Speaker
Lutz Ilisch
(Forschungsstelle für Islamische Numismatik, Tübingen )
Description
The original understanding of the term ma'din amîr al-mu'minîn was that of a mine providing gold for caliphal dinars. But the appearance of the expression on copper coins, especially as an epithet following the mint name al-Madîna has challenged this interpretation and numerous alternatives with references to the Arabic lexicography offering other meanings were discussed over more than the last thirty years without arriving at a common consensus. Apart from linguistic considerations the present paper will follow a different approach of historical contextualisation of the mintage years 89, 91, 92 and 105 H. to arrive at an understanding of the term.
Primary author
Lutz Ilisch
(Forschungsstelle für Islamische Numismatik, Tübingen )
