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Baldwin’s Auction House are pleased to announce strong results in their first dedicated Islamic sale in almost a decade. The auction house first started Islamic sales in 1999, and it was pleased to present this collection at auction at its Strand location and at Baldwins.co on Tuesday 19 March 2024. The collection took collectors and enthusiasts on a journey from the inception of Islamic coinage in the 7th century AD (the first century of Hijri era) through to the modern Islamic coins of the 20th century.
Highlights from the sale included the very fine Umayyad, temp. Marwan II (AH 127‑132 / 744‑750 AD), gold Dinar, AH 132 / 749/50 AD, uncertain mint, 4.24g (A. 141; ICV 226) (Lot 48). The last Umayyad caliph, Marwan II ibn Muhammad, faced a considerably larger Abbasid army in the Battle of the Zab and was defeated, which brought the Umayyad Caliphate to an end. This coin is the last Umayyad dinar: it was struck was just months before Marwan’s defeat and is of great rarity. Estimated at £1,200 – 1,500, the coin exceeded this by four times, and was ultimately sold for £5,000 including fees.
A silver Dirham also sold well: the Umayyad, temp. Sulayman (AH 96‑99 / 715‑717 AD), AH 97 / 715/6 AD, al‑Madinat al-Atiqa, 2.95g (Klat 579) (Lot 34). Al‑Madinat al‑’Atiqa, meaning ‘the ancient city’, was the name given by the Umayyads to the ancient Sasanian city of Ctesiphon. It is geographically the closest Umayyad dirham mint to the great Abbasid foundation of Madinat al‑Salam. Only three examples known on Coin Archives. The mint was active only in one year, AH 97. An extremely rare mint, of one year type, the coin was sold at £3,800 including fees..
And a rarity for collectors of Islamic and Chinese coins alike: a gold Tilla from China, Xinjiang (Sinkiang) Province, rebel uprising against Qing rule, temp. Ya’qub Beg, in the name of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Aziz, AH 1291 / 1874/5 AD, Kashgar mint (Lot 374). Extremely Fine, the coin is extremely rare, seldom seen on the market. After the Dungan Revolt, the Tajik Ya’qub Beg ruled the Chinese region of Xinjiang until 1877 when he died while fighting against the Chinese trying to reconquest their lands. The coin cites the Ottoman sultan Abdul Aziz who has been an ally. The coin sold at auction for £2,600 including fees..
Further highlights:
- Lot 220 – Umayyad of Spain, Hisham II (AH 366‑399 / 976‑1009 AD), gold Dinar, AH 390 / 1000 AD, al‑Andalus. Estimated at £600 – 800; sold for £2,500.
- Lot 255 – Ayyubid, al‑Nasir Yusuf I ‑ Saladin (AH 567‑589 / 1169‑1193 AD), gold Dinar, al‑Iskandariya. Estimated at £400 – 500; sold for £2,100.
- Lot 232 – Fatimid, al‑Mahdi (AH 297‑322 / 909‑934 AD), gold Dinar, AH 309 / 921/2 AD, al‑Qayrawan. Estimated at £500 – 600; sold for £1,800.
- Lot 360 – India, Sultans of Delhi, Ghiyath al‑din Tughluq (AH 720‑725 / 1320‑1325 AD), gold Tanka. Estimated at £450 – 550; sold for £1,000.
