Allah ahad / mimma amar bihi / al-Marahal (œAllah is one, by the order of al-Marahal�) // Muhammad / rasul / Allah / Barmaki (œMuhammad is the messenger of God, Barmaki�). 9mm, 0.49 grams. Fishman/Todd "The Silver Damma" #CS20.

These extremely rare coins were minted in the name of "Al-Marahal", meaning œinterim�. It seems rather likely that the serving lieutenant governor of Sindh who chose not to place his name on the coins (as was the contemporary custom) but instead used a more humble title or epithet (œinterim (governor))�. œal-Marahal� almost certainly refers to ˜Imran bin Musa, the son of the current Sindhi governor who is known to have served under his father as lieutenant governor. 'Imran and his father Musa were from the famous Barmakid family which raised its riches and prominence under the Abbasid Caliphs only to suffer a spectacular downfall during the reign of Harun al-Rashid. Musa was the only survivor of the main branch of the family which was decimated by Harun in a bloody episode in the early 800s CE. These coins were unknown just a year or two ago - they were first published in the Fishman/Todd's "The Silver Damma", and sell for 300-500$ (see the recent auctions by Steve Album).