Alif2 Collection
Coins of the kingdoms of Taifas
(404-503 A.H. / 1013-1110 A.D.)


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The Taifas were the rival dynasties which have ruled Al-Andalus after the collapse of the Umayyad caliphate of Spain circa 399 A.H. / 1009 A.D. and before the Almoravid occupation of Al-Andalus. The different kingdoms of Taifas were supporting either an Hammudid caliph, an Umayyad caliph or even a neutral and generic caliph `Abd Allah (Servant of God) which is a possible reference to the `Abbasid caliph of Bagdad or to a fictitious caliph (Ariza-2 pp. 81-82, Ibrahim, Wasserstein pp. 98-119). In addition to dinars and dirhams (often cut) they have struck Handusi which are official fractional coins struck on shaped blanks (hacksilber) with official dies used for full denomination (dinar or dirham). Consequently, only a portion of the coin can be read (see Francés).



Zirids of Granada (429-483 A.H. / 1038-1090 A.D.)

The Zirids were Fatimid allies in North Africa in the early 4th Hijri Century.
Some of them came from Tunisia to Granada later in the 4th Hijri Century (Album p. 67).

Badis b. Habbus (circa 429-465 A.H. / 1038-1073)

Badis b. Habbus supported the Hammudid Caliphate (Ariza-2 pp. 103-107) and Idris II b. Yahya al-`Ali (Clément p. 243).
He assassinated Muhammad I (al-Mahdi) of Malaqa by offering him a poisoned vase
to support Muhammad I (al-Mahdi) of Al-Jazira (Ariza pp. 301-302; Ariza-2 p. 106; Clément p. 244).
He ultimatey conquered the Hammudid Caliphate (Ariza-2 p. 107).


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#1.5.6.3.1

Badis b. Habbus

Double Dirham (8.09 g, 25x22mm)

Madinat Gharnata, No date

Vives 852, Medina pp. 235-237, Album G372

Citing the Hammudid caliph Idris al-`Ali

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Dhu`l-Nunids of Toledo (423-483 A.H. / 1032-1090 A.D.)

The Dhu'l-Nunids were one of the Berber tribes who arrived in the Iberian Peninsula at the very time of the conquest,
as part of the troops who landed with Tariq ibn Ziyad (Ariza-2 p. 87). They settled east of Toledo and took control of Toledo
during the Cordoba Revolution (fitna), and the young Isma'il came to power, becoming one of the first Taifa kings to break with the central Andalusian power (Ariza-2 p. 87-92).

al-Zafir Isma`il (circa 423-435 A.H. / 1032-1043 A.D.)

Al-Zafir Isma`il remained outside the struggles for the caliphate, recognizing neither the Hammudids nor the Umayyads,
and his coins bear the name of the generic caliph ʿAbd Allah (Servant of God) (Ariza-2 p. 88-89).


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#1.5.13.2.1

Isma`il (al-Zafir)

Debased Fractional Dinar (billon Handusi) (1.25g 8x11mm)

Mint missing, date missing

Francés 152, Vives 1083, Prieto 321c, Album 395

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Sharaf al-Dawla Yahya I (al-Ma`mun) (435-467 A.H. / 1043-1075 A.D.)

Following the death of Al-Zafir Isma'il (435 AH / 1043 AD), his son Yahya al-Ma`mun succeeded him, taking the title of Dhu al-Majdayn
(the doubly victorious – in this life and the hereafter) and that of Sharaf al-Dawla (Honor of the State). Under his reign,
the court of Toledo reached its zenith and attracted scholars and poets from Kairouan, Egypt, and Baghdad. Unlike his father, he eventually recognized a caliph.
In 436 AH (1044–1045 AD), he pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Hisham II, proclaimed in Seville, and minted coins in his name.
However, he did not grant him the caliphal title of amir al-muminin, which demonstrates the coerced nature of this recognition (Ariza-2, pp. 87–88).


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#1.5.13.3.2

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Fractional Dinar (1.81g 15mm)

No mint, no date

Vives 1100, Prieto 335, Album 396

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#1.5.13.3.1

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Debased fractional Dinar (billon Handusi) (1.07g 15x12mm)
with title Dhu al-Majdayn (reverse)

No mint, no date

Vives 1099, Album 396

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#1.5.13.3.3

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (1.03g 15mm)
with title Dhu al-Majdayn (reverse)

No mint, no date

Francés 173, Med.-Fro. II.2, Album 397

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#1.5.13.3.4

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (2.04g 21x18mm)
with titles Dhu al-Majdayn (obverse)
and Sharaf al-Dawla (reverse)

Mint missing, date missing

Type of Vives 1109, Album 397

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#1.5.13.3.5

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (Handusi) (1.58g 15mm)
with titles Dhu al-Majdayn (obverse)
and Sharaf al-Dawla (reverse)

Mint missing, date missing

Francés 163-172, type of Vives 1111, Album 397

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#1.5.13.3.10

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (handusi) (1.78g 18x15mm)
with titles Dhu al-Majdayn (obverse)
and Sharaf al-Dawla (reverse)

Mint missing, date missing

Francés 163-172, type of Vives 1111, Album 397

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#1.5.13.3.7

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (1.87g 19x20mm)
with titles Dhu al-Majdayn (obverse)
and Sharaf al-Dawla (reverse)

Tuleytula, [46]6 A.H. or [46]7 A.H.

Vives 1112 or 1113, Album 397

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#1.5.13.3.8

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (1.67g 22x18mm)
with titles Dhu al-Majdayn (obverse)
and Sharaf al-Dawla (reverse)

Mint missing, date missing

Type of Vives 1111, Album 397

This coin is the example coin (#3) in Bofarull p.201.

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#1.5.13.3.6

Yahya I (al-Ma`mun)

Copper Dirham (1.21g 21x14mm)
with titles Dhu al-Majdayn (obverse)
and Sharaf al-Dawla (reverse)

Mint missing (Tuleytula), 465 A.H.

Vives 1111, Album 397

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al-Qadir billah Yahya II (467-483 A.H. / 1075-1090 A.D.)

Al-Qadir billah Yahya succeeded his grandfather Yahya al-Ma`mun, and his incompetence and disastrous decisions caused him to lose Toledo and its region, which fell under the authority of the Christians (EI2).


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#1.5.13.4.3

Yahya II (al-Qadir)

Debased fractional Dinar (billon Handusi) (0.88g 11mm)

No mint, no date

Francés pp. 70-72, Miles 525, Vives 1127, Prieto 348, Album T398

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#1.5.13.4.4

Yahya II (al-Qadir)

Debased fractional Dinar (billon Handusi) (1.44g 14mm)

No mint, no date

Francés pp. 70-72, Miles 525, Vives 1127, Prieto 348, Album T398

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#1.5.13.4.6

Yahya II (al-Qadir)

Copper Dirham (Handusi) (3.13g 16x12mm)

Mint missing, date missing

Francés 199, Vives 1126, Prieto 347a, Album 398

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#1.5.13.4.5

Yahya II (al-Qadir)

Copper Dirham (Handusi) (1.41g 13mm)

Mint missing, [4]68 A.H.

Francés p. 68, Vives 1117, Album 398

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#1.5.13.4.7

Yahya II (al-Qadir)

Copper Dirham (Handusi) (2.81g 16x7mm)

Mint missing, date missing

Francés 195, type of Vives 1116, Album 398

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