Dirham of al-Mahdi, Madina-t al-Salam (Baghdad) c. 8th century

Curator: This is a dirham of al-Mahdi, from Madina-t al-Salam, which we know today as Baghdad. Editor: Its worn surface speaks of its journey through history, of hands and marketplaces. I wonder what stories it could tell? Curator: The very material speaks volumes—silver's procurement, the labor to mint it, the trade routes it traversed. It offers tangible insight into the economic networks of the time. Editor: And who controlled those networks? This dirham, issued by al-Mahdi, signifies power, control, and the assertion of identity through currency. How did its distribution shape social hierarchies? Curator: Precisely. The coin’s physical worth and the value ascribed to it are inseparable from its social and political implications. Editor: It makes you consider the ways in which objects like these impacted everyday life. Thank you for helping me to reflect on the historical depth embedded within such a seemingly simple object. Curator: Indeed, these objects are so much more than their weight in silver!