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Five ancient dirhams (silver coins) from the Abbasid period 158–218 Hirji (775–833 AD) of the Great Islamic Empire were analysed using x‐ray fluorescence techniques. The dirhams were found to have compositions ranging from about 41 to 84 wt% Ag. In addition to Ag, the major constituents of the dirhams, with concentrations of 1% or more, were Hg, Pb, Au, Cu and Si. The minor constituents, with concentrations between 0.1 and 1 wt% were Al, P, Fe and W. Trace elements with concentrations of less than 0.1 wt% were Ti, Ni and Zn. The correlation between the composition of each dirham and the historical implications was studied, and a possible explanation for the significant variations in the compositions of the dirhams is given. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.