Islamic State Militants To Mint Coins

The Islamic State (IS) militant group says it will start minting gold, silver, and copper coins, and introduce its own currency, the dinar, for use in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq.

In a statement distributed on militant forums late on November 13, the group said the aim was to replace "the tyrannical currency system that was imposed on the Muslims."

Pictures of seven coins were posted.

"Islamic State" and "a caliphate following the model of the Prophet" are engraved on one side, as well as the weight and value of the coin.

Various symbols are used on the other side, including a world map, a crescent, and Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque.

IS militants seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria this year, proclaiming a caliphate and imposing Shari'a law on lands under its control.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and telegraph.co.uk