ABBASID, JAHWAR B. AL-MARRAR, rebel at Rayy (137-138h). Fals, al-Rayy 138h. Obverse: la ilaha | illa Allah | wahdahu within octagon formed by two squares; date legend around. Reverse: Within square with circles at corners and in the middle of each side: Muhamamd | rasul | Allah; around which: mimma amr bihi al-amir Jahwar ibn al-Marrar bi’l-Rayy. Weight: 2.43g. References: Miles, Rayy 41; cf Peus auction 407, 7 November 2012, lot 1424. Good very fine and extremely rare. This extremely rare issue was struck by Jahwar b. al-Marrar, whom the caliph al-Mansur sent to Khurasan in 137h to suppress a revolt led by a certain Sinbadh. Jahwar quickly defeated Sinbadh, but no sooner had he done so than he himself rebelled against al-Mansur, occupying Rayy. Al-Mansur’s response was to dispatch another, larger army under one of his best and most loyal commanders, Muhammad b. al-Ash‘ath, by whom Jahwar was soon expelled from Rayy, dying soon afterwards. It has been suggested that the design on the reverse of this coin may be a representation of a defensive wall with circular towers – possibly the Shahrestan of Rayy.
VAT symbol: ‡
Tax: TI