Some updates and additional links from NYTimes, National Geographic and CNN, on previously posted story.
Excerpt: A cursory study reveals that the earliest coin from the hoard was minted in Palermo, Sicily, while the majority came from official Fatimid mints in Egypt and other parts of North Africa and date to the reigns of Caliphs al-Hakim (A.D. 996-1021) and his son al-Zahir (A.D. 1021-1036). The coins are of two different denominations—whole dinars and quarter dinars—and are of various weights and sizes. Initial tests indicate that they are 24-karat gold with a purity of upwards of 95 percent.
“The amount of currency minted under the Fatimids is truly staggering,” says Kool, who notes that as late as 1120 the caliphate’s treasury was said to hold around 12 million dinars. “It was truly a monetary society. People got paid.”
http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/18/middleeast/israel-gold-coins-discovery/index.html?sr=fb021815goldcoins3pVODtopVideo
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Israeli-divers-stumble-upon-large-stash-of-6087038.php
http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/science-large-hoard-gold-coins-israel-02527.html
All related Fatimids at Ismailimail: https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/category/fatimids/
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