Umayyad Dirham (Minted in Istakhr, 129 AH) – Reign of Marwan ibn Muhammad
<p>“Say, I ask of you no reward for it except love for my kinsfolk.” This verse from Surat al-Shura heads a silver dirham struck at Istakhr in 129 AH, among the hills of Fars.</p><p>The mint had struck Umayyad dirhams until 102 AH, and rebels against the state revived it in 128 and 129 AH, according to the Encyclopedia.</p><p>The Encyclopedia records the verse on rebel dirhams in several cities from 127 to 132 AH. Under Marwan ibn Muhammad, the last Umayyad caliph, coins were struck in 27 cities, some by the state and some by rebels and Kharijites. He had taken power after Ibrahim ibn al-Walid was deposed and faced revolts across the empire.</p><p>More than twelve centuries later, this 2.8-gram dirham, rated Very Rare, still carries the voice of a region in an unsettled year.</p>
129 AH