Umayyad Arab-Byzantine gold solidus of 'Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, c. 72-74h
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 72-74h
It represents a critical transition in Islamic numismatics, being one of the first gold coins to feature the Shahada, the Islamic profession of faith, inscribed in Kufic script along the reverse margin.
The coin weighs 4.27g and exhibits signs of minor clipping and mounting traces. The obverse displays the Byzantine emperor Heraclius standing flanked by his sons, Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas, each wearing a crown and holding an orb topped with a globe finial. The reverse features a vertical shaft set upon four steps, surmounted by a globe, and flanked by the letters B and I, which denote an indiction year. This imagery is derived from earlier Byzantine models.
The inclusion of the Shahada, declaring the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad, reflects the Umayyad caliph 'Abd al-Malik’s efforts to assert Islamic identity through coinage before the introduction of the purely epigraphic dinar in 77h.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Weight
- 4.27g
- Material
- gold
Technical characteristics
- Script
- Kufic
- Denomination
- solidus
Design
- Obverse
- Byzantine emperor Heraclius flanked by his sons Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas, each crowned and holding an orb surmounted by a globe finial
- Reverse
- vertical shaft surmounted by globe and set on four steps flanked by the letters B and I, surrounded by the Shahada in Kufic script
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Recorded
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
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- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
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Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.