Moneta's Temple and Gallery

Umayyad Dirham - 'Abd al-Malik Bin Marwan

Moneta — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 16:51:04 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: This is an early example of an Early Post-Reform silver Dirham (Dinar) issued by 'Abd al-Malik Bin Marwan (65-86 AH or 685 -705 AD). I believe this example is from 79 - 80 AH so it's from just a few years after the typical Post-Reform types were first struck in 77AH. All are carefully minted but ruler names are not part of the legend. However, the date is always present so the ruler can be determined from the date in most cases. This is Album Checklist # 126; 2.83 g & 22 mm. Obverse center legend: لا اله الا الله وحده لا شرك له There is no Diety except | (the one) God alone | He has no equal Obverse margin Legend (date here is an example): بسم الله ضرب هذا الدرهم بواسط في سنة ثلث و تسعين In the name of God. This Dirham was struck in Wasit in the year three and ninety Reverse center legend: الله احد الله الصمد لم يلد و لم يولد و لم يكن له كفوا احد God is One God | The eternal and indivisible, who has not begotten, and | has not been begotten and never is there | His equal Reverse margin legend: محمد رسول الله ارسله بالهدى و دين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون Muhammad is the messenger of God. He sent him with guidance and the true religion to reveal it to all religions even if the polytheists abhor it.

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Arab-Byzantine Follis - 3 Figures Type

Moneta — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:05:05 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: At the advent of Islam, Arabia for the most part had a very limited numismatic history of its own. The past local coinage seems to be limited to that of the Sabaeans, the Himyarites, the Nabataens, and Rome's Provencia Arabia. However, by Muhammad's birth, these were already centuries old. It is generally agreed that in the 7th century AD, Arabia was mostly still a trade-barter society. What little need the local populace had of coinage was sufficiently fulfilled by the then current coinage of the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires. Even after establishing the first Islamic state in AD 622, the Muslims did not institute a coinage of their own. This remained true for Arabia through the end of the Orthodox Caliphate and the early part of the Umayyad rule. As the Arabs spread out and conquered the surrounding lands, all that they really brought with them was the message of Islam. In most cases, the local political and economic infrastructure was left intact. As long as the non-Muslims of the conquered lands paid a Poll-Tax, not much had to be changed. The conquered lands of the Byzantine and Sassanian realms had a rich numismatic history, however, and the use of officially minted coinage had an important place in commerce. To maintain the economic viability, the Arabs continued the previously existing minting operations there - issuing coins from captured Byzantine and Sassanian dies, and then slowly adding new elements to the replacement dies. The first changes were subtle; adding "tayyib" (good) in the recently evolved Kufic script on Byzantine style copper coinage, or short and simple religious statements such as "Bismillah" (with the Name of Allah) on the margins of Sassanian coinage. These changes further evolved as the mint names were duplicated in Arabic in the western lands and the governors added their name on coins in the east. Islamic coinage evolving from these styles are today called Arab-Byzantine or Arab-Sassanian coins, based on the originally borrowed style. This example is 22.4 mm and 5.08 Grams. This 3 Figures type is not shown in Totten, but it is a Byzantine type folles. More research needed. Examples in very good shape command high collector prices. This is a sub-$30 coin, the central figure's face is hilarious! VIEW or DOWNLOAD: Early Islamic Coins - Totten: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xg05khw1txcy6y7/Early%20Islamic%20Coins%20-%20Totten.pdf?dl=0

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Arab-Sasanian - Salm b. Ziyad

Moneta — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 12:48:10 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: AR silver Drachm of Salm b. Ziyad circa AH 61-65 (680-684 A.D.). This coin is a main type of the Pre-Reform coinage. Coins were struck in the name of this governor until the year AH70, five years after is deposition, for reasons that are still undetermined, but undoubtedly tied to the three-way struggle between the Zubayrids, the Umayyads and the Ephthalites. His coins were mainly struck at mints in Khorasan. Album A-18, 3 pellets at obverse bottom (x2), Scarce VF+ (S. Album) Salm. b. Ziyad, ca. 680-685, AR drachm (3.8g), MRWRWT (Marw-Rud), year 8, A-18, finest style, clearly a regular Arab issue and not an Hephthalite imitation, nive VF+, RRRR. Salm was governor in Khorasan AH61-64/65, and returned to Basra, where he remained until his death in AH73. The meaning of the date TWMNAH ( "8 ") is obscure. It could refer to year 8 or some sort of recognition in opposition to his replacement 'Abd Allah b. Khazim, or an abbreviation of AH68 by the same issuer.

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Umayyad Countermark on Byzantine Follis

Moneta — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:40:01 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: This may represent the very first issues of the expansion of the Islamic Empire into former Byzantine territory. This follis of Byzantine Emperor Constans II has had an Umayyad Counterstamp applied. OB: Constans II standing holds a staff with Chi-Rho on top in his r. hand and a globus crucigar in his l. hand. RX: large 'M' signifies a 40 nummis or Follis. Umayyad countermark in the right field. V. Scarce. DOWNLOAD: Early Islamic Coins - Totten: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xg05khw1txcy6y7/Early%20Islamic%20Coins%20-%20Totten.pdf?dl=0

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Arab-Byzantine coin

Moneta — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:33:22 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: Arab-Byzantine coin that imitates a Follis (AE22) of Byzantine Empire Emperor Constans II. At the advent of Islam, Arabia for the most part had a very limited numismatic history of its own. The past local coinage seems to be limited to that of the Sabaeans, the Himyarites, the Nabataens, and Rome's Provencia Arabia. However, by Muhammad's birth, these were already centuries old. It is generally agreed that in the 7th century AD, Arabia was mostly still a trade-barter society. What little need the local populace had of coinage was sufficiently fulfilled by the then current coinage of the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires. Even after establishing the first Islamic state in AD 622, the Muslims did not institute a coinage of their own. This remained true for Arabia through the end of the Orthodox Caliphate and the early part of the Umayyad rule. As the Arabs spread out and conquered the surrounding lands, all that they really brought with them was the message of Islam. In most cases, the local political and economic infrastructure was left intact. As long as the non-Muslims of the conquered lands paid a Poll-Tax, not much had to be changed. The conquered lands of the Byzantine and Sassanian realms had a rich numismatic history, however, and the use of officially minted coinage had an important place in commerce. To maintain the economic viability, the Arabs continued the previously existing minting operations there - issuing coins from captured Byzantine and Sassanian dies, and then slowly adding new elements to the replacement dies. The first changes were subtle; adding "tayyib" (good) in the recently evolved Kufic script on Byzantine style copper coinage, or short and simple religious statements such as "Bismillah" (with the Name of Allah) on the margins of Sassanian coinage. These changes further evolved as the mint names were duplicated in Arabic in the western lands and the governors added their name on coins in the east. Islamic coinage evolving from these styles are today called Arab-Byzantine or Arab-Sassanian coins, based on the originally borrowed style. VIEW or DOWNLOAD: Early Islamic Coins - Totten: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xg05khw1txcy6y7/Early%20Islamic%20Coins%20-%20Totten.pdf?dl=0

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Islamic Empire - Umayyad

Moneta — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:30:14 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: Several copper/bronze issues are shown here that pre-date the 'first' purely Islamic Empire issues made in gold & silver. Arab-Byzantine (AE) and Arab-Sasanian (Ag) coins were issued before the gold dinar (696 AD) and the silver dirham (698 AD). This coin is an Umayyad issue (AE 20) from the Ramla Mint (scarce). DOWNLOAD: Early Islamic Coins - Totten: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xg05khw1txcy6y7/Early%20Islamic%20Coins%20-%20Totten.pdf?dl=0

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