ATTENTION: Enclosed is a certificate of authenticity containing a detailed description of the coin and an expert's independent conclusion.

Early Islamic AE Fals, Umayyad Period, Epigraphic Type, Star Variant

Islamic World. Umayyad Caliphate.

Ruler: Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan

Reign: 685–705 AD

Denomination: fals

Material: bronze (AE)

Weight: 4.69 g

Diameter: 17 mm

Grade: Nearly Very Fine (near VF)

---

🪙 Coin Description

Obverse:

Three-line Arabic inscription: lā ilāha illā Allāh waḥdahu (“There is no deity except Allah alone”), within a linear border. Traces of marginal legend visible.

Reverse:

Three-line inscription: Muḥammad rasūl Allāh (“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”). A star-like symbol appears in the left field of the third line. Enclosed within a linear circle.

---

🧭 Attribution

Anonymous epigraphic type associated with the monetary reform of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and continued in early Abbasid provincial issues. The coin represents a local variant within a widely distributed fals series exhibiting numerous die variations.

---

📊 Rarity

Academic classification:

Scarce (S) — known from multiple specimens but not commonly encountered.

The absence of an exact die match suggests a localized variant.

---

🏺 Condition and Patina

Moderate wear consistent with circulation. The surface exhibits stable natural patina in brown-green and reddish tones with mineral encrustations. Areas of corrosion and flan irregularities typical for early medieval bronze coinage are present.

---

👑 Historical Note

Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (645–705) was the fifth Umayyad caliph who implemented a major monetary reform. His reform introduced purely epigraphic coinage, abandoning figural imagery and emphasizing Islamic doctrine through inscriptions, establishing the standard for subsequent Islamic numismatics.