Seville AH 467 dinar
The first specimen was lot 43194 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $16,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "ISLAMIC KINGDOMS. Abbadids. Taifas of Seville. Dinar, AH 467 (1074/5). Seville (Madinat Ishbiliya) Mint. al-Mu'tamid Muhammad. NGC MS-64. A VERY RARE emission from the third and final ruler of the short-lived Abbadid dynasty of Seville in al-Andalus. In 1085, the Taifa of Seville was attacked and weakened by Christian mercenaries, allowing the Almoravids to easily conquer the area when they invaded a few years later. An extraordinary survivor of this extremely elusive date, with only one other example appearing in public auction over the past 25 years, according to our searches. By far the finest certified Dinar of the ruler, with fresh yellow-golden surfaces that exhibit as-struck sharpness and no evidence of wear." The second specimen was lot 1311 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 39 (Winter Park, FL, May 2026), where it sold for $7,200. The catalog description[2] noted,
"SPAIN (Al-Andalus), Abbadids, Taifa of Seville, AV dinar, Muhammad ibn ‘Abbad al Mu‘tamid, 467 AH (1075 AD), Madinat Ishbiliya مدينة إشبيلية (Seville), NGC AU 58, ex-Tonegawa, Prieto Suplemento Plate. Beautiful example in light yellow color with spots of reddish encrustation, fully detailed strike, very rare in this condition, missing in Vives.
After the death of Almanzor, general and chief minister of the caliph Hisham II, the authority of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba entered a profound crisis. The inability of the caliph and of Almanzor’s successors to maintain political stability triggered the fitna, a prolonged period of internal conflict that culminated with the formal abolition of the caliphate in 1031 (422 AH). As a result, the territory of al Andalus fragmented into a series of independent states ruled by local dynasties, the so called muluk al tawa’if or taifa kingdoms.
From a monetary perspective this fragmentation led to the multiplication of mints and the decentralization of gold dinar production, previously tightly controlled by the caliphal administration. The earliest taifa issues maintained a strong continuity with the Umayyad tradition in both typology and epigraphy, reflecting the prestige and legitimacy associated with caliphal coinage. As the new dynasties consolidated their authority, however, gradual modifications appeared in the inscriptions and sometimes in the metallic standard, adapting the dinar to the evolving political landscape.
Different dynasties developed distinct numismatic strategies to legitimize their rule. The Hammudids, who sought to restore the caliphate under their own dynasty, incorporated caliphal titles in their coinage. Other rulers resorted to the political fiction that Hisham II was still alive and continued striking dinars in his name, as seen with the Amirids of Valencia, the Banu Hud of Zaragoza, and the Abbadids of Seville, attempting to counter the caliphal claims of the Hammudids. In other cases certain taifas issued coinage in the name of the imam Abd Allah, establishing a symbolic reference to the Abbasid caliphate and reinforcing their religious legitimacy.
This complex political landscape is reflected in the remarkable typological and epigraphic diversity of the dinars struck in al Andalus during the 11th century, forming one of the richest and most varied chapters of Andalusí numismatics. NGC #8437663-006. Pedigreed to the Tonegawa Collection (stated on label), Auction II (Aureo & Calicó 439, November 2024, lot 330), and plated as coin 155 in the 2003 supplement to Antonio Prieto's Los Reyes de Taifas."
Other mints for this coin included Cordoba and Murcia. Muhammad al-Mu'tamid, the third and last caliph of the dynasty, reigned AH 461-484 (1069-1091). Wikipedia comments,
"The Abbadid dynasty or Abbadids (Arabic: بنو عباد, romanized: Banū ʿAbbād) was an Arab dynasty...which ruled the Taifa of Seville in al-Andalus following the fall of the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1031. After the collapse, they were the most powerful Taifa and before long absorbed most of the others. Abbadid rule lasted from about 1023 until 1091, but during the short period of its existence it exhibited singular energy and typified its time."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.87 g, gold, the first specimen 3.40 g, the second specimen 3.76 grams.
Catalog reference: Vives-Unlisted; A-403 (RR); Prieto Supplement-155 (same dies), Cayón-589.
- Album, Stephen, Checklist of Islamic Coins, 3rd Ed. Santa Rosa, Stephen Album Rare Coins, 2011.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
- 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.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [2]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.
Link to:
- Cordoba AH 388 dirham, Hisham II
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- al-Andalus AH 491 dinar, Yusuf ibn Tashfin, Cordoba mint
- Coins and currency dated 1074