Cordoba AH 321 dinar
This specimen was lot 1308 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 39 (Winter Park, FL, May 2026), where it sold for $6,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"SPAIN (Al-Andalus), Umayyads, Caliphate of Córdoba, AV dinar, Abd al Rahman III al Nasir, 321 AH (933 AD) إحدى وعشرين وثلثمئة, mint of al Andalus الأندلس, struck over a previous issue (Wilkes-668), NGC MS 63, ex-Kyle Ponterio. Rich gold color, boldly struck, with under-coin details partially visible, tied with one other for second finest for the type in NGC census behind a single MS 64.
In IA, Kalima in four lines, naming Muhammad in the final line, Qur’an IX:33 in the marginal legend; in IIA, “The victorious Imam, Abd al Rahman, Commander of the Faithful” in four lines, mint and date in circular legend.
In 929 AD Abd al Rahman III, until then emir of Córdoba, proclaimed himself caliph, concentrating in his person both civil and religious authority. With the establishment of the Caliphate of Córdoba Islamic power in the western Mediterranean reached its greatest expansion, controlling most of the Iberian Peninsula and extending its influence into parts of North Africa.
From a monetary perspective an important change appears in the epigraphy: the explicit naming of the issuing authority, the caliph. His name is placed in the reverse field (IIA) together with his official titulature or laqab. In this case the inscription reads: “The victorious Imam (al Nasir) through the religion of God (li din Allah), Abd al Rahman, Commander of the Faithful.”
Note: The overstrike (Wilkes 557) over (Wilkes 664) indicates that this dinar was struck on a previously minted coin. This was a practical minting practice used to reuse existing gold flans of correct weight and fineness without melting them. It allowed the mint to quickly place new coin types into circulation while preserving the established gold standard. Overstrikes also appear during periods of political or typological change, when new inscriptions or titles needed to replace earlier issues. In this case it reflects normal mint economy and the continued reuse of earlier dinars within the caliphal monetary system. NGC #8437667-003. Pedigreed to the Kyle Ponterio Collection, and to Jesús Vico Auction 149, November 2017, lot 581."
An Arab army invaded Visigothic Spain in 711 AD and, finding little resistance, quickly conquered the whole peninsula except the northernmost mountains. Their attempts to also take France were defeated at the battle of Toulouse in 721 AD and again at the battle of Poitiers in 732. The Umayyad caliphate in Syria collapsed in 750 AD and a refugee prince, Abd al-Rahman, arrived in Spain in 755 AD and soon established himself as overlord of Spain. This dinar was struck for Abd al Rahman III (929-961), eighth emir and first caliph of Cordoba.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: gold, this specimen 4.14 grams.
Catalog reference: Cayón-476, Album-348; Vives-376; Miles-200a; Wilkes-557.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- [1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia, Cori Sedwick Downing, Connor Falk and Sarah Sproles, Auction 39, World, U.S Coins and Paper Money, featuring the Jorge Ugaz Collection of Lima Silver Cob 2 Reales and the Darby Collection of Guatemala Silver Cobs, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2026.
Links to:
- Cordoba AH 190 dirham, Al Hakam I
- Cordoba AH 337 dirhem, Abd al-Rahman III al-Nasir, Madinat al-Zahra mint
- Coins and currency dated 933