2052 | Al Andalus coins

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CALIPHATE OF CORDOBA. Abd al-Rahman III. Dirham. (Ar. 2.93g/24mm). 337H. Madinat al-Zahra / مدينة الزهرا. (Tipo Vives 417; Almudena Ariza, Al-Qantara XL 1, 2019, pp. 13-42, same issue). Hebrew inscription in IA. Good Very Fine. Only known piece. Extremely rare.
This piece is the only example of an Andalusian Caliph coin with Hebrew inscriptions known to date and, therefore, the only known monetary testimony of the presence of Sephardim in the Andalusian court during the caliphate of 'Abd al-Raḥmān III. The fact that that on the same date that the specimen was minted, Ḥasday b. Šaprūṭ, (a Jewish doctor and diplomat) had a relevant role in the Caliphal court leads one to think that the appearance of the legend in Hebrew could be linked to his activity in the service of the The analysis of the transitional, Idrisid and Kharijite copies, which also contain Hebrew legends that are, therefore, precursors of the issue in question, allows us to offer a possible interpretation of the Hebrew inscription. It would be a "validation" formula that would complement the central legend of the Islamic profession of faith, corroborating the faith in the one and same God and manifesting the acceptance of Islamic power by the Sephardic community. Thus, the The specimen in question would join the very few known specimens with Hebrew legends minted in the medieval Islamic West. Given its extreme rarity, as well as the very interesting historical value it entails, we have considered it appropriate to attach to this catalog an annex with the study Complete study carried out by Dr. Almudena Ariza Armada and published in the AL-QANTARA magazine in 2009.