Coin Syrian Arab Republic Ayyubids, Al-Aziz - Fals - 595 AH (1198 / 1199) Damascus

This copper coin was struck in Damascus in 595 AH, at the end of the 12th century, during the Ayyubid period. It is associated with the name of al-?Az?z ?Uthm?n ibn Saladin, son of the dynasty's founder, Saladin (?al?? ad-D?n). Following the latter's death in 589 AH (1193), his sons divided his domains among themselves, leading to a political fragmentation of Ayyubid power between Egypt, Syria, and Upper Mesopotamia.

At this time, Ayyubid Syria was marked by rivalries between different family branches, with Damascus serving as a major political centre contested among the Ayyubid princes. This fragmentation did not prevent the continuation of local monetary activity, in particular through the issuance of copper coins intended for everyday transactions.

The period also corresponds to the end of al-?Az?z ?Uthm?n's life, who died in 595 AH, an event that formed part of a phase of realignment of Ayyubid political balances in Egypt and Syria.