1 Dirhem
date: label: date made
content: 996 - 1021
label: alternate calendar
content: 386 - 411 AH
notes: label: Description
content: This piece of stamped glass was used to weigh Egyptian coins in the Fatimid Period (10th to 12th centuries). When ancient Egyptian coin makers made standardized coins, it was important that they make sure their products followed weight protocols, just like modern coin makers still do today. However, during the Fatimid period of ancient Egypt, metal coins were hand-minted, which made it harder to ensure that coins would weigh the accurate amount. Glass weights helped the makers check their work on prototypes. Sellers also used glass weights to check that they received the appropriate weight of metal for the amount of goods they sold.
label: Description
content: To make these weights, the glass was stamped while molten, using an iron die. The text on the glass stamps usually bears the name of the ruler of the time or the official who ordered that the coins be made.
place: label: place made
content: Fatimid Caliphate
label: associated place
content: Egypt
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: Exhibition
content: Value of Money
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Hebert
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.72.200.15
label: catalog number
content: 72.200.15
label: accession number
content: 304490
objectType: label: Object Name
content: weight, coin
label: Object Name
content: weight
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: green (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .45 cm x 2.3 cm; 3/16 in x 29/32 in