Dirhams and Dinars
In 697, an Islamic coinage was invented based on the gold dinar
(from the Roman denarius) and the silver dirham (from
the Greek drachma). Images were replaced by words from the Qur' an.
For decades, the coinage was anonymous, issued in the name of God instead of an
earthly ruler. In 763, the names of the Caliph and his officials were restored to
the coinage.
Umayyad gold dinar (700) from
Damascus with inscriptions stating, "Muhammad is the messenger of God."
'Abbasid silver dirham (750) from
al-Kufah, Iraq, with the same inscriptions.
'Abbasid silver dirham (788) of
Caliph Harun Al-Rashid (766-809) from Rayy, Iran. Al-Rashid was the famous Caliph of
the Arabian Nights.
Samanid gold dinar (993) of Nuh ibn
Mansur (976-997) and Sayyid al-Umara' Abu 'Ali from Nishapur, Iran. The Samanids of
eastern Iran acknowledged the Caliph as the head of Islam by using 'Abbasid
inscriptions and designs.