The Dirham: a Persian numismatic guide
Silver dirhams — the currency of Islamic Iran and of the Silk Road silver trade. 6 catalogued examples spanning Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
In short
The dirham is the silver coin of Islamic Iran — a broad, thin, purely epigraphic piece of about 2.9 g whose marginal legend names the mint and the Hijri year, making the series precisely datable coin by coin. The Dirham is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 6 catalogued examples dated 206 CE – 1304 CE. Silver dirhams — the currency of Islamic Iran and of the Silk Road silver trade. Examples here are struck in Silver, Billon at mints including Kerman (Qutlughkhanid), al-Muhammadiya (Ray), Sistan / Zaranj and 3 more.
- Catalogued
- 6
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 2
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 6 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 206 CE – 1304 CE |
| Eras represented | Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic |
| Metals | Silver, Billon |
| Denominations | Dirham |
| Mints | Kerman (Qutlughkhanid), al-Muhammadiya (Ray), Sistan / Zaranj, Basra, Samarqand, Bukhara |
| Issuers | Citing Ghazan Khan as overlord, Tahir ibn Husayn, Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar, 'Adud al-Dawla (Buyid), Qadir Khan Yusuf, Möngke Khan (in name of Great Khan) |
| Standard weight | ~2.9 g |
| Design | Epigraphic, no images |
| Dating | AH year written in Arabic words |
| Famous find context | Viking-age hoards of northern Europe |
Design and standard
The reformed dirham introduced under Abd al-Malik carries a central legend with the declaration of faith, ringed by a marginal legend that reads, in effect, "in the name of God, this dirham was struck at [mint] in the year [year]". The reverse holds a Qur'anic passage in the centre with a further marginal text.
Weight sits near 2.9 g, though Iranian dynasties later diverge widely. Samanid dirhams in particular vary in fineness, and heavily debased late issues can be visually silver but substantially copper.
The Silk Road coin
Samanid dirhams struck at Samarkand, Bukhara, al-Shash and Nishapur in the ninth and tenth centuries flowed north along the Volga trade routes in exchange for furs, amber and slaves. They are found by the thousand in Viking-age hoards in Sweden, Poland, Russia and the British Isles — the most travelled Iranian coin ever made.
Collecting
Mint-and-date collecting is the natural approach, and it is realistic: common Abbasid and Samanid dirhams are inexpensive, and a run of ten or twenty different mints is achievable in a first year of collecting. Prioritise coins where both the mint name and the year are complete on the flan.
Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic · 651 – 1258 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Dirham
- What is a dirham?
- The standard silver coin of the Islamic world, about 2.9 g, broad and thin, carrying only inscriptions — including the mint and the Hijri year in its marginal legend.
- Why are Islamic dirhams found in Viking hoards?
- Samanid mints in eastern Iran and Central Asia exported silver north along the Volga trade routes in the ninth and tenth centuries, and those dirhams were hoarded across Scandinavia and the Baltic.
- What is a Dirham?
- The Dirham is a Persian and Iranian denomination represented by 6 catalogued examples dated 206 CE – 1304 CE. Silver dirhams — the currency of Islamic Iran and of the Silk Road silver trade. Examples here are struck in Silver, Billon at mints including Kerman (Qutlughkhanid), al-Muhammadiya (Ray), Sistan / Zaranj and 3 more.
- How many Dirham pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 6 items, dated 206 CE – 1304 CE, spread across 1 era: Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
- Which metals were used for Dirham coinage?
- Silver, Billon. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Where were Dirham coins minted?
- Recorded mints include Kerman (Qutlughkhanid), al-Muhammadiya (Ray), Sistan / Zaranj, Basra, Samarqand, Bukhara.