
Bust (?) surrounded by a circular arabic legend, yellow-green glass, 28mm. Album 724 or similar; cf. CNG E-494, lot 526 (for a similar example).
Islamic glass tokens, jetons, and weights were small, often circular or disc-shaped objects made of colored glass, widely produced across the Islamic world from the 7th to the 14th centuries. These items served various functions—some acted as coin weights to verify the mass of gold and silver coins like dinars and dirhams, while others were used as gaming pieces, counters, or possibly even tokens for market or administrative use. Many bear inscriptions in Arabic, including religious phrases (like the bismillah), names of caliphs, governors, or mint officials, and occasionally dates or places of issue. Their translucency and vibrant colors (typically green, blue, or amber) made them both functional and aesthetically appealing, and they are today valuable artifacts for understanding Islamic commerce, governance, and daily life.