358CLL) Islamic Gold dinar of the Fatimid ABI TAMIM MA�ED AL MUSTANSER BELLAH, KNOWN AS AL-MUSTANSIR, 427-487 AH/ 1036-1094 AD; ONE OF THE STRONGEST FATIMID RULERS, HE REMAINED IN POWER FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF ALL FATIMIDS (60 YEARS) .The Fatimids are a shiite dynasty that claimed �Alid descent. Their name derives from Fatima, but it is unclear whether the Fatimid caliphs ever referred to themselves as � Fatimids �. Their rule lasted from 297 AH to 567 AH, mainly in north Africa, Egypt where they established their capital � Al-Kahira Al-Mo�ezzeya �, Palestine and Syria until extinguished by Saladin in 567 AH.
THE COIN : IN VF+, 3.97 GRMS. OF FINE GOLD CONTENT STRUCK ON A FULL 22 MM FLAN, AT TARABULUS (RARE MINT) IN THE YEAR 443 AH. DUE TO HIS LONG RULE, AL-MUSTANSIR HAS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT STYLES DINARS ( 5 STYLES); ON THIS COIN THE REVERSE AND OBVERSE ARE IN 3 CIRCLES WITH A BEAD IN THE CENTER . IT IS CALLED THE BULL�S EYE TYPE; THEY READ AS FOLLOWS :
OBVERSE : 1- OUTER MARGIN : MOHAMED RASSUL ALLAH ......WALAW KARIHA AL-MUSHRIKUN; 2- MIDDLE MARGIN : WA �ALA AFDAL AL WASEYYIN, WA WAZIR KHAYR AL MURSALIN, 3- INNER MARGIN : LA ILAHA ILLA. WAHDAHU LA SHARIK LAHU.
REVERSE : 1- OUTER MARGIN : BISM ILLAH , DURIBA HAZA AL DINAR BI TARABULUS SANAT TIS'IN WA ARBA�IN WA ARBA�AMA�AT; 2 -MIDDLE MARGIN : DA�A AL IMAM MA�ED LI TAWHID AL ILAHA AL SAMAD; 3- INNER MARGIN : AL MUSTANSIR BELLAH AMIR AL MU�MENIN;
REFERENCES : KHEDIVIAL LIBRARY, CAIRO, LANE -POOLE # 1135-36; LAVOIX BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE PARIS #-------, NICOL & NABARRAWI # 2050; MILES FC # ----; ALBUM TYPE # 719.