An extremely rare and important gold dinar will be offered during the Classical Numismatic Group’s Triton XXIX auction in January. Dated AH 105 (A.D. 723-724), it is only the third example known to be offered at auction.

The dinar states it is from the “Mine of the Commander of the Faithful in the Hijaz” and has the distinction of being from the earliest issue of Islamic coins that mention a location within the present-day Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The inscription that makes this issue so special is in the bottom three lines of the reverse field. It reads Ma‘din Amir al-Mu’minin bi’l-Hijaz, which means “Mine of the Commander of the Faithful, in the Hijaz.”

Around this is the circular marginal legend giving the date of the coin, which translates as “In the name of Allah was struck this dinar in the year five and one hundred.”

The previous two examples of this issue sold at auction were offered by Morton and Eden of London and are currently held by institutions. Both achieved a hammer price of $3.1 million dollars, selling in 2011 and 2019. The coin being offered in the fourth session of the Triton XXIX sale is believed to have been struck from the same dies as the example that sold in 2011.

This coin is from the collection of Yahya Jafar of Dubai. It has been graded About Uncirculated 50 by Numismatic Guaranty Co. It will be offered as lot 975 on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Complete details of the sale can be found at www.cngcoins.com.

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