Umayyad Gold Dinar, Temp. ‘Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, dated 77h
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
77h
This gold dinar, minted in 77h during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik b. Marwan, represents a significant transition in early Islamic numismatics.
Replacing earlier experimental types that relied on Byzantine or Sasanian imagery, this coin features a strictly epigraphic design, emphasizing monotheistic Islamic tenets. The obverse field contains the declaration 'la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharik lahu', with a marginal inscription quoting a Qur’anic passage regarding the emergence of Islam over other religions. The reverse field carries the verse 'Allah ahad Allah al-samad lam yalidu wa lam yuladu', while the margin states 'bismillah duriba hadha al-dinar fi sanat saba‘ wa saba‘in' (In the name of Allah, this dinar was struck in the year seventy-seven).
With a weight of 4.27g, this issue marks the standardization of the Islamic gold coinage, moving away from Byzantine solidus weights to the indigenous Arabic mithqal standard. The coin possesses no mint name and is characterized by its purely calligraphic aesthetic.
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
- Year
- 77h
- Denomination
- dinar
Design
- Obverse field
- la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharik lahu
- Reverse field
- Allah ahad Allah al-samad lam yalidu wa lam yuladu
- Obverse margin
- Muhammad rasul Allah arsulahu bi’l-huda wa din al-haqq li-yuzhirahu ‘ala al-din kullihi
- Reverse margin
- bismillah duriba hadha al-dinar fi sanat saba‘ wa saba‘in
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
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.