A new study of the unillustrated Artuqid silver coins of Al-Malik Al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan (597-637AH/ 1200- 1239AD) | ||||
| Luxor International Journal of Archaeological Studies | ||||
| Volume 8, Issue 1, July 2025, Page 469-508 PDF (4.17 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/lijas.2025.437510 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Doaa El-Sayed Hamed 
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| Archaeology Department, Faculty of Arts, Kafrelshikh University, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study addresses the examination of aniconic silver coins minted in the name of King al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan (597–637AH/ 1200–1239AD), The significance of the Artuqid silver coins minted during his reign lies in their ability to clarify the military and political allegiances and orientations of other states, an important aspect that merits scholarly attention, particularly given the insufficient focus it has received in the field of Islamic numismatic studies.The study deals with the coins of King al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan that bear his name alongside the names of the contemporary Abbasid caliphs: al-Nasir Ahmad (575–622AH/ 1180–1225AD) and al-Mustansir Billah (623–640AH/ 1226–1242AD), as well as Ayyubid King al-Kamil Muhammad (615–635AH/ 1218–1238AD), or Seljuk Sultan Ala al-Din Kayqubad I (616–634AH/ 1219–1237AD), or Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II (634–644AH/ 1237–1246AD). This research will examine these coins chronologically, from the oldest to the most recent, and has been divided into three main sections: The first section focuses on the study of coins bearing the names of King al-Mansur Artuq, King al-Kamil Muhammad, and the Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir Ahmad, minted in the mints of Dunaysir and Hisn Keifa. The second section deals with the coins that bear the names of al-Mansur Artuq, Ayyubid al-Kamil Muhammad, and the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, minted in the mints of Tiflis, Aleppo, Dunaysir, and Hisn Keifa. The third section includes coins that bear the name of King al-Mansur along with either Seljuk Sultan Ala al-Din Kayqubad I or Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw II, and the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir Billah, without referencing any Ayyubid rulers, minted at the Dunaysir mint. The mints in each section are arranged alphabetically, and the dirhams from each mint are classified by type, which are then examined chronologically from the earliest to the latest according to their minting dates. The study also reviews previous scholarship on the topic, identifying both correct insights and errors in the handling of this material. Numerous coin specimens will be analyzed, including the publication and study of a rare silver dirham bearing the names of King al-Mansur Artuq and Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir Ahmad, preserved at the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. This dirham is believed to be unique worldwide, based on current published records. Additionally, the study will publish another dirham featuring the names of al-Mansur Artuq, al-Kamil Muhammad, and al-Mustansir Billah, held in a private collection in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study constitutes a new and important contribution to the field of Islamic numismatics in general and to the study of Artuqid coinage in particular. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Unillustrated Artuqid coins; silver coins; King Al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan; rare dirhams; relationship between the Artuqids, Abbasids, Ayyubids, and Seljuks; Kifa mint | ||||
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