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ABBASID: AR donative fractional dirham (1.01g), NM, ND, XF

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Islamic Coins - Early Post-Reform Start Price:600.00 USD Estimated At:700.00 - 1,000.00 USD
ABBASID: AR donative fractional dirham (1.01g), NM, ND, XF
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ABBASID: AR donative fractional dirham (1.01g), NM, ND, A-(unlisted), in the name of Ahmad b. Hafs, cited as ahmad bin hafs in the obverse margin and just ahmad below the obverse field; style suggests struck sometime in the 3rd century Hijri, probably no later than the late AH270s, XF, RRRR.

We have failed to identify Ahmad b. Hafs, who is not listed in CoinArchives or Zeno, not in the Checklist, nor in al-Tabari or the work of Zambaur. We would appreciate any information that someone can provide.

ADDITIONAL NOTE (added May 13, 2025): There is a lot of conjecture about the attribution of this piece. We don't know precisely who this person was or exactly when this piece was struck. It is a very interesting research piece.

NOTES FROM THE CONSIGNOR (added May 13, 2025): The legend clearly reads “مما امر بہ احمد بن حفص” (By order of Ahmad b. Hafs). The small alphabet “ہ” below the word “Allah” generally appears on Caliph Haroun al ’Rashid’s coins. We are also aware that most of the Governorates during Abassid period were granted to those who would bid the highest return in the form of revenues and spoils. Ahmad b. Hafs who had this donative fractional dirham struck was obviously a contender for the governorate of some province. Perhaps he was unsuccessful in clinching the post he was after. His patronymic “Hafs” points to a possible connection with Kulthum b. Hafs or Amr b Hafs in Sind.