Islamic Silver Viking Trade Currency - Dirham, Al-Walid I

Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid. Silver dirham (silver currency from the Islamic Emirates of central Asia) struck under Al-Walid I between 705-715 AD at the city of Wasit. The coin is struck with Arabic inscriptions arranged in the typical early Islamic format, with central religious inscriptions surrounded by marginal legends. Diameter: ± 28,1 mm Condition: Very fine, struck on a full flan Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher. -> Islamic dirhams are often found in Viking Age contexts, especially in hoards from Scandinavia, the Baltic region, and Eastern Europe. They reached these regions through trade routes connecting the Islamic world with the Volga, the Baltic, and the wider Viking trading network. To the Vikings, these coins were valued mainly for their silver weight rather than their written inscriptions or issuing authority. -> Al-Walid I was the sixth caliph (reigned 705–715 AD) of the Arab Umayyad Dynasty, who is best known for the mosques constructed during his reign. He was one of the most powerful Umayyad caliphs. His reign saw major expansion of the Islamic empire, including campaigns in Central Asia, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula. The Umayyad silver dirham became an important international trade coin because of its reliable silver content and wide circulation. -> Dirhams were the standard silver coinage used in the Islamic world from Spain to central Asia, but they are also found in hoards of the 9th and 10th centuries across northern Europe. During the Viking Age, Scandinavia received enormous quantities of Islamic coins, dirhams, acquired by Rūs traders in exchange for furs and other commodities along long distance river trading routes stretching across the eastern and southern Baltic coasts and inland waterways. These dirhams are also found in Viking hoards, such as the Storr Rock Viking hoard (Isle of Skye) and the York Viking hoard which was discovered in 2007.

Estimate:£188.7

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