Artuqid Bronze Dirham — The Famous “Lamentation” Type of AH 589 / AD 1193

Own One of the Most Discussed Pictorial Coins of the Medieval Islamic World

The exact Artuqid bronze dirham shown, dated AH 589 (AD 1193) and bearing the remarkable four-figure scene conventionally known as the “Lamentation.”

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✓ Exact Coin Shown
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Why This Coin Matters

Issued under Husam al-Din Yuluq Arslan of the Artuqids of Mardin, this large bronze dirham belongs to a medieval Islamic coinage famous for unusually rich figural imagery.

The obverse presents four figures arranged in a scene traditionally described by numismatists as a “lamentation.” The type is securely dated to AH 589, corresponding to AD 1193—the same year in which Saladin died.

That coincidence has generated a long-running numismatic debate. Spengler and Sayles interpreted the imagery through an astrological framework while also connecting the issue with Saladin’s death, and major numismatic catalogs continue to describe it as the “lamentation” type. Other interpretations of the imagery have also been proposed.

The careful conclusion is therefore especially interesting: the coin unquestionably dates to the year Saladin died, but the precise meaning of its imagery is interpretive rather than stated explicitly by the coin.

This places the coin directly in the political world of the later Crusades. Yuluq Arslan’s Artuqid state operated among the competing powers of northern Mesopotamia and the Levant during the era of Saladin and the Crusader states, making the issue an unusually vivid artifact of that interconnected medieval world.

What You’ll Receive

• The exact Artuqid bronze dirham pictured
• Dynasty: Artuqids of Mardin
• Ruler: Husam al-Din Yuluq Arslan
• Date: AH 589 / AD 1193
• Denomination: Bronze dirham
• Type: Four-figure “Lamentation” scene
• Guaranteed authentic

Perfect For

• Islamic and medieval coin collectors
• Crusades-era history enthusiasts
• Collectors interested in Saladin’s world
• Collectors of unusual pictorial coinage
• Anyone interested in unresolved historical interpretation

Buy with Confidence

• Guaranteed authentic medieval coin
• Carefully sourced and attributed
• 30-day return policy
• Secure shipping from the U.S.

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Learn More

Continue the story in the Kinzer Coins Journal: Artuqid Coins of Mardin: Figural Islamic Coinage Explained.