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Weight

Weight

  • Place of origin:

    Egypt (made)

  • Date:

    996-1021 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Stamped green glass

  • Museum number:

    360:2-1900

  • Gallery location:

    Glass, room 131, case 85, shelf 4

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People used coin weights such as this in Egypt under the Fatimid dynasty (969-1171). This example weighs 5.72 grammes and we think it was used to balance the weight of two silver dirhams. It was produced in the reign of the caliph al-Hakim (996-1021), whose regnal name appears in its full form on the obverse. (This is the side of the coin that carries the main design.) The reverse is inscribed with the Shahadah (the brief Muslim creed) in the form used by the Shi'ite Fatimids.

Physical description

Green glass coin weight, with some surface decay and iridescence. Equates to the weight of a double dirham.

Place of Origin

Egypt

Date

996-1021 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown

Materials and Techniques

Stamped green glass

Marks and inscriptions

"'al-Haakim / bi-!amr allaah / ?adl'" 'Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. Justice.' Arabic; Arabic; obverse; stamped
"'laa !ilaaha !illaa allaah / muHammad rasuul allaah / ?aliyy waliyy allaah'" 'There is no god but Allah / Muhammad is the messenger of Allah / 'Ali is the friend of Allah' Arabic; Arabic; reverse; stamped

Dimensions

Diameter: 2.8 cm
Diameter: 1.6 cm (of die)
Weight: 5.72 g

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Balog, Paul, "Fatimid glass jetons: token currency or coin weights?", Annali, Istituto Italiano di Numismatica, 20 (1973): 121-212
Equates to Balog type 119, and is stamped from the same die as Balog 119.2.

Attribution Note

The Fatimid caliph al-Hakim (ruled 996-1021) is named in the inscription

Shape

circular

Materials

Glass

Techniques

Stamped

Categories

Islam; Africa

Collection code

CER

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Qr_O74019
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