths preserved, on top surface:

مما امر

به عبيدا

Of what ordered 'Ubaydu-

ال]ه ابن الجبحا]

ب] رطبن لحمم و]

اف

[llā]h ibn al-Ḥabḥā- [b]: two raṭls of meat, full weight.

Green. Stamp: 31 mm. Piece, length: 69 mm., width: 49 mm., height: 41 mm. 173 grm.

Plate VII

18. One-half qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

مما امر به

عبيد الله ا

بن الحبحاب

[نصف قس[ط

و]اف]

Of what ordered 'Ubaydullāh ibn al-Ḥabḥāb: one half qis[ṭ], [full] measure.

Green. 36 mm.

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 368, Nos. 104–105.

19. One-quarter qisṭ. Year lll a.h.: 729/30 a.d.

Vessel stamp:

بسم الله

امر عبيد الله

بن الحبحاب ربع

قسط على يدى خر

[ة (؟) بن ميسرة سن[ة

ا]حدى عشرة]

مئة

In the name of Allah: Ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥāb: one-quarter at the hands of Khurrah (?) bin Maysarah, year [o]ne and ten, one hundred.

Pale green. 43 mm.

Plate XII

Similar to BM p. 108, No. 392.

The reading of the first name of the prefect is by no means certain. Lane-Poole transcribed HLM, but did not attempt to transliterate or identify this name.

20. One-quarter qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

مما امر

به عبيد الله

Of what ordered 'Ubaydullāh

بن الحبحاب ربع

ق]سط وا]

ف

bin al-Ḥabḥāb; one-quarter qisṭ full measure.

Pale green. 32 mm.

Similar to Petrie No. 105; apparently similar to Fou-quet Coll., p. 368, Nos. 106–107.

21. One-quarter qisṭ of olive oil.

Vessel stamp:

بسم الله

امر عبيدا

[له]ل بن الحبحا[ب]

[ر]بع قس[ط]

[ز]يت [و]

اف

In the name of Allah: Ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥā[b]: one-quar[ter] qis[ṭ] [of o]live oil, [full] measure.

Green. 37 mm.

Apparently similar to Petrie No. 108, and to Fouquet Coll., p. 368, Nos. 109–119.

22. Measure of polished lupins.

Vessel stamp:

بسم الله

امر عبيد الله

بن الحبحاب

بمكيلة التر

هس تملس

وافية

In the name of Allāh: ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥāb: measure of lupin, polished, full measure.

Green. 43 mm. Nies, No. XVII.

Plate XII

The word following, الترمس "lupin," is rather puzzling. One might expect مملّس, mumallas, 6 "polished, smoothed," but the first letter cannot possibly be,. It must be ن، ت or ى or the like. Lane (I7, p. 2735) has a form تملّس, equivalent to, إمّلس, meaning it was, or became, made, or rendered, smooth etc. Dr. Nies, in his original publication of the piece, transcribed the word "turnias," and suggested "smooth," i.e., heaping and then smoothed over with the hands to give full measure; but I believe that "polished," that is "husked," is probably the intended meaning.

23. Measure of shelled lentils.

Vessel stamp, about five-sixths preserved:

[بسم الله ؟]

امر عبيد الله

بن الحبحاب

بطبعه مكيلة

عدس مقشر و

فية

[In the name of Allāh ?]: ordered 'Ubaydullāh bin al-Ḥabḥāb the stamping of it: measure of lentils, shelled, full measure.

Pale blue-green. 37 mm.

Plate XII

Just as the terminal date of Ḥayyān b. Shurayḥ's period of office is difficult to determine, so also is the date of the commencement of 'Ubaydullāh b. al-Ḥabḥāb's term as Finance Director uncertain. Grohmann has argued the case at considerable length and accepts the dates 102–116 (720–734 a.d.). According to one tradition, 'Ubaydullāh was in the latter year appointed Governor of Africa; but according to another (Abū al-Maḥāsin ibn-Taghri-Birdi), the date of his appointment as Governor of Africa was 114. Al-Bakri by implication confirms this earlier date in recording that 'Ubaydullāh built a mosque and arsenal in Tunis in 114. 7 As an oppressive tax-collector he had an unsavory reputation, and his iconoclastic measures against the Copts contributed to a revolt of that "minority." His son, al-Qāsim (see below, p. 83), succeeded him in the Egyptian Treasury. 'Ubaydul-lāh's stamps and weights are numerous. 8

corpus: ⅓ dīnār

fals

fals of 20, 18, 17, 15, 13 and 12 qīrāṭ and kharrūbah

2 raṭl of meat

1 raṭl of "dates" (probably meat) (Petrie)

qisṭ

½ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

qisṭ of olive oil

¼ qisṭ of olive oil

measure of lupins

measure of lentils

Khurrah (?) b. Maysarah (No. 19) is unknown to me. The problematical reading of the name, especially the first part of it, makes an exhaustive search among the chroniclers unprofitable. It is to be hoped that more specimens bearing this prefect's name may appear; identification might then be possible.

24. Raṭl (?). Year 114. a.h.: 752/3 a.d.

Disk-weight. About one-half of a circular or ovoid plano-convex disk, bearing three stamps on the convex side:

(a) about one-half preserved:

...........

...........

(رطل (؟

ارو

و]اف]

........... ..... raṭl (?) ..... ..... .......... [full] weight.

(b) almost completely preserved:

سنة ا

ربع

عشر

[وما ئ[ة

Year fourteen and one hund [red].

(c) almost entirely lacking and no part of legend preserved.

Green. Stamp (a): 31 mm. (b): 22 mm. (c): 16 mm. Piece, maximum di.: 113 mm., thickness: 19 mm.

Governor, 108 a.h. (part): 727 a.d.

Governor, 124–127 a.h,: 742–744 a.d.

Finance Director, 124–125 a.h.: 742–743 a.d.

Governor, 127–128 a.h.: 745–746 a.d.

25. Raṭl and one-quarter wuqīyah (?).

Disk-weight. Fragment of ovoid (?) plano-convex disk, bearing two contiguous stamps on the convex side:

(a) [بسم [الله

[امر ا[لامير ؟

[حفص بن [الوليد ؟

[بطبعه م[ثقال ر ؟

طل واف ر

In the name [of Allāh]: ordered [the Amīr ?] Ḥafṣ bin [al-Walīd ?] the stamping of it, [weight (?) of ra-] ..... ṭl, full weight........

[ربع و[قية ؟

[و[اف ؟

one-quarter [wuqīyah ?] [full weight?].

(b) على يدى

يزيد بن ا

بى يزيد

*

Ath the hadns of Yarīd bin abi Yazīd.

Green. Stamp (a) : ca. 42 mm. (b) : 22 mm. Piece, length : 74 mm., width: 49 mm., thickness: 9 mm. 45.0 grm.

Plate V

It is unfortunate that the larger stamp on this piece, with its interesting and unusual legend, is not more perfectly preserved. To judge by what remains it would appear that the weight is that of a raṭl (or fraction) plus a quarter ounce. For the existence of such weights as the equivalents of various types of qisṭs there is abundant evidence in the material collected by Sauvaire, for example a qisṭ of honey weighing I½ (or 2½ ?) raṭls, a qisṭ of 7½ raṭls, etc. 9

26. Qisṭ.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

بسم الله

امر الامير

حفص بن الوليد

بطبعه قسط

واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr Ḥafṣ bin al-Walīd the stamping of it: qisṭ, full measure.

Light, opaque green on dark-green vessel. 41 mm. Nies, No. XVI.

Plate XII

Ḥafṣ b. al-Walīd, having acted as Governor of Egypt for two weeks late in 108 (March-April, 727 a.d.), was appointed to that office, including the Finance Directorate, on 7 Rabī' II, 124 (18 Feb., 742 a.d.). He was relieved of the Finances on 23 Shawwāl, 125 (19 Aug., 743 a.d.), and of the Governorship in 127 (744/5 a.d.). Again in the same year he was reappointed Governor, was finally removed on 1 Muḥarram, 128 (3 Oct., 745 a.d.), and was executed on 3 Shawwāl, 128 (28 June, 746 a.d.). 10

corpus: dīnār

⅓ dīnār

dirham

raṭl fraction and ¼ wuqīyah

wuqīyah

qisṭ

For Yazīd b. abī-Yazīd (No. 25), see p. 91.

Finance Director, 116–124 a.h.: 734–742 a.d.

27. Dīnār.

بسم الله

امر القاسم

بن عبيد الله

مثقال دينر

واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered al-Qāsim bin 'Ubaydullāh: weight of dīnār, full weight.

Metropolitan Museum, 89.2.241. Green. 28.5 mm. 4.24 grm.

Plate I

28. One-half dīnār. Year 199 (?) a.h.: 757 a.d.

بسم الله ا

مر الله بالو

فا وامر بطبعه

مثقال نصف و

من القاسم بن

عبيد الله على يدى

[مسلم بن الع[ر

(اف سنة تع(؟

(عشر مة(؟

In the name of Allāh: com manded Allāh hon- esty; and ordered the stamping of it, weight of one-half W- MN (for "WZN," weight), al-Qāsim bin 'Ubaydullāh, at the hands of Muslim bin al-'A[r-] (?) year nine (?)- teen [and] one hundred (?).

Yellowish green. 24 mm. 2.12 grm.

Plate I

29. One-third dīnār.

[ا]مر ا[لله با]

[لوفا و[امر

[بطبعه [ مثقال

[ثلث و[زن؟][ا

[لقاسم [بن عبيد

[الله ع[لى يدى مسلم

[.... بن الع[راف

Com[manded Allah hon-]esty: and [ordered] the stamping of it, [weight] of one-third w[eight (?), a-]l Qāsim [bin 'Ubaydullāh a[t the hands of Muslim] bin al-'A[rāf.....].

Broken, about two-fifths lacking. Pale green. 19 mm. 0.80 grm.

Plate I

30. Fals of 30 kharrūbah. Year 119 a.h: 737 a.d.

بسم الله ا

مر الله بالوفا

وامر بطبعه

مثقال فلس ثلثين

خروبة القاسم

بن عبيد الله على يدى

مسلم بن العا

ف سنة تسع

عشرة وما

ئة

I In the name of Allah: commanded Allāh honesty: and ordered the stamping of it, weight of fals of thirty kharrūbah, al-Qāsim bin 'Ubaydullāh, at the hands of Muslim bin al-'Ā-, year nine teen and one hund red.

Green. 33 mm. 5.83 grm.

Plate I

Similar to BM No. 4 (5.83 grm.); Jungfleisch (from Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris) (5.80 grm.).

31. Fals of 15 kharrūbah.

[ا]مر[القا]

سم بن عبيد

ا]لله مثقال]

خمسة عشر

خروبة

[Or]dered [al-Qā-] sim bin 'Ubayd-[u]llāh: weight of fifteen kharrūbah.

Pale green. 24.5 mm. 2.97 grm.

Plate I

32. Two rath of meat.

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps on top surface:

بسم الله

امر القاسم بن

عبيد الله بطبعه

رطلين لحم و

اف

الوفا

لله

• In the name of Allāh: ordered al-Qāsim bin 'Ubaydullāh the stamping of it, two raṭls of meat, full weight.
• (b) Honesty to Allāh.

Green. Stamp (a) : 33 mm. (b) : 17 mm. Piece, length : 87 mm., width : 59 mm., height: 58 mm. 300.0 grm.

Plate VIII

33. Great raṭl (?).

Disk-weight. Fragment of circular (?) plano-convex disk, bearing stamp about four-fifths preserved on the convex side:

[بسم الل[ه

[امر القاس[م

[بن عبيد ال[له

[بطبعه ر[طل ؟

[كب[ير

واف

In the name of Allā[h]: ordered al-Qāsi[m] bin 'Ubaydul[lāh] the stamping of it, ra[ṭl ?] gr[eat], full weight.

Green. Stamp: ca. 38 mm. Piece, max. di.: 55 mm., thickness: 19 mm.

Plate V

34. Raṭl of meat. Tear 123 (?) a.h.: 740/1 a.d.

Fractured ring-weight bearing stamp on top surface:

بس]م الله]

امر الله بالو

[ف]ا وامر بصنع[ه]

ر]طل اللحم القا]

[س]م بن عبيد ال[له]

(عل]ى يدى دواد(؟]

(فر(؟) سنة ثلث (؟

[In the na]me of Allāh: commanded Allāh hon- [es]ty; and ordered [its] making, [RA] ṭL of meat, al-Qā- ) [si]m bin 'Ubaydul[lāh], . . . [a]t the hands of (Dā'ud ?) [bin ?] . . . [Ja']far (?), year three (?)

وعشرين

ومئة

and twenty and one hundred.

Green. Stamp: 37 mm. Piece, length: 61 mm., width : 44 mm., height: 30 mm. 85.50 grm.

Plate VIII

35. Raṭl of . . . . . . . . . . .

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps on top surface:

[بسم[الله

[امر القا[م

بن عبيد الله

رطل (sic) بعبعه

. . . . . .

الوفا

لله

• In the name of [Allāh] : ordered al-Qāsi[m] bin 'Ubaydullāh the stamping of it (misspelled), raṭl
• Honesty to Allāh

Green. Stamp (a): 29 mm. (b): 21 mm. Piece, length: 63 mm., width: 42 mm., height: 47 mm. 143.50 grm.

36. One-quarter............Year 122 a.h.: 739/40 a.d.

Vessel stamp:

بسم الله

امر الله با

لوفا وامر

بطبعه ربع

القاسم بن عبيد

[الله على يدى ظ[ف؟

ر بن قتيبة (؟) سنة ا

ثنين وعشرين

مائة

In the name of Allāh: Allāh commanded hon-esty; and ordered the stamping of it, one-quarter, [a]l-Qāsim bin'Ubayd- ullāh, at the hands of Z[afa ?]-1 bin Qutaybah (?), year two and twenty, one hundred.

Green. 40 mm.

Plate XIII

One would expect some term denoting the measure following the word "one-quarter"; probably the measure was inadvertently omitted by the artisan.

Cf. Petrie No. 120, a half-qisṭ stamp with a very similar inscription and the same date. Petrie read Ṭahīr b. Nasiq, but the illustration shows that neither of these names can be correct. I am not at all confident of the reading suggested above, but Zafar is certainly a possible reading of the first name on the specimen described by Petrie. The second letter of the first name is not preserved on the present piece.

37. Measure of shelled pease.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

بسم الله

امر القاسم بن

عبيد الله

بطبعه مكيلة

جلبان مقشر

واف

In the name of Allāh: I ordered al-Qāsim bin 'Ubaydullāh the stamping of it, measure of pease, shelled, 11 full measure.

Green. 39 mm.

Plate XIII

This specimen perfectly illustrates the position of a stamp on the vessel.

38. Measure of black lentils (?).

Vessel stamp attached to a fragment of rim:

بسم الله

امر الله بالو

فا وامر بطبعه

[م]كيلة الانز (؟) الاس[ود]

ال]قاسم بن عبيد ال]

[لّه على يدى داو[د

In the name of Allāh: commanded Allāh honesty; and ordered the stamping of it, measure of lentils (?), bla[ck], al-Qāsim bin 'Ubaydullāh, at the hands of Dā'ū[d]

Green. 41 mm.

Plate XIII

Al-Qāsim b. 'Ubaydullāh, son of 'Ubaydullāh b. al-Ḥab-ḥāb, was Finance Director from 116 (734 a.d.) until 13 Sha'bān, 124 (22 June, 742 a.d.). It is possible that his term may have begun before 116, but certainly not before 115 (see p. 79, above). 12 The date 112 a.h., sometimes given as the beginning of al-Qāsim's administration (e.g., BM), is undoubtedly incorrect and has its origin in Bishop Severus of Ashmunain's chronicle. The weights and stamps of al-Qāsim, like his father's, are numerous.

Muslim (or Musallam) b. al-'Arāf (Nos. 28–30) is unknown except on the weights and stamps; by their evidence he was Prefect in the year 119 (737 a.d.). Lane-Poole, in the BM catalogue, read the name Muslim b. al-'Afī; and so did I until I saw Jungfleisch's Les Ratls discoïdes en Verre, where he writes that the name on the BM specimen and on one in the Bibliothèque Nationale is "défiguré par un sectionnement résultant de la mise à la ligne au milieu du mot." I am not yet convinced that al-'Arāf is correct, although Jungfleisch states that his specimen bearing the name, a qisṭ vessel stamp, is entirely clear, the father's name being complete on one line. Certainly on the splendid specimen in the present collection, No. 30, it is difficult to read anything but العاف, and one can only assume an engraver's error to establish the reading العراف.

Dā'ūd, or Dā'ūd bin Ja'far (?) (Nos. 34 and 38) cannot be identified until pieces with his name in a better state of preservation are found. A prefect named Dā'ūd appears in conjunction with an official by the name of 'Abdullāh b. 'Ali on a dirham weight in the Fouquet Collection (p. 381, No. 48), but 'Abdullāh b. 'Ali is not identified.

Ẓafar b. Qutaybah, if indeed that be the name on No. 36, likewise is unidentified. See p. 87, above.

Finance Director, 125–127 a.h.: 743–745 a.d.

128–131 a.h.: 745–749 a.d.

39. Dīnār.

بسم ا]لله ا]

مر الله ]بالوفا]

ا مر ع]يسى بن ابى]

عطا] بطبعه]

مث]قال دينر على]

(يد]ى يزيد بن (؟]

[ابى يزيد ؟]

[In the name of A]llāh: com-[manded Allāh] honesty; [ordered 'I]sā bin abī- the stamping of it, [wei]ght of dīnār, at [ [the hand]s of Yazīd bin (?) [abī-Yazīd ?].

Broken, about two-fifths lacking. Pale green. 29 mm. 2.55 grm.

Cf. Petrie No. 134, apparently similar.

40. One-half dīnār.

The legend is abbreviated and garbled, but is probably intended to read:

بسم الله

اعيسى بن بى

In the name of Allah: ordered 'Isā bin [a]bī-['Aṭā]

بصنعه مثقا

ل نصف على

يدى (؟) يزيد بن ا

بى (؟) يزيد

the making of it, weight of one-half, at the hands of Yazīd bin a-bī Yazīd.

Yellowish green. 22 mm. 2.10 grm.

Plate I

This piece is similar to the Fouquet Coll. p. 379, No. 24, but is better preserved. Casanova's reading of "Ya-zïd b. Tamīm" is invalidated by this clearer specimen.

41. Two (?) raṭ of meat.

Fractured ring-weight bearing stamp, about two-thirds preserved, on top surface:

امر الل]ه بالو]

فاا]امر عيسى]

[بن ابى ع]طا بطبع[ه]

رط]لين (؟) للحم]

و]اف]

[Commanded Allā]h hon- [esty: or]dered 'Isa [bin abī 'A]cā the stamping of [it], two (?) [raṭ]ls of meat, [full] measure.

Green. Stamp: 40 mm. Piece, length: 42 mm., width : 37 mm., height: 33 mm. 60.0 grm.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 392, No. 55, with a quite similar inscription, but beginning: . . . بسم الله امر الامير عيسى

42. One-quarter qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

بس]م الله]

[امرا] لا م[ير]

[عيس]ى بن ابى عط[ا]

[بطبع]ه ربع قس[ط]

[و[اف

[In the na]me of Allāh: [ordered t]he Am[īr] ['Is]ā bin abī-'At[ā] [the stamping] of it, one quarter qis[ṭ], full [measure].

Metropolitan Museum, 08.256.7. Green. 30 mm.

Plate XIII

The stamp was faultily impressed, resulting in an off-center impression and damaged inscriptions.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 369, Nos. 134–135; cf. also Petrie No. 13 5, also a quarter-qisṭ but with different inscriptions.

'Īsā b. abī-'Atā was twice Finance Director, the first time from 23 Shawwāl, 125, until 28 or 29 Jumādā II, 127 (19 Aug., 743–6 or 7 April, 745 a.d.), and again from 12 Mu-harram, 128, until 10 Rajab, 131 (14 Oct., 745–5 Mar., 749 a.d.). 13

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

dirham

2 raṭls of meat

½ raṭl 14

½ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

uncertain measures

½ measure

For Yazïd b. abī-Yazīd (Nos. 39–40), see below.

Prefect, ca. 116–127 a.h.: 734–745 a.d.

Finance Director (?), ca. 127 a.h.: 745 a.d.

43. Fals of 20 qīrāt.

امر يزيد

بن ابى يزيد

مثقال فلس

Ordered Yazīd bin abī-Yazīd: weight oí fals

عشرين قير

ط

of twenty qīra-t.

Pale green. 29 mm. 3.86 grm. Nies, No. X.

Similar to BM No. 7 (3.62 grm.).

44. Fals of 20 qtrãt.

Similar to No. 43, but * above, and the tä on the last line is retrograde.

Pale green. 30 mm. 3.95 grm.

45–46. Fals of 20 kharrūbah.

بسم الله ا

[مر يزيد بن ا[بى

يزيد وزن

فلس عشر

ين خروبة

In the name of Allāh: ordered Yazīd bin a[bī-] Yazīd: weight of fals of twenty kharrūbah.

Two specimens. Pale green; brownish green. 24 mm.; 24 mm. 3.97 grm. 5 3.61 grm. (worn).

Plate I

47. Measure not specified.

Vessel stamp:

على يدى

يزيد بن

ابى يزيد

At the hands · of Yazīd bin abī-Yazīd.

Green. 29 mm.

Plate XIII

48. Measure not specified.

Vessel stamp:

على يدى

يزيد بن ا

بى يزيد

*

At the hands of Yazīd bin a-bī-Yazīd.

Green. 28 mm.

Similar to Petrie No. 132; cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 373, Nos. 175–182, not illustrated and the division of words not indicated in the transcription; also the star is not mentioned.

Yazīd b. abī-Yazīd is, so far as I know, unrecorded in the chronicles. I have not made an exhaustive search, but his name does not appear in the best-known histories. The weights and stamps, however, do provide us with some facts bearing on his career. He served as Prefect على يدى under al-Qāsim b. 'Ubaydullāh, at least in the year 122 A.H. (stamps in the Fou-quet, University College and Vienna Collections), under Ḥafṣ b. al-Walīd, and under 'īsā b. abī-'Atā. 15 On a number of pieces, including Nos. 43–46 above, he appears as the only official, without, however, the title Amīr. From the collation of the several dates involved, it is clear that Yazīd b. abī-Yazīd served as Prefect from some date in or after 116 16 until 28 or 29 Jumādā II, 127 (734–6 or 7 April, 745 a.d.); and it can be argued that during the interim between 'Īsā b. abï-'Ata's two terms as Finance Director, he served in that latter capacity pro tern., i.e., 29 Jumada II, 127–12 Muharram, 128 (7 Apr.- 14 Oct., 745 a.d.), during which period he issued official weights but did not have the privilege of entitling himself "Amīr." It will be seen below (p. 96) that I have assigned the Prefect Yazīd b. Tamīm to 'Īsā b. abī-'Ata's second term as Finance Director from 128–131 (745–749 a.d.).

corpus: ½ dīnār

⅓ dīnār

dirham

fals of 20 qīrāt

fals of 20 kharrūbah

2 raṭls of meat

raṭl

¼ raṭl

qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

uncertain measures

Finance Director, 131–132 a.h.: 749 a.d. Governor, 132–133 a.h.: 750 a.d.

49. Fals of 30 kharrūbah.

[بسم الله ا[مر

[الامير عبد الم[لك

[بن مرون اصلحه [الله

[بطبعه مثقال ف[لس

[ثلثين خروب[ة واف

[على [ يدى يزيد بن

[تميم]

In the name of Allāh: or[dered] the Amīr ' Abd al-Ma[lik] bin Marwan, may [Allāh] mend him, the stamping of it, weight of fa[ls] of thirty kharrūba[h, full weight], at [the hands of Yazīd bin] [Tamīm].

Broken, about one-third lacking. Pale blue-green. 32 mm. 3.51 grm.

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 379, Nos. 27–28 (5.88 grm.), and to Petrie No. 140 (5.88 grm.).

50. Raṭl.

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps, one of which fractured and largely effaced, on top surface:

بسم الله

امر الله بالوفا

وامر الامير عبد

الملك بن مرون

بطبعه رطل و

اف

(a) In the name of Allāh: commanded Allāh honesty; and ordered the Amīr 'Abd al-Malik bin Marwan the stamping of it, raṭl, full weight.

على ي]دى]

(بن(؟

(b) [At the han]ds [of.....]bin(?)

Green. Stamp (a) : 33 mm. (b) : 23 mm. Piece, length : 63 mm., width : 43 mm., height: 32 mm. 112.50 grm.

Plate VIII

51. One-half qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

(بسم الله [امر ؟

[عبد الملك بن [مر

وان ]بطبعه نصف]

[قسط واف على [يدى

محمد بن شر

حبيل

In the name of Allāh: [ordered ?] 'Abd al-Malik bin [Mar-] [wān?] the stamping of it, one-half qisṭ full weight, at [the hands] of Muḥammad bin Shura-hbīl.

Metropolitan Museum, 08.256.3. Green. 44.5 mm.

Plate XIII

Cf. BM, p. 107, No. 391, a half-qisṭ stamp of 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān, and Fouquet Coll., p. 374, No. 183, another hzlf-qisṭ stamp of Muḥammad b. Shurahbīl.

'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān b. Mūsā b. Nuçayr al-Lakhmi was Finance Director under al-Mughayrah b. 'Ubaydullāh, who was Governor from 24 Rajab, 131–12 Jumādā I, 132 (19 March-27 Dec, 749 a.d.); he then had the distinction of being the last Umayyad Governor, surrendering his post to the 'Abbāsid Sãlih b. 'Ali when the latter entered Fusçãt on 8 Muharram, 133 (16 Aug., 750 a.d.). 17

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

fals of 30 kharrūbah

raṭl

⅓ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

uncertain measures

Æ coins; Fustāt, no date (Tiesenhausen No. 655; Berlin p. 376, No. 2028a,b; Khedivial No. 943; Paris Nos. 1494–5); Fayyūm (Paris No. 1496); and Iskandarīyah (?), no date (Khedivial No. 845).

I have no information regarding the Prefect Yazīd b. Tamīm (No. 49) other than that provided by the weights and stamps. That he was in office during the Governorship of 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān is evident from the present and other coin weights. Also there are weights in the Fouquet and University College Collections with Yazīd b. Tamīm's name as Prefect under 'Isā b. abī-'Atā, Finance Director in 125127 and 128–131. As Yazīd b. abī-Yazīd (see above, p. 93) was also a Prefect under the latter Finance Director, as well as under Qāsim b. 'Ubaydullāh and under Iiafṣ b. al-Walīd before him, it may be concluded that Yazīd b. Tamīm was the later of the two Prefects to serve under 'Isā b. abī-'Atā, and that he was continued in that office by 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān when the latter became Finance Director in 131. We may then assume Yazīd b. Tamīm's dates to be approximately 128–132 (745–749 a.d.), i.e., during 'Isā b. abī-Acā's second term as Finance Director and 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān's service in the same office.

For Muḥammad b. Shurahbīl, see below.

Prefect, ca. 132–152 a.h.: 749–769 a.d.

52. Raṭl.

Fractured ring-weight bearing stamp, about three-quarters preserved on top surface:

[بسم [الله

[على يدى محم[د

In the name of Allāh: at the hands of Muhammafd]

[بن شر حب[يل

رطل واف

bin Shurahb[il]; raṭl, full weight.

Dark green. Stamp: 36 mm. Piece, length: 75 mm., width: 48 mm., height: 33 mm. 83.50 grm.

Plate VIII

Muḥammad b. Shurahbīl, a Prefect unknown to me in the chronicles, is placed here because his first appearance is under 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān (No. 51 above). He was active over a period of twenty years. He must have followed Yazīd b. Tamīm (see above), probably upon 'Abd al-Malik b. Mar-wān's succession to the Governorship sometime after 12 Jumādā I, 13 2 (27 Dec, 749 a.d.). He then served successively under 'Abd al-Malik b. Yazīd (No. 67 and University College Collection), Mūsā b. Ka'b (No. 69 and Fouquet Collection), and Yazīd b. Hātim (University College Collection). His inclusive dates must therefore be ca. 12 Jumādā I, 132, to Rabī' II, 152 (27 Dec, 749-May, 769 a.d.).

corpus: dinār

½ dīnār

raṭl

wuqīyah

qisṭ

½ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

53. One-half raṭl.

Disk-weight. About one-half of circular plano-convex disk, bearing stamp about two-thirds preserved: [م[ما امر به Of [what ordered]

[عبد [الله عبد

[الله امير [المؤمنبن

[أوفوا الكيل و

[من [ال (sic) لا تكنوا

مخسرين نصف

رطل و

اف

the servant [of Allāh, 'Abd-] ullāh, Commander [of the Believers]: "Give just meas[ure and] be not among [the] defrauders"; one-half raṭl, full weight.

Green. Stamp: 35 mm. Piece, di.: 63 mm., thickness: 19.5 mm. 88.00 grm.

Plate V

The quotation is from the Qur'ān, Chap. XXVI, verse 181.

54. One-quarter raṭl

Disk-weight. About one-half of roughly circular plano-convex disk, bearing stamp about three-fifths preserved:

[مما امر به ؟ ]

[عبد الله عبد ؟]

الله امير المؤمنين

أوفوا الكيل ولا

تكونوا من المخسر

ين ربع رطل

واف

[Of what ordered ?] [the servant of Allāh, ' Abd- ?] ullāh, Commander of the Believers: "Give just measure and not be among the defrauder- s"; one-quarter raṭl, full weight.

Green. Stamp: 37 mm. Piece, max. di.; 75 mm., thickness: 14.5 mm. 68.00 grm.

Plate VI

Cf. No. 53 for the Qur'ānic quotation.

55. One-half qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

مما امر به

عبد الله عبد

ا]لله امير المؤمنين]

أوفو الكيل وال ة

Of what ordered the servant of Allāh, 'Abdullāh, Commander of the Believers: "Give just measure and not b-

[كونوا من المخسر[ين

نصف قسط

واف

e among the defraud [ers]"; one-half qisṭ, full measure.

Metropolitan Museum, 08.256.4. Green. 38 mm.

Plate XIII

Cf. No. 53 for the Qur'ānic quotation.

56. One-half raṭl of oil.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

امر عبد ا

ل]له عبد الله ا]

مير المنوم

ب]طبعه نصف]

ر]طل دهن]

واف

Ordered the servant of A-[l]lāh, 'Abdullāh, Commander [of the Believers], the stamping of it, one-half raṭl of oil, full measure.

Green. 35 mm.

Plate XIII

57. One-third (?) qisṭ.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

[مما امر [به

عبد الله عبد

[ال]له امير المؤمن[ين]

[أوفوا الكبل ولا تك[و

[نوا]من المخسرين ث[لث ؟]

ق]سط واف]

Of what ordered the servant of Allāh, 'Abdu[1]1āh, Commander of the Believ-[ers]:

["Gi]ve just measure and not b-[e] among the defrauders"; one- thi[rd?] [qi]sṭ, full measure.

Green. 40 mm.

Cf. No. 53 for the Qur'ānic quotation.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 371, No. 153, and p. 375, No. 5, with inscriptions incomplete.

58. Measure of black lentils.

Vessel stamp:

ا]مر عبد الله]

[Or]dered the servant of Allāh,

عب]د الله امير]

[ال]مؤمنين بطبع[ه]

[مكيلة عد ب[س

الاسود

واف

['Ab]dullāh, Commander [of the] Believers, the stamping [of it], measure of lenti[ls], black, full measure.

Green. 42 mm.

Plate XIII

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 371, No. 150, possibly similar, but description incomplete.

59. Dinār.

Obverse:

[مما امر به ؟]

[عبد الله [عبد

الله امير المؤ

منين مثقال د

ينر واف

[Of what ordered ?] the servant of Allāh, ['Abd] ullāh, Commander of the Believers: weight of dīnār y full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

طبعه

كيل

Stamped it, Kayl.

margin

[د الملك بن ي[زيد

['Ab]d al-Malik bin Ya[zīd].

Broken, about % lacking. Opaque, deep claret. 30 mm. 3.09 grm.

Plate I

Cf. BM No. 57, obverse identical, but no reverse.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 380, No. 34, a dir ham weight but otherwise practically identical.

60. One-half dīnār.

Obverse:

مما امر به

عبد الله عبد الله

امير المؤمنين أو

Of what ordered the servant of Allāh, 'Abdullāh, Commander of the Believers: "Gi-

فو الكيل ولا تكو

نوا من المخسرين

مثقال نصف

واف

ve just measure and be not among the defrauders"; weight of one-half, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

طبعه

كيل

Stamped it, Kayl.

margin

عبد ال]ملك بن يزيد]

['Abd al]-Malik bin Yazīd.

Opaque, dark brown. 23 mm. 2.08 grm.

Plate I

Cf. No. 53 for the Quranic quotation.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 371, No. 153, the last two lines of the obverse effaced, and lacking the reverse; also, p. 375, No. 5, a similar legend as far as ولا تكونوا on the bottom of a bottle.

The exact dates of the 'Abbāsid Caliph al-Mancür's rule were 13 Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 136, to 6 Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 158 (9 June, 754–7 Oct., 775 a.d.).

corpus:

dīnār

½ dīnār

raṭl

½ raṭl

¼ raṭl

½ raṭl of oil

qisṭ

½ qisṭ

⅓ (?) qisṭ

measure of dates

measure of chick-peas

measure of lentils

uncertain measures

For a discussion of the pieces with no name other than that of the Caliph, see p. 123, below.

For 'Abd al-Malik b. Yazīd and Kayl (Nos. 59–60), see pp. 103 ff.

M. Ṣālih b. 'Ali

Governor, 133 a.h.: 750/1 a.d.

Governor and Finance Director, 136–137 a.h.: 753–755 a.d.

61. Uncertain weight.

Fractured ring-weight bearing stamp about three-quarters preserved on top surface:

[مما ام[ر به

[الا مير صلح [بن

ع]لى (؟) اصلحه الله]

اوفو]ا الكيل ولا]

تكونو]ا من المخس]

رين]واف]

Of what ordered the Amīr Sāliḥ [bin] I ['A]li (?), may Allāh mend him: ["Give] just measure and not [be] among the defraud-[ers"]; full weight.

Green. Stamp: 42 mm. Piece, lengthh: 64 mm., width: 39 mm., height: 27 mm. 50.00 grm.

Plate IX

Cf. No. 53 for the Qur'ānic quotation.

Cf. Petrie No. 150, a raṭl with almost identical legend.

Sālih b. ' Ali b. 'Abdullāh b. 'Abbās al-' Abbāsi, uncle of the first 'Abbāsid Caliph, born in the year 92 a.h., assumed the Governorship of Egypt on 1 (or 8) Muharram, 133 (9 or 16 Aug., 750 a.d.), when he entered Fustāt as head of the expeditionary force which pursued the last Umayyad Caliph to Egypt. On 1 Sha'ban, 133 (4 March, 751 a.d.) he was recalled to Palestine as Governor, but in Rabi' I, 136 (Sept., 753 a.d.) he was again appointed Governor and Finance Director of Egypt, this time with the additional responsibility of the Governorship of Africa. He arrived on 5 Rabī' II, 136 (8 Oct., 753 a.d.). He was finally relieved, and returned to Palestine on 4 Ramadan, 137 (21 Feb., 755 a.d.). 19

corpus: raṭl

uncertain weight

qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

Æ coins: struck in Ilalab (Aleppo) during his Governorship in Syria, years 146–147 a.h. (Tiesenhausen Nos. 758, 767; BM i, p. 200, No. 100, ix, p. 94, No. 90k,1; Berlin No. 2083 ff.; Paris No. 1573 ff.).

Governor and Finance Director, 133–136 a.h.: 751–753 A.D.

137–141 a.h.: 755–758 a.d.

62–63. One-half dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم ا

لله امر عبد

الملك بن يز

يد بمثقال

نصف واف

In the name of A-llāh: ordered 'Abd al-Malik bin Yaz-īd: weight of one-half, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle (retrograde)

طبعه

كيل

Stamped it, Kayl.

margin

[عا]صم بن حف[ص]

['A]ṣim bin Haf[ṣ].

Two specimens. Pale green. 23 mm.; 22 mm. 2.12 grm.; 2.10 grm.

Plate II

Cf. BM Nos. 10–11, a dīnār and a dirham of 'Abd al-Malik b. Yazīd, with the same legend in the reverse area. Lane-Poole did not observe that the central legend is retrograde. At first glance the first line appears to contain simply a metathesis of the ب and the ع; a plastic impression of the reverse, however, reveals that the entire reverse area is retrograde and that the puzzling and illegible second line is the same name as that on Nos. 59 and 60. It is interesting that this retrograde legend appears on at least three different issues: the present, and BM Nos. 10–11. One would therefore conclude, almost certainly, that in making the die for the reverse a separate "punch" ' was used for the reverse area. This conclusion would in turn explain the accident that created the retrograde legend: Kayl's "punch" was "negative," which produced a "positive" on the die, and finally a "negative" (or retrograde) legend on the glass.

64. Fals of 24 kharrūbah.

بسم الله

امر الامير عبد

الملك بن يزيد

بمثقال بن يزيد

بمثقال فلس اربعة

وعشرين خر

وبة

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amïr 'Abd al-Malik bin Yazīd: weight of fals of four and twenty kharrūbah.

Pale green. 30 mm. 4.64 grm.

Plate II

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 379, Nos. 29–30 (4.63 grm.); cf. Petrie No. 144, apparently lacking the star.

65–66. Fals of 23 kharrūbah.

Square impression:

بسم الله ا

مر عبد الملك

بن يزيد بمثقل

فلس ثلثة و

عشرين خروبة

In the name of Allāh: ordered 'Abd al-Malik bin Yazïd: weight of fals of three and twenty kharrūbah.

Two specimens, one broken, about one-fifth lacking. Pale green. 29 mm.; 30 mm. 4.42 grm. 5 3.62 grm.

Plate II

67. One-quarter qisṭ of........

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

[امر]

عبد] الملك بن]

يزيد بطب]عه ربع قس]

[محم[د(sic)ط ...]على يد]

بن شر]حبيل]

[Ordered] ['Abd] al-Malik bin [Yazīd the stamp]ing of it, one-quarter qis- [ṭ of.....], at the hand of Muhamma[d] [bin Shura]hbīl.

Green. 38 mm.

Abū-'Awn 'Abd al-Malik b. Yazīd al-Azdi al-Jurjāni, also known as al-Khurāsāni, an 'Abbāsid general with a long record of battles to his credit both before and after the 'Abbā-sid triumph, relieved his chief, Sālih b. 'Ali (see above), as Governor and Finance Director of Egypt on 1 Sha'ban, 13 3 (4 March, 751 a.d.), and served until 5 Rabī' II, 136 (8 Oct., 753 a.d.), when Sālih returned. Upon Sāliḥ's second departure for Palestine he took over again, entering Fusçãt on 26 Ramadān, 137 (15 March, 755 a.d.), and holding office until 15 Rabī' I, 141 (26 July, 758 a.d.). It was Abū-'Awn who built houses in al-'Askar, the new section of Cairo neighboring Fusçāt. Later, in 144 and 150 a.h., we find him on the battlefields of Khurasan, the land of his origin, and in 159–160 a.h. he turns up for the last time as Governor of that province under al-Mahdi. 20 He is well documented, not only in the histories, but also in the glass weights and stamps, and in coins of unusual interest.

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

dirham

fals of 26(?) kharrūbah

fals of 24 kharrūbah

fals of 23 kharrūbah

wuqīyah

qisṭ

¼ qisṭ of.....

Æ coins: Miṣr, 133 a.h., and no date, no mint; Marw, 143 a.h.; Bukhāra, 160 a.h. (Tiesen-hausen No. 664; BM i, p. 222, No. 163, ix, p. 102, No. 163d; Berlin Nos. 2071, 2248, 2132a; Paris No. 1622 ff.; Karabacek in Numismatische Zeitschrift,Wien, 1876, pp. 363–364; Zambaur, Contributions I, No. 44).

Kayl (Nos. 62–63) has been variously read as كمل and The name of this craftsman also appears on pieces of ' Abd al-Malik b. Yazīd under al-Manṣūr (see Nos. 59–60 above). Grohmann suggests "Chael" كبلى, a Coptic name, e.g., Chael, son of Psmô. 21

For 'Aṣim b. Ḥafṣ (Nos. 62–63), see below.

For Muḥammad b. Shurahbīl (No. 67), see above, p. 97.

Prefect, ca. 133–141 a.h.: 751–758 a.d.

ca. 165–169 a.h.: 781–786 a.d.

68. Fals (of 36 kharrūbah ?).

In center:

مثقا

ل فلس

Weight of fals ...?...

Margin:

على يدى عاصم بن حفص

At the hands of 'Āṣim bin Ḥafṣ.

Yellowish green, iridescent. 32 mm. 6.99 grm.

Plate II

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 382, No. 53, slightly damaged (6.85 grm.).

The third line of the area is illegible on the Fouquet specimen as well as on this one. Could it be garbled كبير "great"? Or can it be a cipher for "36"?

The career of the Prefect 'Āṣim b. Ḥafṣ, unknown to me in the Arabic chronicles, unless indeed he is the person of that name who was a witness of events that took place in 127 and 129 a.h., 22 must be reconstructed from the weights and measures. He appears as a Prefect under 'Abd al-Malik b. Yazīd (Nos. 62–63), under al-Faḍl b. Ṣāliḥ (BM and Petrie), and under Ibrāhīm b. Sālih (Ettinghausen, p. 76, footnote 16). Al-Faḍl served as interim Governor of Egypt in 136 a.h., and again as Governor from 29 Muḥarram to Shawwāl, 169 a.h. If it were not for the unpublished weight mentioned by Ettinghausen, one would say that 'Āṣim b. Ḥafṣ had only one term of office, from about 133 to 141 (751–758 a.d.); but Ibrāhīm b. Ṣāliḥ's dates were 11 Muharram, 165, to 7 Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 167 (5 Sept., 781–1 July, 784 a.d.), a period nearly contemporaneous with al-Faḍl's term as Governor in 169· 23 Lacking further evidence, which we may hope will be forthcoming in supplementary written or epigraphic documents, we must, therefore, assign to 'Āṣim b. Ḥafṣ tentative dates of ca. 133 to 141 (751–758 a.d.), and 11 Muharram, 165, to Shawwāl, 169 (5 Sept., 781-April, 786 a.d.).

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

fals (of 36 kharrūbah ?)

great raṭl

½ great raṭl

½ qisṭ (?)

Governor and Finance Director, 141 a.h.: 758/9 a.d.

69. Wuqīyah.

Disk-weight. Roughly circular plano-convex disk, about one-half preserved, bearing stamp:

Obverse:

[ب[سم الله امر ؟

[مو س[ى بن

[كعب [بمثقال (؟) و

[(قية وا[ف على يدى (؟

[محمد [بن

[شر ح[بيل

In [the name of Allāh: ordered ?] Mūs[ā bin] Ka'b, [weight (?) of wu-] qīyahy full [weight; at the hands ?] of Muḥammad [bin] Shuraḥ[bīl].

Reverse:

Area within circle effaced.

Margin:

----(?)الله من........Allāh, MN(?).....

Green. 56 mm. 15.08 grm.

Plate VI

Mūsā b. Ka'b b. 'Uyaynah al-Tamīmi was Governor and Finance Director of Egypt from 15 Rabī' II until 24 Dhū al-Qa'dah, 141 (25 Aug., 758–28 March, 759). Before his term of office had expired he turned over the administraṭlon of the Finances to Nawfal b. Furāt (see p. 109, below). 24

corpus: wuqīyah

qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

For Muḥammad b. Shuraḥbīl, see p. 97, above.

Finance Director, 141–143 a.h.: 759–760 a.d.

70. One-half dīnār.

Obverse:

امر نوفل

بن فرات

بطبعه

مثقال نصف

دينر واف

Ordered Nawfal bin Furāt the stamping of it, weight of one-half dīnār, full weight.

Reverse: center within beaded circle

طبعه

كافل

Stamped it, Kāfil.

margin

[عل]ى يدى عبد الر[حمن بن يزيد]

[A]t the hands of 'Abd al-Ra[hman bin Yazīd].

Pale green. 22 mm. 2.09 grm.

Plate II

Similar to BM No. 13. Lane-Poole transcribed the reverse area طبعه كامل "stamped accurate," but aside from the fact that a name should follow طبعه I believe that the third letter of the second line must be ف or ق, not . There is, however, a contemporary official by the name of Kamil (?) (see Nos. 77–80 below), spelled كمل, which may be an abbreviated rendering of Kāmil, and it is possible that the name on the present piece is, after all, Kāmil, and not Kāfil.

The margin of the BM specimen is partially obliterated and is transcribed ر بن يزيد.... The BM and the present specimens supplement each other and make clear the reading 'Abd al-Raḥman b. Yazīd, whose name appears on other weights.

71. Fals of 19 (or 29?) kharrūbah.

امر نوفل بن

Ordered Nawfal bin

فرات بطبعه

(sic)فلس(sic)مثقا

تسعة وعشرة

خروبات

Furāt the stamping of it, weight of fals of nineteen kharrūbāt.

Pale blue-green. 32 mm. 5.24 grm.

Plate II

Similar to BM No. 12 (5.31 grm.).

The second word of the third line is either misspelled (i.e., an extra tooth to the س"), or else فلسين "two fals" is intended. But two fals totalling 19 kharrūbah seems unreasonable. However, تسعة وعشرة is abnormal for "nineteen," and perhaps the legend should read تسعة وعشرين, "twenty-nine." The weight, especially of the BM specimen, is fairly close to the theoretical weight for 29 kharrūbah; it is certainly curious for 19.

72. One-half qis>ṭ (?).

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

امر نوفل

بن فرات

[بطبعه ن[صف قسط؟

واف

Ordered Nawfal bin Furāt the stamping of it, [one-half qisṭ ?], full measure.

Stack's, N.Y., 1938. Green. 37 mm.

Nawfal b. Muḥammad b. al-Furāt, member of a family which later contributed several distinguished viziers to the 'Abbāsid court, was Finance Director of Egypt during the latter part of Mūsā b. Ka'b's Governorship (see above), and during the Governorship of Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath (see below, p. in); that is, from shortly before 24 Dhū al-Qa'-dah, 141, until 6 Ramadan, 143 (28 March, 759–19 Dec, 760 a.d.), when he was replaced by Yazīd b. Hātim. 25

corpus: ½ dīnār

fals of 19 (or 29?) kharrūbah

raṭl

½ qisṭ (?)

'Abd al-Rahmān b. Yazīd (No. 70) is a Prefect unrecorded, so far as I know, in the chronicles. The evidence of the weights, however, establishes the fact that he served under Nawfal b. Furāt and under Yazīd b. Ḥātim (see below, p. 113), i.e., during an undetermined period between about 24 Dhū al-Qa'dah, 141, and Rabï' II, 152 (28 March, 759-May, 769 a.d.). During Yazīd b. Hatim's Governorship he replaced, or was replaced by, Muḥammad b. Shurahbīl and Salamah.

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

⅓ dīnār

raṭl

⅙ wuqiyah

½ qisṭ

For the craftsman Kāfil, or Kāmil, see the discussion under No. 70.

Governor, 141–143 a.h.: 759–760 a.d.

73. Fals of 27 kharrūbah.

امر الامير محمد

بن الاشعث على يدى

عبد الله بن ارشد

بطبعه مثقال فلس

سبعة وعشرين

خروبة

Ordered the Amīr Muḥammad bin al-Ash'ath, at the hands of'Abdullāh bin Rāshid, the stamping of it, weight offals of seven and twenty kharrūbah.

Pale green. 30 mm. 5.25 grm.

Plate II

74. Fah of 27 kharrūbah.

امر الامير

محمد بن الاشعث

على يدى عبد الله

بن راشد بطبعه مثقا

ل فلس سبعة و

عشرين خروبة

Ordered the Amīr Muḥammad bin al-Ash'ath, at the hands of 'Abdullāh bin Rãshid, the stamping of it, weight offals of seven and twenty kharrūbah.

Pale green. 31 mm. 5.25 grm. Nies No. XI.

75· Qisṭ

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

[بسم ال[له

[امر الامير محم[د بن

[الاشعث بط[بعه

قسط واف

على]يدى عبد الله]

بن راشد

In the name of Al[lāh]: ordered the Amīr Muḥamma[d bin] al-Ash'ath the stamping of it, qisṭ, full measure; [at] the hands of'Abdullāh bin Rãshid.

Green. 41 mm.

Plate XIV

Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath b. 'Uqbah al-Khuza'i was Governor of Egypt from 6 Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 141, until the beginning of 143 (9 April, 759–760 a.d.). The historical reports are in part contradictory: Tabari, for example, writes that he was removed in 142 a.h., but Grohmann prefers the better-informed accounts of al-Kindi, Maqrizi and Ibn-Taghri-Birdi. 26

corpus: dīnār

fals of 27 kharrūbah

uncertain coin weight

qisṭ

½ qisṭ

uncertain measures

'Abdullāh b. Rāshid (Nos. 73–75) is a Prefect who, so far as present evidence reveals, was associated only with Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath. He was possibly 'Abdullāh b. Rãshid b. Yazīd al-Akãr, a witness cited by Tabari in relating events of the years 144–145 a.h. 27

corpus: fals of 27 kharrūbah

qisṭ

½qisṭ

uncertain measures

Governor, 144–152 a.h.: 762–769 a.d.

76. dīnār.

بسم الله

امر الامير

يزيد بن حاتم

مثقال دي

نر

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr Yazīd bin Ilātim: weight of dīnār.

Pale green. 29 mm. 4.23 grm.

Plate II

77–78. dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

امر الامير

يزيد بن حاتم

مثقال دينر

ف

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr Yazīd bin Ḥātim: weight of dīnār, (full weight).

Reverse: center within circle

طبعه

كمل

Stamped it, Kamil.

margin

على يدى عبد الرحمن بن يزيد

At the hands of 'Abd al-Raḥman bin Yazīd.

Two specimens. Pale blue-green; yellowish green. 29 mm.; 30 mm. 4.16 grm.; 4.21 grm.

Plate II

Cf. BM Nos. 14–15 (4.27 grm.), which lack the crescent at the top and the ornament and letter at the bottom.

For Kamil, see above, No. 70.

79. One-half dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

امر الامير

يزيد بن حاتم

مثقال نصف

واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr Yazīd bin Hātim: weight of one-half, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

[طبع[ه

[كم[ل

Stamped [it] Kamip].

margin

على يدى عبد ال]رحمن بن يزيد]

[At the hands of ' Abd al]-Rahman bin Yazïd.

Yellowish green. 22 mm. 2.12 grm.

Plate II

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 380, No. 33, with legends incomplete (2.06 grm.). Obverse similar to Petrie Nos. 162–164.

80. One-third dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

امر الامير

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr

يزيد بن حاتم

مثقال ثلث

واف

Yazīd bin liātim: weight of one-third, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

طبعه

كمل

Stamped it, Kamil.

margin

[على يدى ]عبد الرحمن [بن يزيد]

[At the hands] of 'Abd al-Raḥman [bin Yazīd].

Yellowish green. 20 mm. 1.43 grm.

•Plate II

Similar to BM Nos. 16–17 (1.42 grm.).

81. raṭl.

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps on top surface:

(a) بسم الله

امر الامير

يزيد بن حاتم

[اصلحه ا[لله

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr Yazīd bin Hātim, may [Allāh] mend him.

(b) بسم الله

على يدى عبد

الرحمن بن يزيد

رطل واف

In the name of Allāh: at the hands of 'Abd al-Raḥman bin Yazīd: raṭl, full weight.

Yellowish green. Stamp (a): 28 mm. (¿): 43 mm. Piece, length: 79 mm., width: 48 mm., height: 35 mm. 199.0 grm.

Plate IX

Similar to Petrie No. 159, stamp (a) fragmentary. Petrie's hypothetical restoraṭlon of the last line of stamp (a) is to be corrected in view of the present specimen.

82. Wuqīyah (?).

Disk-weight. Slightly more than one-half of circular plano-convex disk, bearing stamp:

[امر الامي[ر

[يزيد ب[ن حا

[تم على [يدى

[سل[مة

[و[قية؟

Ordered the Amī[r] Yazīd b[in Hā-] tim, at [the hands] of Salafmah]: w[uqtyah ?].

Green. 54 mm. 19.10 grm.

Plate VI

83. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

بسم الله

امر الامير

يزيد بن حاتم

اص]لحه الله]

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Amīr Yazīd bin Hātim, may Allāh [m]end him.

Brownish green. 33 mm.

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 371, No. 145, and to Petrie Nos. 169–170, where the benedictory phrase has been misread.

Abū-Khālid Yazīd b. Hātim b. Qabīcah al-Muhallabi relieved Nawfal b. Furāt and was Governor of Egypt from 16 Dhū al-Qa'dah, 144, until Rabī' II, 152 (15 Feb., 762-May, 769 a.d.). Later, from 154 until his death on 18 Ramadan, 170 (771–787 a.d.), he served as Governor of Africa. His Governorship was made uneasy by 'Alid rebellions and by a Khārijite insurrection in Abyssinia, as a result of the suppression of which Yazīd was rewarded by having Cyrenaica added to his domain. 28

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

⅓ dīnār

raṭl

wuqiyah

qisṭ

uncertain measures

I cannot say whether Salamah (No. 82, and on a qisṭ stamp in the Fouquet Collection) is the same Salamah who issued weights and measures and whom I have tentatively identified as Salamah b. Rajā* (see p. 127, below).

For 'Abd al-Raḥmān b. Yazīd (Nos. 77–81), see above, p. III.

Governor, 152–157 (?) A.H.: 769–774 (?) A.D.

84. raṭl.

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps on top surface:

(a) (circular)

بسم الله

[امر الام[ير

[محمد بن [سعيد

[رط[ل واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Ampr] Muḥammad bin [Sa'ïd], rat[ly full weight].

(b) (rectangular)

على يدى

(قسيم (؟

(بن زياد (؟

At the hands of Qasīm (?) bin Ziyād (?)

The rectangular stamp is identical with that on No. 49 below.

Opaque yellowish green. Stamp (a): 34 mm. (b): 21x18 mm. Piece, length : 51 mm., width : 43 mm., height: 54 mm. 148.0 grm.

Plate IX

Similar to Petrie, No. 183.

It is not at all certain that Muḥammad b. Sa'ïd b. 'Uqbah was Governor throughout the period 152–157 a.h. (769774 a.d.), nor, in fact, that he was Governor at all. But there can be no doubt that he was at least Finance Director during part of this period. In one tradition he came after Yazīd b. Irlātim, and in the other he does not appear at all. 29

corpus: dīnār

⅓ dīnār

uncertain coin weight

raṭl

½ raṭl

¼ qisṭ

Æ coin: no mint, no date (Zambaur, Contributions, II, No. 264; cf. Tiesenhausen, No. 2547).

The Prefect Qasīm b. Ziyād 30 is unknown. It is evident, however, that his tenure of office extended beyond the Governorship of Muḥammad b. Sa'ïd into that of Maṭar, for the identical auxiliary stamp which appears on No. 84 is present on a ra//issued by Maṭar, No. 94. Inclusive dates for Qasīm (?) must therefore be 152–159 (769–776 a.d.).

158–169 a.h.: 775–785 a.d.

85. One-third dīnār.

بسم الله

امر المهدى

امير المؤمنين

مثقال ثلث

واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered al-Mahdi, Commander of the Believers: weight of one-third, full weight.

Pale blue-green. 18 mm. 1.42 grm.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 380, No. 35 (1.43 grm.), denomination effaced, but by weight clearly a third, not a half, dīnār (as indicated); similar to obverse of Petrie Nos. 200–201 (1.41 grm.), first letter of second line transcribed on first line.

86. Uncertain denomination, coin weight.

بسم الله

(امر المهدى (؟

مثقال د

عو واف

In the name or Allāh: ordered al-Mahdi (?): weight of....... ......., full weight.

Pale blue-green. 22 mm. 2.09 grm. (much worn).

87. One-half dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

امر اميرا

لمؤمنين مثقال

نصف واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Commander of the Believers: weight of one-half, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

مطر

Maṭar

margin

[سة بن زيا[د؟

. . . sah bin Ziyā[d?].

Pale green. 22 mm. 2.11 grm.

Plate II

88. One-third dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

امر اميرا

لمؤمنين مثقال

ثلث واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered the Commander of the Believers: weight of one-third, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

مطر

Maṭar

margin

...الام]ير محمد...]

[... the Am]īr Muḥammad ...

Pale green. 19 mm. 1.43 grm.

Plate II

89. One-third dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

امر المهدى ا

مير المؤمنين

مثقال ثلث

واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered al-Mahdi, Commander of the Believers: weight of one-third, full weight.

Reverse: center within circle

طبعه ا

لمهاجر

⋅*⋅

Stamped it a-1-Muhājir.

margin

[على يدى الامير] محمد بن سليم[ن]

[At the hands of the Amīr] Muḥammad bin Sulaymafn].

Yellowish green. 20 mm. 1.43 grm.

Plate III

Cf. BM No. 21, a third-dīnār where the name on the reverse margin is not preserved (1.42 grm.), and BM No. 20, a half-dīnār issued by the same functionaries. Lane-Poole's reading of the final letters on the reverse margin should be amended to read: سليمن. Apparently similar to Petrie Nos. 200–201, name in the margin of the reverse not preserved.

90. dīnār.

Obverse:

*

[بسم الله ام[ر

المهدى محمد

امير المؤمنين

امتع الله له

مثقال دينر

واف

In the name of Allāh, order[ed] al-Mahdi Muḥammad, Commander of the Believers, may Allāh give him long enjoyment: weight of dīnār, full weight.

Reverse: margin

على ي]دى واضح مولى امير]

[At the ha]nds of Wãçlih, Freedman of the Commander

center within beaded circle

المؤ

منين

of the Believers.

Metropolitan Museum, 89.2.243. Green. 28.5 mm. 4.25 grm.

Plate III

Obverse similar to BM No. 23.

91. One-half dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم الله

المهدى امير

المؤمنين مثقا

ل نصف و

اف

In the name of Allāh: al-Mahdi, Commander of the Believers: weight of one-half, full weight.

Reverse: margin

Traces of inscription

[الامير واضح مولى امير]

[The Amīr Wādih, Freedman of the Commander]

center within circle

المؤ

منين

of the Believers.

Yellowish green. 22 mm. 2.12 grm.

Plate III

Similar to a specimen described by Karabacek in a review of Stickel and Tiesenhausen, "Die Werthbezeichnungen auf muhammedanischen Münzen," in Numismatische Zeitschrift, Wien, 1879, Ρ· 405 (2.125 grm.).

92–93. dīnār.

Obverse:

*

بسم الله امر

المهدى محمد

امير المؤمنين

امتع الله له

مثقال دينر

واف

In the name of Allāh: al-Mahdi Muḥammad, Commander of the Believers, may Allāh give him long enjoyment: weight of dīnār, full weight.

Reverse: margin within beaded circle

ا]لامير ابرهيم]

[th]e Amīr Ibrahim [binj center within beaded circle

صا

لح

Sāliḥ.

Two specimens. Yellowish green. 31 mm.; 29 mm. 4.21 grm.; 2.25 grm.

Plate III

Slightly more than one-half of the second specimen is preserved.

Cf. BM No. 23, a dīnār with identical obverse but with the name of Isma'ïl on the reverse (4.27 grm.); 32 and BM No. 25, a húí-dinãr with the same reverse but only the name Ibrahim preserved in the margin.

The exact dates of the 'Abbāsid Caliph al-Mahdi's rule were 6 Dhü al-Ḥijjah, 158, to 22 Muharram, 169 (7 Oct., 775–4 Aug., 785 a.d.).

Casanova 33 maintained that the weights bearing al-Man-cur's and al-Mahdi's names alone were issued during periods when those Caliphs appointed no Finance Directors, that is, when they were, so to speak, their own Treasurers. His argument is based on the failure of Ibn-Taghri-Birdi to mention the names of the Finance Directors between the years 152158 and 158–162. The suggestion is interesting, and perhaps correct in part; but Grohmann, citing a papyrus, has pointed out that there was a Finance Director, a certain Khattāb b. Maslamah, at least in 159–161. 34 Also it is apparent that Muḥammad b. Sulaymãn (see below), not only as Prefect but also as Governor, functioned as Finance Director.

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

⅓ dīnār

dirham, of Syria (Melanges Syriens, Dussaud)

uncertain weight (Fraehn, Nova Supplemento)

uncertain weight (above)

The identification of al-Muhājir (No. 89) with al-Muhājir b. 'Uthmãn, Chief of the Bodyguard under Muḥammad b. al-Ash'ath, proposed by Lane-Poole, 35 is unlikely.

For Maṭar (Nos. 87–88), see below.

For Muḥammad b. Sulaymãn (No. 89), see p. 125, below.

For Wãçlih (Nos. 90–91), see p. 128, below.

For Ibrāhīm b. Ṣāliḥ (Nos. 92–93), see p. 130, below.

Governor, 157–159 a.h.: 773–776 a.d.

94. raṭl.

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps on top surface:

(a) (circular)

بسم الله امر

مطر مولى امير

المؤمنين اكرمه

الله رطل واف

In the name of Allāh: ordered Maṭar, Freedman of the Commander of the Believers, may be generous to him Allāh: raṭl, full weight.

(b) (rectangular)

على يدى

(قسيم (؟

(بن زياد (؟

At the hands of Qasīm (?) bin Ziyād (?).

The last line is very obscure. This stamp is identical with that on No. 84 above.

Stamp (a): 35 mm. (b): 21x19 mm- Piece, length: 64 mm., width: 46 mm., height: 25 mm. 124.0 grm. Nies No. XIV.

Plate IX

Maṭar, a mawlā (or Freedman) of the Caliph al-Man§ūr, was, according to one tradition, Governor of Egypt during the years 157–159 (773–776 a.d.); according to another he governed only in the year 159. In either case the exact dates are unknown, but it is certain that his term expired before the end of 159, because Muḥammad b. Sulaymãn succeeded him in that year. 36 We have already met his name in conjunction with that of al-Mahdi on two coin weights (Nos. 88–89).

corpus: ½ dīnār

⅓ dīnār

raṭl

Æ coins: Qinnasrīn, no date (Paris No. 1601; cf. Tiesenhausen No. 2626).

For Qasīm b. Ziyād (?), see p. 118, above.

Governor, 159–161 a.h.: 775–778 a.d.

95–96. One-third dīnār.

Obverse: star in center, surrounded by double circle.

Margin

بسم الله مثقال ثلث دينر

In the name of Allāh: weight of one-third dīnār.

Reverse: (stamped off-center)

[على يد[ى

(مح]مد (؟]

[بن سل[يمن

At the hand[s] [of Muha]mmad (?) bin Sulafyman ?].

Two specimens. Light brown. 20 mm.; 20 mm. 1.43 grm. j 1.27 grm. (worn).

Plate III

The reverse of the worn specimen is illegible except for the first word.

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 377, No. 9, a half-dīnār with a star in the center surrounded by 8 points, without reverse inscription.

97. raṭl.

Fractured ring-weight bearing two stamps on top surface:

(a)[بسم الله ام[ر

الامير محمد

[بن سليمن اكرم[ه

الله رطل واف

In the name of Allāh: orderfed] the Amīr Muḥammad bin Sulayman, may be generous to [him] Allāh: ratl, full weight.

(b) على يدى

ابى ؟]بكر]

بن تميم

At the hands [of Abī(?)-] Bakr bin Tamīm.

Dark green. Stamp (a) : 31 mm. (b) : 21 mm. Piece, length : 54 mm., width: 47 mm., height: 22 mm. 89.00 grm.

plate X

98. One-quarter raṭl.

Disk-weight. Fragment, about two-thirds preserved, of ovoid plano-convex disk, bearing three stamps on the convex side, of which the first two are completely preserved and the third about one-half preserved:

(a) (circular)

بخ

ربع

رطل

واف

Bravo! One-quarter raṭl, full weight.

(b) (circular)

Same as (a)

(c) (rectangular)

At top: محم]د ابن سليمن] [Muhammajd (?) ibn Sulayman, At left side: [ابقاه الل[ه may Allafh] preserve him.

(Inscriptions at bottom and right, and in center (?), missing due to fracture.)

Stamp: (a), (b): 19 mm. (c): ca. 20 mm.

Piece, max. di.: 38 mm, 63.50 grm.

Plate VI

Abū-Damrah Muḥammad b. Sulaymãn, according to the Tabari tradition, replaced Maṭar as Governor of Egypt in 159 and remained in office until Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 161 (776-Sept., 778 a.d.). 37 No. 89, above, shows that previous to his

Governorship he was a Prefect for al-Mahdi; and Nos. 95–96 also imply that he was not Governor at the time these one-third dīnār weights were issued.

corpus: ½ dīnār

⅓ dīnār

raṭl

The name of Abū-Bakr b. Tamīm (?) (No. 97) is too uncertain to warrant a long search for his identification.

(Governor, 161–162 a.h.: 778 a.d.)

99–100. Fals (of 50 kharrūbah ?).

Square stamp within border of dots:

سلمة

Salamah (30 kharrūbah ?).

Two specimens. Yellowish green; green. 31 mm.; 31 mm. 5.80 grm.; 5.80 grm.

Plate III

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 383, No. 72 (5.80 grm.); Petrie No. 189 (5.77 grm.).

101. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

على يدى

سلمة

At the hands of Salamah.

Green. 26 mm.

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 374, No. 185.

The identification of Salamah with Salamah b. Raja, Gov- ernor of Egypt for a very short period from Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 161, to Muharram, 162 (end of August to beginning of Oct., 778), 38 can only be hypothetical. There is, in fact, very little to be said in support of the identification other than that Salamah was associated with officials a few years before the Governorship of Salamah b. Raja', i.e., Yazīd b. Hätim (No. 82 and see p. 117, above) and Muḥammad b. Sa'ïd (a raṭl in the Fouquet Collection); and it might therefore be argued that he was a Prefect previous to his Governorship. Definitely against the identification is the absence of any stamp with title and full name, and the extremely short period during which Salamah b. Raja' governed.

corpus: fals of 3 3 kharrūbah

fals of (30 kharrūbah)

fals of 24 kharrūbah

fals ("proof"?) (Petrie)

raṭl

wuqīyah (?)

qisṭ

measure of chick-peas

uncertain measures

Governor, 162 a.h.: 779 a.d.

102. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp:

مما] امر به]

الام]ير واضح]

مولى ام]ير المؤمنين]

[Of what] ordered [the Am]īr Wãçlih, [Freedman of the Comm] ander of the Believers,

الله على يدى [...]

[May] Allāh........, at the hands

سر بن (؟) منصور...of......SR bin (?) Man§ūr,

Pale green. 32 mm.

Wāclih, a mawlä (Freedman) of the Caliph al-Mahdi, was Governor and Finance Director of Egypt for about four months in the year 162, probably from 24 Jumada I to 11 Ramaclān ( 16 Feb.-i June, 779). 39 The use of على يدى in No. 90 would imply that he was a Prefect before he became Governor. Later he was Postmaster of Egypt; and he came to an unhappy end in 169 (785 a.d.) when al-Mahdi's successor had him executed for his 'Alid sympathies. 40

corpus: ½ dīnār

wuqiyah

uncertain measures

I make no attempt to identify the Prefect whose name is imperfectly preserved on No. 102.

Finance Director, 164 a.h.: 780–781 a.d.

103. One-half qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

[بسم الله ]

[الا]مير اسم[عيل بن]

[ا]برهيم اك[بر]

[م]ه الله نص[ف]

[In the name of Allāh:] [the A]mīr Ismafīl bin] [I]brahīm, may be genfer-] [ous] to him Allāh: one-hal[f]

قسط واف

qisṭ, full measure.

Metropolitan Museum, 08.256.8. Green. 31.5 mm.

Plate XIV

Similar to Petrie No. 204.

104. One-quarter qisṭ.

Vessel stamp:

[مما امر [به الا

[مير اسمعي]ل بن

[ابرهيم اك[بر

[مه الله رب[ع

ق]سط واف]

Of what ordered [the A-] mīr Isma'ī[l bin] Ibrahīm, may be gen[er-] ous to him Allāh: one-quart[er] [qi]sṭ, full measure.

Green. 29 mm. Nies No. XIII.

Plate XIV

Abū-Qatīfah Ismā'īl b. Ibrāhīm, a mawlã of the Banī Asad, was Finance Director of Egypt during the year 164, entering into office on 12 Muharram (17 Sept., 780 a.d.). 41

corpus: qisṭ

½ qisṭ

¼ qisṭ

Governor, 165–167 a.h.: 781–784 a.d.

Finance Director, 174 a.h.: 790/1 a.d.

Governor, 176 a.h.: 792 a.d.

105. Uncertain weight.

Disk-weight. Fragment, about three-fifths (?) preserved, of ovoid plano-convex disk, bearing three (or more?) stamps on the convex side, of which one is almost completely preserved. The impress of a second is almost complete but its inscription is obliterated.

A small fraction of a large rectangular stamp is preserved in the center (?), containing only one or two letters.

(a) (circular) مما امر به الامير

ابرهيم بن صلح

[اكرمه [الله

Of what ordered the Amīr Ibrahim bin Sāliḥ, may [Allāh] be generous to him.

(c) (rectangular) س... .....S (?).

Stamp (a): 20 mm. (b): 17 mm. (c): ? Piece, max. di.: 84mm., thickness: 23 mm. 101.0 grm.

Ibrahim b. Sãlih b. 'Ali b. 'Abdullāh b. al-'Abbas was named Governor of Egypt at the end of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 164, arrived in Fustãt on 11 Muharram, 165, and was relieved on 7 Dhū al-Ḥijjah, 167 (5 Sept., 781–1 July, 784 a.d.). In 174 (790–791 a.d.) he served as Finance Director; and again as Governor as well as Finance Director, from 15 Jumādā I, 176, until his death on 3 Sha'ban of that year (7 Sept.-23 Nov., 792 a.d.). 42

Whether Ibrahim was Prefect, Governor or Finance Director when he issued the dīnār weights in al-Mahdi's name is not clear (Nos. 92–93). Associated with him at various times were 'ħim b. Ḥafṣ (see above, p. 107), a certain Ṣāliḥ b. 'Īsā (BM), and a doubtful 'Abdullāh b. Yazīd (Petrie).

corpus: dīnār

½ dīnār

raṭl

great raṭl

¼ raṭl

uncertain weight

uncertain measures

Æ coin: Miṣr, 167 a.h. (Khedivial No. 863)

Governor, 192–193 a.h.: 808 a.d.

106. Dīnār.

Obverse: within a circle and arranged in a square, a star in center

At top: مما امر به الا

At left: مير مالك

At bottom: بن دلهم ا

At right: بقاه الله

Of what ordered the A|mīr Mãlik| bin Dalham, m|ay Allāh preserve him: weight] of dīnār, full weight.

within the above inscription

At top: مثقال

At left: دينر

At bottom: وا

At right: ف

Reverse: three concentric circles, with a star within the centermost

inner margin illegible

outer margin..... مما امر به الامير مالك Of what ordered the Amīr Mālik . . .

Pale green, slightly iridescent. 28.5 mm. 4.13 grm.

Plate III

Cf. Fouquet Coll., p. 381, No. 43 (3.90 grm.), lacking the reverse, and ابقاه الله misread بسم الله and Petrie No. 214 (4.19 grm.), also lacking the reverse, and the benedictory phrase misread.

Malik b. Dalham b. 'Isā b. Mālik al-Kalbi was Governor and Finance Director of Egypt from 22 Rabī' II, 192, until 4 Safar, 193 (25 Jan.-27 Nov., 808 a.d.). 43

corpus: dīnār

Governor, 193–194 A.H.: 808–810 A.D.

107. dīnār.

Center, within partially double circle:

مثقال

دينر

واف

Weight of dīnār, full weight.

Margin, within circle:

[ابقاه[؟(sic)مما امر به الامير الحسن بن الحباح Of what ordered the Amīr al-Hasan bin al-Bahbãh, may (Allāh) preserve him (?).

Cobalt blue. 30 mm. 4.23 grm.

Plate III

108. dīnār.

Similar to No. 107, but .·. after دينر and area within triple circle. The second name is almost entirely effaced, and the legend appears to end with ابقاه الله

Broken and mended, rev. considerably worn. Pale blue-green. 28 mm. 3.57 grm.

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 382, No. 50 (4.18 grm.), which appears to be from the same die. The transcription of the marginal legend is probably in error, although the second name as it appears in obscure form on No. 109 below does, to be sure, resemble "al-Husayn."

109. dīnār.

Similar to No. 108, probably the same die, but the second name is distorted and somewhat resemblesالحسين

Pale green. 29 mm. 4.16 grm.

Abu-*Ali alJasan b. al-Bahbäh b. al-Tashtakän al-Balkhi, evidently a Turk from Khurasan, who was appointed Governor of Egypt on 4 Safar, 193, entered Fusçãç on 4 Rabī* I and was in office until 22 Rabī* I, 194 (26 Dec, 808–3 Jan., 810 A.D.). 44

corpus: dīnār

Viceroy, 219–230 A.H.: 834–844 A.D.

110. Raṭl. Year 22x A.H.: c a. 838 A.D.

Complete ring-weight, chipped at one side and on the top around the periphery of the large concavity which fills the entire top surface, bearing stamp:

[مما امر به الام[ير

[ا]بو جعفر اشناس [مولى]

[امير المؤمنين اعز[ه الله

[ع]لى يدى الامير محمد [بن]

بس]طام الرقعاى [؟] مولى]

امير]المؤمنين سنة]

وعشرين وما

ئت]ين رطل واف]

Of what ordered the Ampr] [A]bü Ja'far Ashinās, [Freedman] of the Commander of the Believers, may [Allāh] strengthen [him], [a]t the hands of the Amīr Muhammad [bin] Bistām al-Ruq'a'i (?), Freedman [of the Commander] of the Believers; year ......and twenty and two-[hun]dred: raṭl, full weight.

Green. Stamp: 38 mm. Piece, length: 60 mm., width: 47 mm., height: 78 mm. 398.53 grm.

Plate X

Cf. BM No. 27G, a haif-wucīyah weight, dated 223

A.H., with a similar inscription (except نصف وقية in place of رطل واف. Lane-Poole misread ابو وحار following Bistām . The BM reproduction shows that the word is the same as that on the present specimen.

Abu-Ja'far Ashinās, a freedman of the Caliph al-Mu'ta§im, was invested with the overlordship of Egypt by that Caliph in 219 (834 A.D.), and from that time until his death on 3 (or 20) Rabï' I, 230 (18 Nov. or 5 Dec, 844 A.D.), he exercised supreme authority in Egypt. The Caliph al-Wāthiq in 227 (842 A.D.) confirmed him in that office and extended his area of authority to include the entire region between Baghdad and the Maghrib (North Africa). 45 That his authority already extended beyond Egypt into 'Iraq is evidenced by the coin of 223 A.H. cited in the corpus below.

corpus: raṭl

½ wuqīyah

Æ coins: Al-Rãfiqah, 223 A.H., and no mint, no date (Tiesenhausen, Nos. 1857, 2568).

The Prefect Muhammad b. Bistām remains unidentified. I am not at all certain of the nisbah, the letters of which, however clear, can be read in a number of different ways. I have transcribed it as al-Ruq'ā'ī, possibly derived from الرقعة a place in al-Yamāmah (Yāqūt, ed. Wüstenfeld, II, p. 800).

III. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp:

على يدى

ابان بن

ابرهيم

At the hands of Abān bin Ibrahim.

Brown. 33 mm.

Plate XIV

Probably similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 374, No. 191, transcribed Sinān, in place of Abān, but the illustraṭlon shows that the right side of the specimen is effaced and "Sinān" is a reconstruction.

The Prefect Abān b. Ibrāhim is unidentified. His name does not appear in Caetani's Onomasticon Arabicum and it can therefore be assumed to be unknown in Arabic historical literature.

corpus: uncertain measures (the present stamp and the one in the Fouquet Collection cited above).

112. One-half (?) wuqīyah.

Disk-weight. Complete ovoid plano-convex disk, bearing two rectangular stamps at right angles to each other and slightly overlapping:

(a) مما امر به

اسحق بن

منصور

نصف (؟)وقية

Of what ordered Ishaq bin Mansūr: one-half(?) wuqīyah.

(b) Illegible inscription in rectangular form (?) with يدى(?) in the center.

Pale blue-green. Stamp (a) : 21 Χ 19 mm. (b) : 16x11 mm. Piece, length: 41 mm., max. width: 35 mm. 12.13 grm.

Plate VI

The word before wuqtyah is unfortunately quite obscure, but نصف is probably intended.

I have not been able to identify Ishāq b. Mancūr.

113. Uncertain weight.

Complete ring-weight, considerably chipped on one side and on part of the top, bearing rectangular stamp about four-fifths preserved on the top surface:

م]ما امر به الامير]

ابو اسحق اعزه

الله على يدى عا

(س عبد (؟

[Of] what ordered the Amīr Abū-Ishaq, may strengthen him Allāh; at the hands of 'Ā-(?) ................?

Green. Stamp: 32x25 mm. Piece, length: 47 mm., width: 31 mm., height: 58 mm. 151.o grm.

Plate XI

It is strange to find an amīr issuing a stamp under his kun-yah only. The Caliph al-Mu'taṣim is a possibility, but unlikely in view of the fact that there are stamps of his bearing his full name. The name of the Prefect is too obscure for identification.

114–115. Fals (of 30 kharrūbah ?).

على يدى عبد

الجبار بن نصر

مثقال فلس

At the hands of 'Abd al-Jabbãr bin Nuṣayr: weight

خروبة

ʿ*ʾ

of kharrūbah (30?).

Two specimens. Pale green. 32 mm.; 32 mm. 5.80 grm.; 5.78 grm.

Plate III

Similar to Fouquet Coll., p. 383, Nos. 68–69 (5.80 grm.), and Petrie No. 143 (5.79 grm.). Petrie places this official about 132 A.H., but his argument is based on a mistaken identification with a name appearing on a stamp of 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan (Petrie No. 142): the illustraṭlon shows that the name of 'Abd al-Jabbãr b. Nu§ayr is not present on this piece.

The Prefect 'Abd al-Jabbār b. Nuçayr is unidentified. The fact that the only reference in Caetani's Onomasticon Arabicum is to the published weights is sufficient evidence that his name is so far unrecorded in the literature.

corpus: fals (of 30) kharrūbah

116. Great wuqtyah.

Disk-weight. About three-fifths of an ovoid planoconvex disk, bearing two rectangular stamps, both fractured. Between, and at right angles, there is a third (deeper) impression, the right side of which is obscured by the second rectangular stamp.

(a) على يدى

عبد الرحمن

بن ميسرة

*

At the hands of 'Abd al-Raḥman bin Maysarah.

(b)على يدى

[عبد الرحم[ن

[بن ميس[رة

*

At the hands of 'Abdal-Rahma[n] bin Maysa[rah].

(c) و]قية]

كبير

و]اف]

[Wu]qīyah, great, [full] weight.

Green. Stamp (a): 19 mm. (b): 19 mm. (c): 17x10 mm. Piece, length : 64 mm., max. width : 34 mm., thickness: 12.5 mm. 27.00 grm.

Plate VII

No. 116 is the only occurrence of the name of ' Abd al-Rahmān b. Maysarah on a stamp or weight. There was an 'Abd al-Raḥman b. Maysarah al-Haclrami al-Mi§ri, who died in 188 (803/4 A.D.), 46 but as I know nothing of the circumstances of his life, I can only mention the possible identification.

117. Uncertain weight.

Fractured ring-weight, bearing stamp on top surface:

على يدى

عبد الملك

بن عيسى

At the hands of''Abd al-Malik bin 'Īsā.

Green. Stamp : 22 mm. Piece, length : 74 mm., width: 42 mm., height: 46 mm. 228.0 grm.

Plate XI

The Prefect 'Abd al-Malik b. 'Īsā is unidentified; the above is the only occurrence of his name. He does not appear in Cae-tani's Onomasticon Arabicum.

118. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

على يدى

عبد الو

At the hands of''Abdal-Wa-

هاب بن

(العتيق (؟

hāb bin al-'Atīq (?).

Green. 28 mm.

Plate XIV

'Abd al-Wahāb b. al-'Atīq (?) is unidentified. The last line is obscure and uncertain, and what has been transcribed as ع may be م or ف or ق. There is a raṭl weight (unillustrated) in the University College Collection, issued under Muḥammad b. Sa'īd by a Prefect whose name has been transcribed by Petrie as " Obeyd-el-Wahab ibn el Temym." Is this perhaps the same person as the above?

119. One-quarter .........

Vessel stamp, about three-quarters preserved, attached to fragment of rim:

مما امر به

[الام]ير على ا[بن ؟]محم[د؟]

[ب]طبعه رب[ع]

اف

Of what ordered [the Am]īr 'Ali i[bn?] Muhamma[d?], the stamping of it, one-quart[er] [....... full] measure.

Green. 36 mm.

The reading of the name Muḥammad is questionable; and while مما appears to be clear in the first line, one would not expect it with بطبعه, which also appears quite clear.

It is just possible that 'Ali b. Muḥammad (?) may be Abūal-Hasan 'Ali b. Muḥammad b. al-Furāt, three times Vizier, 296–299, 304–306, 311–312 (908–912, 917–918, 923–924 a.d.). 47

corpus: uncertain weight (BM)

uncertain measure (¼)

120–120 (a). Fals of 32 kharrūbah.

Square stamp:

عمر

اثنين وثلثين

خروبة

'Umar: two and thirty kharrūbah.

Two specimens. Pale green. 32 mm.; 31 mm. 6.20 grm.; 6.17 grm.

Similar to BM Nos. 31–32 (misnumbered No. 30 on the plate) (6.22 grm.).

The stamps bearing the name of 'Umar are atypical in their lack of any executive phrase and the absence of title and full name. There was an 'Umar, probably a Finance Director, whose name appears on a papyrus and whom Grohmann has tentatively identified with a certain 'Umar b. Mihrān. 48

corpus: fals (of 33 kharrūbah ?)=Petrie's "2 dirhams"

fals of 32 kharrūbah

fals of 30 kharrūbah

121. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp:

على يدى

قتيبة

At the hands of Qutaybah.

Green. 25 mm.

Plate XIV

The name on No. 121 can be read in so many different ways that there is little possibility of positive identification.

122. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp attached to fragment of rim:

[بسم الله [ا

مر الامير

محمد بن

ه و

In the name of Allāh: [ordered the Amīr Muḥammad bin .................................

Green. 36 mm.

123. Two raṭls (?).

Disk-weight. About one-third (?) of a circular or ovoid plano-convex disk, bearing a large central stamp, about two-thirds preserved, and traces of a smaller contiguous stamp.

بسم الله امر

الا]مير محمد]

ا]كرمه]....

الله ....] رطلين ]

وا]ف]

In the name or Allah: ordered [the A]mīr Muḥammad [...... may] be generous to him [Allāh ....]: two raṭls (?), [full] weight.

Yellowish green. Stamp: 34 mm. Piece, max. di. : 67 mm., thickness: 21 mm. 85.0 grm.

124. Dirham.

Roughly rectangular stamp.

Obverse:

درهم

كيل

Dirham weight.

Reverse: within circle

على يدى

(النحلى(؟

At the hands of al-Naḥli (?).

Green. 23 mm. 2.92 grm.

Plate III

The obverse is similar to BM No. 51, which, however, has no reverse.

The reading of the name of No. 124 is entirely tentative. Al-Naḥl was a place near Bukhara, and several persons with this nisbah are known. 49

125. Qisṭ (?).

Small fragment of fractured ring-weight, bearing two rectangular stamps on the top surface, one complete, the other fragmentary:

(a) على يدى

هلال

(الجبار(؟

At the hands of Hilāl al-Jabbār (?).

(b)( ق[سط ؟

[وا[ف

.......... q[isṭ ?] full [weight].

Opaque yellowish green. Stamp (a): 21 x 17 mm. (b): 19 x 10 mm. Piece, length: 48 mm., width: 38 mm., height: 25 mm. 48.50 grm.

The reading "qisṭ" is very doubtful, especially as one would not expect the word on a weight of this type.

Hilāl (al-Jabbār ?) is unidentified.

126. Qist (?).

Vessel stamp:

بسم الل]ه امر]

الامير]يزيد (؟) بن ا]

(لادريس (؟

[In the name of Allā]h: ordered [the Amār] Yazīd (?) bin a-l-Idrīs (?):

قسط (؟)وا

[ف]

qisṭ (?), full [measure].

Green. 27 mm.

Plate XIV

The reading of the name of the Amīr Yazīd b. al-Idrīs is too doubtful to warrant attempt at identification.

127. One-third dīnār.

Obverse:

بسم

الله مثقال

ثلث دينر

واف

In the name of Allāh: weight of one-third dīnār, full weight.

Reverse: margin

على يد.... بن

At the hand[s] of.......bin (?)

center

الحسين

al-Ḥusayn.

Yellowish green. 19 mm. 1.41 grm.

Plate III

128. Dīnār.

Obverse: center within double circle, inner beaded

على يدى

عبد الله

بن عرباض

At the hands of'Abdullāh bin Irbād.

margin

دينر واف (sic) مما امر به الامي[ر]....[س]ليمن مثقلOf what ordered the Amī[r] . . . Sulayman: weight of dinār, full weight.

Reverse: within circle, off-center

على يدى

At the hands

عبد الله بن

عرباض

به ا

of 'Abdullāh bin 'Irbāḍ, (may Allah preserve him ?).

Broken, about ¼ lacking. Pale yellowish green. 29 mm. 3.12grm.

Plate III

The Amīr on No. 128 may possibly be Muḥammad b. Sulaymān (see p. 125, above). The prefect is unknown to me.

129. Raṭ.l.

Disk-weight. Fragment of circular or ovoid planoconvex disk, bearing two stamps, one about one-half preserved, the other about one-quarter preserved:

(a) الوفا لله

ولا]تنخسوا]

[النّاس أشيآءهم]

Honesty to Allah: ["And] diminish [not] [unto men any of their possessions"].

(b) ب]ن يزيد]

[ر]طل [و]

اف

. . . .. . . . . . . . . .[bi]n Yazīd: [r]aṭl, [full] weight.

Green. Stamp (a): 21 mm. (b): 22 mm. Piece, max. di.: 58 mm., thickness: 19 mm. 49.50 grm.

Plate VII

The quotation is from the Qur'ān, Chap. XXVI, verse 183, being a continuation of that passsage (verse 181 ) which occurs quite frequently on weights (cf. No. 53, etc.). Between these two verses comes the apposite admonition: وزنوا بالقسطاس المستقيم, "Weigh with a just balance."

130. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp:

Center within circle:

امير

المؤ]منين]

Commander [of the Be]lievers .............

Margin:

(امر به(؟

.......ordered.......

Pale green. 24 mm.

206. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp:

Center, within square

عبد

At sides

'Abd

الحميد

al-Hamīd

At sides

حلم و

ḤLM W

Green. 28 mm.

Plate XIV

207. Uncertain measure.

Vessel stamp:

امر عثمن

. . . . . .

فلر ر

Ordered 'Uthman . . . . . . . . . . . ?

Green. 26 mm.

208. Coin-weight (?).

عمر

بن جناد

*ة

'Umar bin Junādah (?).

Pale blue-green. 23 mm. 3.16 grm.

Plate IV

Cf. the same father's name on Nos. 209 and 210 below.

209. Coin-weight (?).

Within beaded border:

عيسى

(بن جناد (؟

ة*

'Isā bin Junādah (?).

Pale blue-green. 25 mm. 2.85 grm.

Plate IV

Cf. the identical legend on No. 210 below. What I have hesitantly transcribed as ة at the end may rather be an ornament.

210. Uncertain weight.

Complete ring-weight, with chipped edges, bearing stamp on top surface:

عيسى

(بن جناد (؟

ة*

'Isā bin Junādah (?).

Opaque, mottled brown. Stamp: 23 mm. Piece, length: 37 mm., width: 26 mm., height: 42 mm. 73.25 grm.

Cf. No. 209, above.

The sides of the hole in the center of the weight show clearly the wear of the rope or chain by which the weight was suspended.