Dirham of al-Muqtadir, Madina-t al-Salam (Baghdad) 915 - 916

Curator: This is a dirham minted during the reign of al-Muqtadir in Madina-t al-Salam, Baghdad. Editor: Wow, it looks like something you'd find buried in your backyard. The Arabic calligraphy gives it a secretive, almost mystical vibe. Curator: Exactly. Minting coins was a powerful symbol of sovereignty, demonstrating economic and political control. The inscriptions would have served as propaganda, reinforcing al-Muqtadir's legitimacy. Editor: It's amazing to think how something so small could hold such immense power and symbolic weight. It makes you wonder about the hands it passed through. Curator: It prompts us to consider the economic systems, trade routes, and social hierarchies of the Abbasid Caliphate. Editor: This little coin really does open up a whole world of stories. Curator: Indeed, it invites us to consider the macro through the micro.