Cordoba AH 337 dirhem
This specimen was lot 1309 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, AR dirham, Abd al-Rahman III al-Nasir, 337 AH (949 AD), Madinat al-Zahra mint, obverse with Hebrew inscription, unique, NGC AU 53. Bold full inscriptions, lightly toned all over.
- Obverse (IA) Central inscription:
لا اله الا الله وحده لا شرك له محمد There is no God but God alone He has no partner Muhammad Marginal inscription: بسم الله ضرب هذا الدرهم بمدينة الزهرا سنة سبعة وثلاثون وثلاثمائه In the name of God. This dirham was struck in Madinat al Zahra in the year three hundred and thirty seven.
- Reverse (IIA) Central inscription:
الإمام الناصر لدين الله عبد الرحمن امير المؤمنين al Imam al Nasir li din Allah Abd al Rahman Commander of the Faithful Marginal inscription: محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون Muhammad rasul Allāh arsula bil-hudá wa dīn al-haqq liyužhirahu `alá ad-dīn kullih wa law kariha al-mushrikūn Muhammad is the Messenger of God. He sent him with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists may oppose it.
This specimen, studied by Dr. Almudena Ariza, is a coin of exceptional historical and numismatic interest. On the obverse appears a small vertical inscription in the left field whose reading can only be interpreted as Hebrew. The similarity of the characters and of the formula itself to those found on certain transitional, Idrisid, and Kharijite issues, where a Hebrew legend also appears associated with the Islamic profession of faith, suggests that it may represent a shortened pious or validating expression intended to accompany the Islamic declaration of monotheism. Considering the recognizable characters, including an initial alef and a final yod, the inscription may correspond to the expression אמן וכן י, interpreted as “Amen, and so it is,” followed by the initial י of יהוה (YHWH) or Yah, one of the names of the divinity. In this sense the phrase would function as an affirmation such as “So it is,” “Indeed it is,” or “Truly it is,” reinforcing the proclamation of belief in a single God.
The presence of such an inscription on a caliphal coin carries extraordinary historical significance. On the one hand, it supports earlier hypotheses advanced by scholars such as Miles, Bates, and Vives regarding other issues bearing Hebrew characters. On the other, it reflects the prominent role that certain members of the Jewish community achieved within the intellectual and administrative environment of Madinat al Zahra during the reign of Abd al Rahman III. Among the most notable figures was Hasday ibn Shaprut, whose influence at the Andalusí court was considerable. A physician, diplomat, and supervisor of customs revenues, he served as a trusted adviser within the Umayyad administration. His prominence illustrates the broader participation of Jewish elites in the political and economic structures of the medieval Mediterranean. Within such a context, the appearance of a Hebrew inscription on an official caliphal issue is not only plausible but understandable. Its precise function remains open to interpretation, whether ideological, administrative, political, or possibly decorative. Regardless, this dirham struck at the official mint of Madinat al Zahra represents an entirely exceptional piece within the numismatics of the medieval Islamic West.
Featured on back cover of printed catalog. NGC #8437667-001. Plate Coin in article by Dr. Almudena Ariza Armada in Al Qanṭara magazine (Vol XL/1, 2019), pp. 13-42.
Note about NGC census information: Because NGC codes for these types are not broken down by date and/or mint, that information may be included on the labels when space is available, but is not reflected in the codes themselves, and therefore does not appear in census data. Because of this, some coins are the finest certified for their dates and/or mints but are not reflected as “top pop” in the census."
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 dirham was struck for Abd al Rahman III (929-961), eighth emir and first caliph of Cordoba. Madinat al-Zahra was a fortress and palace complex built outside of Cordoba, now an archeological site.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 2.93 grams, 24 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Cayón-481, Ariza Plate Vives-417.
- 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 321 dinar, Abd al-Rahman III al-Nasir
- Cordoba AH 388 dirham, Hisham II
- Coins and currency dated 949