How to Identify the Fatimid Gold Dinar

What It Is

The Fatimid Caliphate ruled Egypt and much of North Africa from 909 to 1171 AD and became renowned for issuing gold dinars of exceptionally consistent weight and fineness, which made them a trusted trade currency across the medieval Mediterranean and Middle East.

Obverse Design

The obverse is arranged in two or more concentric circles of Kufic script. The innermost circle typically names the reigning Fatimid caliph-imam and often invokes Ali, reflecting the dynasty's Shia Ismaili religious identity, while the outer circle carries the shahada and other pious formulas. There are no images of any kind.

Reverse Design

The reverse mirrors this concentric layout with further religious and dynastic text, sometimes naming the heir-designate, and the mint city and date are typically included within the circular legends.

Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge

Fatimid dinars are notably small but thick and dense, roughly 18-25mm in diameter and about 4.0-4.25 grams of gold at a very high purity, often in the range of 21-22 karat. The flan is compact rather than broad and thin.

Mint Marks and Dates

The mint city, such as Misr (Cairo), al-Mansuriya, or Filastin, is spelled out within the circular inscriptions along with the Hijri date written in words, following the broader Islamic convention of writing out both rather than using symbols.

Telling It Apart from Similar Coins

Abbasid dinars typically use horizontal lines of script rather than the Fatimid's signature concentric circles, so the overall layout is a fast way to separate the two. After Saladin's Ayyubid dynasty took over Egypt in 1171, early Ayyubid dinars closely imitated the Fatimid circular format for continuity, so identifying the ruler's name in the inscription is necessary to tell late Fatimid and early Ayyubid dinars apart. Crusader states also struck imitation gold "bezants" copying Fatimid dinar designs for regional trade, sometimes with a tiny, easily overlooked cross discreetly worked into the design.

Judging Condition at a Glance

Because the script is small and densely packed into narrow circular bands, judge sharpness by how clearly each letter in the innermost circle can be read. Long-used dies wear down over time, so some later strikes from a given die appear softer even on an otherwise lightly circulated coin; centering and overall gold luster also factor into a quick condition assessment.

Authenticity Red Flags

Genuine near-pure gold dinars have a rich, deep yellow color and should weigh close to the expected standard for the type. Cast forgeries often show porosity or tiny surface bubbles, while struck forgeries may contain subtle errors in the Arabic letterforms. Significant deviation from the expected weight for a given period is a strong warning sign.