The Dobla: Granada and the End of Al-Andalus

Hispano-Islamic coins evolved as the political scenario changed, leading up to the final Islamic issues on the peninsula: those of Muhammad XII (1482–1492), known to the Christians as Boabdil, last king of Granada.

The Nasrid dynasty followed the system introduced by the Almohads in the 12th century, which made a deliberate break with Hispano-Islamic tradition. The most striking changes affected the silver dirham, which was given a square shape, and the gold dinar, whose weight was doubled to supposedly equal that of the Mecca dinar in the days of the Prophet. This explains the name that Castilians gave to these pieces, highly prized by both Muslims and Christians: the dobla or “double”.

Doblas minted in Granada bore long texts in cursive script, including the dynasty’s motto—“Only God is the victor”, the same words that adorn the Alhambra—and the ruler’s genealogy. This custom has made it possible to know the family tree and the order of the Nasrid kings, which is fairly muddled in chronicles.

They were struck in large quantities to meet the demands of intense international trade and the need to pay frequent tributes to the Christians in an increasingly hostile environment, until the Nasrid Kingdom became part of the Crown of Castile in January 1492.