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The gold solidus attributed to the Umayyad dynasty during the reign of Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (AH 65–86 / 685–705 CE) represents one of the most historically significant transitions in world numismatics. Struck in Damascus around AH 72–74 (circa 691–694 CE), this coin marks the first instance of an Islamic gold issue bearing the Kalima — the Muslim declaration of faith: “Bismillah la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu Muhammad rasul Allah” (“In the name of God, there is no deity but God alone, Muhammad is the messenger of God”). This profound inscription symbolized not merely a change in monetary iconography, but a monumental shift in the political, cultural, and religious identity of the early Islamic empire.
Before the Islamic conquests, the economies of Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt operated under the Byzantine monetary system, dominated by gold solidi and copper folles. Even after these regions came under Islamic rule, local mints continued to issue imitative Byzantine coins to maintain commercial stability. However, by the mid-7th century (AH 55 onwards), a gradual transition began as copper coins with Arabic inscriptions entered circulation. These early Arab-Byzantine issues served as practical stopgaps — familiar in appearance yet infused with the emerging Islamic identity.
Gold, however, was a different matter. The authority to mint gold coinage implied sovereign legitimacy, a right traditionally reserved for emperors. Thus, when ‘Abd al-Malik’s administration authorized gold minting, it represented not only economic reform but also a declaration of political independence from Byzantium.
The coin offered here is a critical piece of this transformation — a tangible symbol of the first stage in ‘Abd al-Malik’s sweeping monetary reforms. Initially, a few gold solidi were produced as “de-Christianized” copies of Byzantine prototypes. These transitional issues removed crosses and Christian legends while retaining the general design. The present solidus, however, takes a bold step further: it replaces Byzantine inscriptions with purely Islamic declarations and replaces sacred Christian symbols with Islamic motifs emphasizing monotheism.
This design evolution culminated just a few years later, around AH 77 (697 CE), when ‘Abd al-Malik introduced the fully reformed Islamic dinar. The new standard coinage — gold dinars, silver dirhams, and copper fals — bore no figural imagery, featuring instead Quranic inscriptions and geometric precision. This was a decisive break from Greco-Roman artistic traditions, establishing the aesthetic and ideological foundation for Islamic coinage that would endure for centuries.
Beyond its material worth, this solidus embodies the ideological and spiritual consolidation of the Islamic empire. The introduction of the Kalima on coinage broadcasted the message of Islamic unity across the vast territories of the Caliphate — from Damascus to North Africa and beyond. In a society where coins circulated daily across diverse peoples and languages, this was one of the most effective tools for spreading the message of Islam.
Moreover, this transition reflected the growing confidence of the Umayyad administration. Under ‘Abd al-Malik, the empire centralized power, standardized bureaucracy, and established Arabic as the official language of governance. The reformation of coinage complemented these policies, reinforcing the caliph’s role not just as a political ruler but as the amir al-mu’minin — the Commander of the Faithful.
The specimen described here, sold by Spink Zurich on 18 February 1986 (Lot 87), is of the utmost rarity and classified as “Good Very Fine.” Its preservation offers invaluable insight into a pivotal historical moment — the emergence of a distinctly Islamic visual and economic identity.
Today, this coin is more than an artifact; it is a symbol of transformation — from imitation to innovation, from empire to faith. It stands as a testament to how a single coin type can encapsulate the birth of a civilization’s distinct voice in art, religion, and governance. For collectors and historians alike, the Umayyad solidus of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan represents not only the dawn of Islamic numismatics but also a defining moment in world history.
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