★ THE COMPLETE SET OF THE UMAYYAD GOLD DINARS - AH 77-132 ★

LE MONDE ARABE
Umayyad Caliphate
Umayyad Dynasty. Complete collection of 56 Dinars covering the entire Umayyad period from the monetary reform of Abd al-Malik bin Marwan to the end of the dynasty AH 77-132 (696-750 CE).

Obverse : In the field, three lines inscription : « There is no god but / God, alone / He has no associate ». Marginal inscription : « Muhammad is the Apostle of God whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions ». (Holy Qur’an 9 :33 in part).

Reverse : In the field, three lines inscription : « God is One ; / God is Eternal : He begets not / nor is begotten ». (Holy Qur’an 112 : 1-3). Marginal inscription : « In the name of God this dinar was struck in the year … ».

Abd al-Malik b. Marwan (9) : AH 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85. Abd al-Malik or al-Walid I : AH 86. al-Walid I b. Abd al-Malik (9) : AH 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, and 95. al-Walid I or Sulayman : AH 96. Sulayman b. Abd al-Malik (2) : AH 97 and 98. Sulayman or Umar II : AH 99. Umar II b. Abd al-Aziz : AH 100. Umar or Yazid II : AH 101. Yazid II b. Abd al-Malik (3) : AH 102, 103, and 104. Yazid II or Hisham : AH 105. Hisham b. Abd al-Malik (19) : AH 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, and 124. Hisham or al-Walid II : AH 125. al-Walid II or Yazid III or Ibrahim : AH 126. Ibrahim or Marwan II : AH 127. Marwan II b. Muhammad (5) : AH 128, 129, 130, 131, and 132. Bernardi 41 and ff.

Probably the best set known and of major historical importance. (56)

NGSA 7 (November 2012), 439.

In their efforts to provide their subjects with a coinage that was suited to their needs, the Muslim rulers of Syria began by striking imitations of Byzantine solidi, which circulated widely in the region. Abd al-Malik bin Marwan (AH 65-86 / 685-705 CE) was determined to remove any form of imagery from his coinage. In AH 77, he introduced a new gold coin which bore only the denomination and the date of striking, with the Kalima and words of the Holy Qur'an. This coin was the model for all Dinars issued by the Umayyad rulers until the end of the dynasty in AH 132, and established the general conventions of Islamic coinage for centuries. The unparalleled stability in weight and the exceptional quality of the Umayyad gold Dinars made them the favorite trade tool of the merchants from Central Asia to the Atlantic Ocean, not only in Muslim territories but also in Christian Europe and as far as Scandinavia.

The series includes the first Dinar, issued by Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan in AH 77 (696 CE); the most sought-after Islamic coin, and one of the rarest and most important gold coins in human history. It marks the beginning of a coinage whose stability and quality would make it successful for centuries.