ABBASID Al-Mu’tadid dirham 289 AH (902 AD) Sherez mint

DescriptionAl-Mu’tadid came to the throne after several decades of instability. His reign was preoccupied with military ventures, which stressed the economy and promoted disaffection. His ruling style was heavy handed dictator, fond of torture, subject to rages. At his death the army and the bureaucrats were in control and wielding his successor as a puppet.The Abbasid revolution was a response to the nepotic corruption of the Umayyad government, which annoyed the disfavored elements of society to the extent that rich and poor united to throw the bums out. As always in that era the complaints were couched in religious terms, but it was about bad government.The term “Islamic coins” refers to coins made by Muslim governments from the time of the first caliphs to an end point in time that varies with the particular country being considered, but is generally some time from the 17th to 19th century. There is a geographic exclusion: India and points east are generally considered separately. The main reference used here is “Checklist of Islamic Coins,” by Stephen Album.