Transitional coin: Arab-Sasanian

At first glance, this looks like an ordinary coin of Sasanian Persia:

However, careful examination reveals it's actually an impostor, struck by the people who had just overthrown the Sasanians:

Arab-Sasanian. AR drachm. In the name of Umayyad governor Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad. AH 62 (=681/2 AD). Obverse: Standard Sasanian obverse of Khusro II, except citing Ubayd Allah b.Ziyad instead of Khusro and with Arabic "Bismillah" (In the Name of God) in margin. Reverse: Standard Sasanian reverse of fire-altar with two attendants, Pahlavi script giving the mint name BJRA (Basra) and year 62 (AH).

As the early Islamic armies quickly spread north out of their Arabian heartland, they soon found themselves ruling over a large, urbanized population with a well-developed international commerce and a need for continuing supplies of coinage. Initially, the early caliphate simply copied the already-circulating coins in the conquered areas with only minor changes. In the formerly Byzantine lands of Syria, Jordan, the Levant, and Egypt, this led to the Arab-Byzantine series of bronzes. In formerly Sasanian Persia, Iraq, and surrounding regions, the Arab-Sasanian coinage was struck- large, thin silver drachms closely copying the design of Sasanian coins. (There are also scarce Arab-Sasanian bronzes with more varied designs- but that's a good topic for another post). This is a very typical Arab-Sasanian drachm. The obverse is a perfect copy of Khusro II's portrait, and the reverse shows the normal Zoroastrian fire-altar with attendants. Nothing very Islamic there! In fact, although the governor's name is in Arabic, the only Islamic thing about the whole coin is the brief "Bismillah" added as an afterthought in the obverse margin. The reverse legends giving the mint name and date continue to be written in Pahlavi (a form of Persian script) rather than Arabic, and while the year is in the Muslim Hijri calendar, this is not obvious from the coin alone. (There are even a few Arab-Sasanian coin types that give the date in an era based on the Sasanian king Yazdegard III's death.) It wasn't until the late 70s AH (late 690s AD) that there was a major coinage reform, and distinctly Islamic designs featuring Arabic inscriptions were issued in gold, silver, and bronze throughout the growing Islamic caliphate.

There are a number of varieties of Arab-Sasanian drachms, citing various officials and from many mints. Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad is a common official, and Basra is the most common mint, so while this is a nice condition coin it was not very expensive due to its lack of rarity. This was won in Frank Robinson's most recent auction

 

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A beautiful piece with all details.

 

That is in fabulous condition. Usually these coins have flat spots, but yours is great. A truly superb coin.

I love those Arab-Sassanian style coins. Here is mine from Tabaristan which I've shown here before.

 

I've been getting interested in Sassanian coins, even picked up a few.




and still looking for more, even got a book on them coming in any day now.

 

An Arab-Sasanian coin makes a nice addition to a set of historical types. Here is one that is remarkable for not being clipped:

33 mm. 4.16 grams. 3:00.
Ubaud Alliah b. Zyiad, 55-67 AH
struck year 61 AH = AD 680/681 at Basra.
I think I got the date right (Years 60 and 62 don't look much different), but I did so merely by comparison with the coins photographed in Sylloge of Islamic Coins in the Ashmolean Museum [Oxford], volume I, by Steven Album and Tony Goodwin. This type is, I think, #83 on plate 6.
That volume is expensive but it has 504 Arab-Sasanian and 238 Arab-Byzantine coins illustrated and the whole relevant monetary history is discussed.

Ex. Malter auction XXVII, June 10-11, 1984, lot 177.

 

Amazing coins everyone! I don't have any relevant coins to post here, so, everybody just have a like.

 

Here's an earlier coin of Ubayd Allah's father, Ziyad ibn Abih ("son of his father", because his parentage was obscure), minted in 670-71 (50 AH) in Bishapur. ("Bismillah rabbi" in the margin, Album-5.) Ziyad was born in AH 1 and as a general, originally fought for the Caliph 'Ali... but with the success of the Umayyads under Mu'awiyah, he was persuaded to switch sides and became governor of Basra and Kufa, a position his son inherited. Both he and his son suppressed Aliid rebellions for the Umayyads, with the son being particularly reviled in the Shia tradition for killing a grandson of Muhammad, Husayn.

So both of these coins are significant with respect to the Shia-Sunni conflict we still see today.

(On my coin, you can also see some Turco-Hephthalite countermarks. In 671, Ziyad sent 50,000 troops to Merv, which formed the nucleus of Islamic Khorasan, the basis for the eventual subjection of territories in central Asia. It is plausible that the countermarks resulted from the coin's circulation in this area after being taken near there by Ziyad's troops.)

 

As much as I like later Arabic coins from the dark ages/early medieval period...I have to admit the repetitious Arabic script and the lack of images makes them feel a little bit like collecting Chinese cash coins. (They sort of all look the same)





Most people would be clueless at the fact these two coins are 100 years apart and two different caliphates. Except for a few stylistic changes in the Arabic script, they basically look the same and say just about the same religious slogans.

By comparison, Sassanian and Arab-Sassanian coins are much more interestingto most collectors, even if the themes are also repetitious. At least the portraits are different and add a nice touch, and who doesn't love a good fire altar?

 

Unlike Chinese cash, however, it's actually feasible to learn to read the Arabic script, not that I've done so yet. A fun challenge, though!

Here's a very early reform coin under Abd al-Malik (685-705), from AH 79 (698-99), the earliest date that is reasonably obtainable:


This set the standard for much of the Islamic coinage to follow. I think it's interesting that the religious prohibition on images only made it to the coins some 70 years after Muhammad's death. I also find the legends interesting:
Obv., centre: "There is no God but Allah. He is Alone. No partner to Him."
Around: "In the name of Allah this dirhem was minted in Basra in the year nine and seventy."
Rev. centre: "Allah is One. Allah is the Eternal. He did not beget and He was not begotten, and there was not to Him equal a single one."
Around: "Mohammed is the messenger of Allah. He sent him with the Guidance and a religion of the truth in order that he might cause it to be bright over the (already existing) religion, all of it, although polytheists disliked (this)."

That's a lot of religion on a small piece of metal!

 

This is what makes browsing for these difficult for me. Lately I've been looking at Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) coins and I've been having to look at and try to memorize their styles and how they look from sites like acsearch so that I can at least have some measure of certainty that what the sellers are offering are really from Al-Andalus.

 

No kidding! After reading all that I feel like I've sat through a whole religious sermon.

 

very nice! yeah, mine has the flat spots...

 

Of my few Islamic coins, this one is the prettiest.

Under Yazid II, Umayyad Caliphate
AR dirham
Obv: (center, in Arabic) "There is no God but Allah. He has no equal"
(in margins, in Arabic) “In the name of Allah. This Dirham was struck in Wasit in the year two and one hundred” (AH 102)
Rev: (center, in Arabic) "Allah is One God. The eternal and indivisible, who has not begotten, and has not been begotten and never is there His equal"
(in margins, in Arabic) “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. He sent him with guidance and the true religion to reveal it to all religions even if the polytheists abhor it”
Mint: Wasit
Date: 720-721 AD
Ref: Klat 695

 

It's true that Chinese cash and (non-pictorial) Islamic coinages can be hard to get into. I also suspect that most Western collectors of these series are drawn in mainly by the history associated with the coins, rather than the artistry.

On the other hand, both Arabic and Chinese script are highly respected art forms in their own cultures, and when done well they can more than compensate for the lack of pictures. I find the distinctive Kufic style of Arabic script on the early Umayyad dirhams shown above to be very eye-catching. Similarly, this Song dynasty cash (Chong Ning, 1102-1106) is a worthy piece of coin art despite not showing any portraits:


Also, this thread is exactly what I hope to start whenever I post a coin. There are comments on the coin, people posting their own examples or other related coins, and additional historical detail. Please keep the conversation going!

 

i'm with ya on these types as of now Paul, i don't have any either..yet

 

with chinese coins from the tang dynasty onward, one need only concern oneself with the top and bottom characters which identify the reign title of the emperor. a few pre-tang dynasties used reign titles as well. right and left translate as good currency or similar. the majority of song dynasty coins have a date on the reverse and most qing indicate the mint written in manchu. thus giving a time period that way

 

Amazing Info. Thanks every body. I just started collecting Arab coins. Since you guys know much more than me. Would someone be able to provide opinion regarding authenticity of mine? It is Ziyad b sufyan coin with 3.6 g weigh. I appreciate your help regarding this as this is my first Arab sassanian coin and not sure if it is fake or real?
Also would you tell me what year/mint is it? Its impossible to find this old writing online.

 

Looks genuine enough. Not sure about the date though. Nice coin.

 

Thanks a lot Sallent. Would love to hear other guys opinions too. I dont know the mint and date as I am trying to attribute coins in my collection.