ABSTRACT
The evolution of Islamic currency as the dollar of the early middle Ages was critical for a variety of vital reasons. The utility of numismatics as an ancillary tool of Islamic historiography that offers a reliability cross-check on the sources cannot be overestimated. Like other early medieval dynasties, of course, the quality of Islamic currency a function of the fineness of the Muslim empires precious metals ore was key to its incipient commercial success. The burgeoning trade of the young, rapidly expanding Islamic empire quite obviously occasioned a demand for vast quantities of quality money to facilitate widespread commercial transactions. In sum, the evolution of early medieval Muslim money is not entirely shrouded in mystery. It is instead a classic case study in currency development well documented in the medieval Islamic chronicles and confirmed by residual mining evidence and surviving coin specimens.
