Umayyad Dirham (Minted in al-Basra, 100 AH) – Reign of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz
<p>Utbah ibn Ghazwan laid the first foundations of Basra as an advanced camp for the conquering armies, before it underwent a radical transformation from military garrison into one of the great centers of learning and thought in the Islamic world.</p><p>This scarce issue documents a pivotal chapter in the city's history, coinciding with the stabilization of financial administration at the dawn of the second Islamic century.</p><p>The piece reflects the accelerating demographic and economic growth of this Iraqi city, which demanded an established monetary institution to match the expanding scale of its trade dealings and rising cultural standing.</p>
100 AH