ZANGID, Qutb Al-Din Muhammad, 1197-1219 AD, copper dirham, Sinjar mint

DescriptionThe Zangids and other Turkoman governors in Iraq and eastern Anatolia liked to make coins with pictures of people on them, an unusual practice in the World of Islam. They made their own designs and also imitations of portrait coins back to the ancient Greeks.Among the families of governors appointed to administer the Seljuk holdings who served as Atabegs were the Zangids,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.