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Production of Dirhams at the Mint of Damascus (Dimashq) in the First Four Centuries of Islam and the Question of Near Eastern Metallic Zones
Kovalev, Roman K.
2016-01-27
Abstract
All examination of 159 hoards with 1822 dirhams minted at Damascus during the first four centuries of Islam sheds much light on a number of important questions regarding the economic history of the Near East during the
Umayyad, 'Abbasid, and Ikhshidid eras. Using the hoard-count method of
estimating mint outputs, it has been determined that the Damascus mint was
significantly active only during the Umayyad period, a time when the city was
the capital of the caliphate. Having no local silver mines and lacking revenue
transfers from the provinces after 127 H, Damascus was, at best, a marginal
mint for the production of dirhams. However, because Syria and the eastern
Mediterranean region in general fell into a gold-copper metallic zone during
the period in question, it is surprising that Damascus was at all an important
mint when the city was the capital of the Islamic world.
Series
Polymnia: Numismatica antica e medievale. Studi
09
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Roman K. Kovalev "Production of Dirhams at the Mint of Damascus (Dimashq) in the First Four Centuries of Islam and the Question of Near Eastern Metallic Zones" in Bruno Callegher and Arianna D'Ottone (eds.) "The 4th Simone Assemani symposium on Islamic coins", Trieste, 26/27 September 2014, Trieste, EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste, 2015. (Polymnia : numismatica antica e medievale. Studi, 9) pp.297-336
Languages
en
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