Featured Islamic Series: Dawn of Islam

That's a very scarce half fals. That denomination was not used very much in the short period of the transition to the post reform coinage exhibiting totally Islamic
fals. Good get.

 

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Thanks. Most Arab Byzantine I saw depicts Heraclius and Constans II. Hardly seen any depicting or imitating Justinian.

 

I picked up a new type recently to add to my collection of Byzantine-Arab coins. This particular type isn't offered as much as the others...

Umayyad Caliphate, Arab-Byzantine: Mu'awiya I ibn Abi Sufyan (661-680 CE) Æ Fals, Damascus (Album-3511.1; SICA I, 577; DOCAB-57; Walker 4-5)

Obv: Emperor seated on throne, facing, wearing long robe and crown with cross; in right hand he holds a cross-tipped scepter, sloping over right shoulder; in left a globus cruciger; in field right, downwards ΛЄO; to left, bird above T
Rev: Large m; cross above; below, pseudo-Ω with central pellet; X/X/II to left, AИO to right; ΔAM in exergue

 

Well thats incredible. Awesome stuff.

 

I agree with A-noob !!! Wonderful example!! I'd love to own one.....or two....or....

 

The transition of coinage from one culture to another is always fascinating and this is no exception. I am missing a few more examples of these coins to complete the set. In fact, we should probably create a "transitional coinage" thread to show off examples of these coins. There are tons of them throughout history...

 

Stunning piece!. The details are deep set and we'll struck...

 

@G.Q Your coin might look completely Byzantine. Where do I read any Arabic letter or any hint to Damascus or the Caliph himself. I'm no expert, especially in this field and I would like to learn more.

 

I was tempted to bid on that coin myself. Nice example! At one time, I had a fairly advanced collection of Arab-Byzantine coins but I've never owned a seated emperor type. 7Caibrey, ΔAM (for Δamaσkoς) in the exergue is the mint signature. Rather than Damascus, however, most modern scholars would assign this piece to a related mint referred to in the literature as "Pseudo-Damascus", believed to have been located in Palestine or Jordan based on find spots. The exact location is unknown. The Pseudo-Damascus designs and legends loosely imitate the issues of Damascus (including the mint name) and are characterized by an elaborate, skillful style which suggests the possibility of an official mint.

 

@7Calbrey : Since dltsrq has already responded to the mint, I would just like to add that these are the class of coins that does not have any Arabic legends in them...

@dltsrq : Glad you didn't pick this one up

 

Thank you for this clarification.

 

Here is one of my favorites which I purchased at a C4 (Colonial Collectors Coin Club) in Boston about twenty years ago. It's unrecorded but certainly Jund Damasq. A really stunning portrait.

I didn't purchase a single Colonial piece, but I found three super Byzantine pieces.

 

Now that is a nice portrait! Can't get better than that for an Arab-Byzantine coin...

 

A beauty! SICA only lists one in the Ashmolean, they are indeed scarce. This is a well struck and engraved coin.
My feeling is that this type was inspired by the seated throne coins of Justinian I from Theopolis (Antioch); DOC. 207-209 which included follis, half-follis, and 10 nummi. Sear 214, follis, 224a half follis, and 234 10 nummia.

 

Here are 3 coins I acquired today and they might serve this thread. The first looks very similar to Black Friar's which he bought from Boston 20 years ago. The second coin has an animal heading Left but it's worn indeed. As for the third, I can read Salaheddine Al Ayyoubi (Saladin ) on the obverse , and Dimashq (Damascus) in exergue of the reverse.

 

7 Calbary, the flan is similar, yours has a standing figure, mine is a bust. I like the others as well. Cool stuff. I'm enjoying this discussion. I really have no one to bounce this stuff off of. Most folks eyes glaze over.

 

I've done several exhibits at the Chicago ANA in 2013 and 14. I'm going to update it for the Convention in ANA in Anaheim this year, or Denver in 2017. Depends on how much time I have.

Do any of you attend ANA conventions?

Cheers,

 

@7Calbrey Your first coin is an Arab Pseudo-Byzantine fals from the mid-7th century imitating Constans II, Album 3504. Both your coin and Black Friar's have been struck on pieces cut from flans of larger, earlier folles, thus their unusual shape.

Your other two coins both belong to the Mamluk Sultan al-Zahir Abu Sa'id Sayf al-Din Barquq, 2 reigns, 1382-1389 and 1390-99.

The middle one is an heraldic issue with lion passant in fesse. The mint name "bi-Hamah" can be read above the lion and "Barquq" in the top line on reverse. It attributed to his 2nd reign: Balog 597.

The last coin reads "[al-sultan] / al-malik al-[Zahir] / Abu Sa'id Sayf / al-Dunya [wa al-Din]" (illegible portions in [...]). On the reverse, the margin reads "zarb bi-Dimashq" followed by date written out in words (Balog reads 790); at center within a circle of large dots is the name "Barquq". With a date of 790h, this one is credited to his first reign: Balog 562.

 

Really excellent and perfect info. That's encouraging.. I've got five other Byzantine coins. Hope they're pseudo stuff making them scarce. They're in much better condition but odd shapes. I'll be posting them tomorrow because it's 1.00 A.M here and I've got to wake at seven to go to work. Have nice dreams LoL..

 

Nighty Night.