Umayyad Dirham
OriginCaliphate
First Minted700
MaterialSilver
TypeCoin
About Umayyad Dirham
The silver coin of the early Islamic Caliphate. Featured only inscriptions in Arabic, with the name of God and the declaration of faith. No images were permitted under Islamic aniconism. The dirham was standardized at approximately 2.97 grams of silver. Viking traders carried dirhams by the thousands to Scandinavia, where over 85,000 have been found in hoards. The dirham was the dollar of the medieval Silk Road.
Related Entries
Lydian Stater
The first true coin in history. Minted by King Alyattes in the kingdom of Lydia, in what is now Turk...
Athenian Owl Tetradrachm
The most famous coin of the ancient Greek world. Featured Athena on the obverse and her sacred owl o...
Roman Denarius
The backbone of the Roman economy for 450 years. One denarius equaled one days wage for a laborer or...