India Silver damma of Muhammad III, Banu Munabbih, independent Multan, ca.860's CE (FT-M59)

Sharada legend "Sri Mihiradeva" // Three dots, stylized Brahmi "Sri" above, Brahmi letters "Ta" and "Pa+" in fields, below "Lillah Muhammad" (or "Lillah Mih")' in arabic. 13mm, 0.48 grams. Fishman/Todd "The Silver Damma" #M59. SKU H64

Muhammad III, whose full name was Muhammad bin al-Qasim bin Munabbih, was the first of the Banu Munabbih (Samid) rulers of Multan - he conquered Multan around 861 AD or so and issued these interesting silver dammas bearing his Hindu epithet "Mihiradeva" ("Sun god") on the reverse. His coins are probably the crudest of all Multani "three-dot" coins, but are still fascinating, as it is completely unexpected for a Muslim Amir to take a Hindu epithet which refers to a very non-Muslim Sun God.