Dinar – Morocco

In 1610, the Moroccan monetary system was characterized by a complex and often unstable blend of local and foreign coinage, reflecting the country's strategic position in global trade networks and the political turmoil of the era. The Saadi Sultanate, which had reached its zenith under Ahmad al-Mansur (d. 1603), was now in a period of fragmentation and civil war among his sons. This political instability directly undermined the central authority's ability to control and standardize currency, leading to significant regional variations and frequent debasement.

The primary unit was the silver dirham, but its weight and purity were inconsistent. More significant for large-scale trade and state finance was the gold dinar (or benduqi), though Moroccan gold production had declined. Consequently, a substantial portion of the currency in circulation consisted of foreign coins, particularly Spanish reales and Ottoman altuns, which entered through trade, piracy, and the ransom of Christian captives. The port cities of the Atlantic coast, vital for the sugar trade and privateering, operated as distinct monetary zones awash with this heterogeneous mix of specie.

This fragmented system created chronic economic difficulties. The lack of a strong, uniform currency hampered internal commerce and complicated tax collection (zakāt and maks), weakening the competing Saadi claimants further. The currency situation of 1610 thus serves as a clear economic indicator of Morocco's transition from the unified, prosperous empire of al-Mansur to a state of "fitna" (disorder), where political fracture manifested in a decentralized and unreliable monetary landscape.