Dinar of al-Muqtadir, Misr 923 - 924

Curator: This is a Dinar of al-Muqtadir, minted in Misr, and currently held in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It feels so weighty, even just looking at it—that dense gold and the deliberate inscription. A marker of power, no doubt. Curator: Absolutely. The Dinar served as a potent symbol of the Abbasid Caliphate's economic and political reach, particularly under al-Muqtadir. Its value transcended mere monetary worth. Editor: The calligraphy is so intricate. What messages or symbols are embedded within it? It evokes a sense of the sacred, almost talismanic. Curator: The inscriptions contain religious declarations, affirming the caliph’s authority as a divinely appointed ruler. It acted as propaganda, circulating the caliph's name and legitimacy far and wide. Editor: So, each transaction became a small act of acknowledging and reinforcing that power. I imagine the weight of that gold felt different to the merchant versus the peasant. Curator: Precisely. The Dinar offers a fascinating lens through which to view the social and political dynamics of the era. Editor: Examining something like this, so small and yet so impactful, really highlights how art and power are interwoven.