Muslim coins on Spanish soil

Among the great legacy left by Muslims in Spain during their seven centuries of rule, coins stand out, with three basic types having been established: the Almoravid, which consisted of a circular coin with no inscription, to which the coins of the first Hudis belong; the Almohad (a square inscribed with a double line); and the Hafsi, which replaced the previous one in 649 and is notable for being a square inscribed with a triple line, the middle one being dotted.In this regard, it should be noted that in the 13th century, the Almohads carried out a comprehensive reform of the monetary system in both Al-Andalus and North Africa, making currency a very important political factor, as it represented the same Almohad identity traits in different geographical locations.

Multiple authorities

However, as is well known, in recent times Muslim power has crumbled into a thousand pieces, giving rise to the emergence of multiple local powers that withdrew their allegiance to the Almohads and, by extension, decided to change their coinage.

Thus, the reference to the Mahdi as imam, which was the main feature of Almohad coins and reflected nothing other than submission to a single absolute power, namely that of the Almohads, was removed.

New legends

In this sense, the use of each type of coin played a fundamental role as a vehicle for political and religious propaganda in the service of the power that issued it.

Thus, the figures of the Abbasids began to be recognized in a generic sense, as well as that of the reigning Abbasid caliph or even Ibn Ammihi, who was an ancestor of the Abbasids. All these powers decided to mint multiple silver and gold coins with a myriad of different legends, sometimes following the Almohad type and sometimes the Hafsi type.

If in the 11th century the issuance of coins in Muslim Spain had taken place in multiple geographical locations, at this time it was concentrated around three main figures: Ibn Hud (Murcia), Zayyan ibn Mardanis (Valencia), and Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar (Granada). In this regard, the best-known issues are those of the Banu Hud of Murcia and the Nadareis of Granada.