Coins struck at Basra
2 catalogued coins and notes attributed to Basra, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
In short
Basra, the garrison city founded in 638 CE at the head of the Persian Gulf, was one of the earliest and most productive mints of the Arab-Sasanian and early Islamic period. Basra is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 2 coins and notes struck between 372 CE – 983 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Drachm, Dirham denominations, issued under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, 'Adud al-Dawla (Buyid).
- Catalogued
- 2
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 2
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 2 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 372 CE – 983 CE |
| Eras represented | Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic |
| Metals | Silver |
| Denominations | Drachm, Dirham |
| Issuers | Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, 'Adud al-Dawla (Buyid) |
| Founded | 638 CE as a garrison city |
| Early coinage | Arab-Sasanian drachms with Pahlavi and Arabic |
| Key reform | Epigraphic dirhams from 696–697 CE |
| Named governors | Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad and others |
Arab-Sasanian silver
In the decades after the conquest, governors at Basra struck drachms that keep the Sasanian bust, fire altar and Pahlavi legends while adding Arabic phrases such as bismillah in the margin — a hybrid coinage that let a new administration use an existing monetary habit.
Names on these coins, including Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, tie the series directly to the political struggles of the first Islamic century, and the mint signatures record how quickly Basra became a fiscal centre for the eastern provinces.
After the reform
Abd al-Malik's reform of 696–697 CE replaced imagery with pure epigraphy, and Basra continued as a major dirham mint under the new standard. The transition is visible within a single mint's output over a few years — one of the cleanest monetary revolutions on record.
For collectors, Basra Arab-Sasanian drachms are among the most accessible entry points into early Islamic coinage: reasonably common, historically dense, and cheap relative to their importance.
Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic · 651 – 1258 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Basra
- What is an Arab-Sasanian coin?
- A drachm struck by Muslim governors after the conquest of Iran that keeps the Sasanian royal bust and fire-altar reverse but adds short Arabic legends, usually in the obverse margin.
- Why did the design change in 696?
- The caliph Abd al-Malik replaced figural coinage with a purely inscriptional dinar and dirham, creating a distinctly Islamic monetary identity independent of Sasanian and Byzantine models.
- What coins were struck at Basra?
- Basra is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 2 coins and notes struck between 372 CE – 983 CE. Its output here covers Silver in the Drachm, Dirham denominations, issued under Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, 'Adud al-Dawla (Buyid).
- How many Basra pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 2 items, dated 372 CE – 983 CE, spread across 1 era: Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
- Which metals were used for Basra coinage?
- Silver. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Basra?
- Drachm, Dirham. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.