Islamic Coins

Lot 4169       Islamic Coins

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

HAFSIDS OF TUNIS (SUCCESSORS OF THE MUWAHHIDS IN NORTH AFRICA), Abu Zakariya Yahya I ibn 'Abd al Wahid (A.H. 627-647) (A.D. 1230-1249), gold dinar, no mint stated issued from A.H. 640 to 647 = A.D. 1242-1249, issued and citing the Hafsid Amir only, (A.500, Hazard 551, M.428-429, BMC 158, Lavoix 938). Of fine style, nearly extremely fine and scarce.

The Muwahhids (Almohades) began to lose control in North Africa soon after their expulsion from Spain in 629 (1232). Tunis became independent under its Hafsid governor in 627 (1230) and western Algeria followed under the Ziyanids in 633 (1236) who initially acknowledged Hafsid suzerainty. They effectively stayed in power in Tunis after intermittent subjection to Turks, Spanish and Corsairs until their own extinction of the dynasty by the Ottomans in A.H. 982 (1574). Album describes the issue as a gold half dinar, but both Mitchiner and Hazard describes the issue as a gold dinar.