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Umayyad Caliphate AE Fals, ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (685–705 CE)

Complete Description

State: Umayyad Caliphate
Ruler: ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān
Full name: ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam
Reign: 685–705 CE (65–86 AH)
Denomination: Fals (copper fractional coinage)
Metal: Copper (AE)
Weight: 2.55 g
Diameter: 15 mm
Shape: Round
Striking technique: Hand-struck
Die axis: Not determined
Grade: G (Good) — very heavy wear, partially illegible legends, significant corrosion
Rarity: R (Rare) — according to academic classification of early provincial epigraphic issues; this type belongs to comparatively scarce small copper denominations of the early post-reform period


Description

Copper fals of the early post-reform epigraphic type of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Obverse

Central three-line inscription in Kufic script (partially illegible due to heavy wear). It most likely contained the religious formula of the shahāda:
lā ilāha illā Allāh
(“There is no deity except Allah”).

Traces of a double dotted border are visible along the circumference, characteristic of early Umayyad copper issues.

Reverse

Central three-line inscription in Kufic script. With high probability it originally contained the formula:
Muḥammad rasūl Allāh
(“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”).

A single dotted border is visible. At approximately 12 o’clock, an oval element can be observed, likely part of a decorative frame or a remnant of the circular marginal legend. Details are indistinct due to wear.

The type is strictly epigraphic, without figural imagery, fully consistent with the reformed Islamic monetary tradition of the late 7th century.


Historical Background

ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam was the fifth Umayyad caliph and one of the most significant rulers of the early Islamic state.

During his reign, major administrative and fiscal reforms were implemented, including the decisive monetary reform of 696–697 CE. This reform replaced Byzantine and Sasanian imitative types with fully epigraphic Islamic coinage.

Under ʿAbd al-Malik, the canonical Islamic coin type without images was established, based entirely on Kufic calligraphy and Qur’anic formulae. These issues became the foundation of subsequent Islamic numismatics.


Patina and Preservation

The coin is covered with a stable natural dark brown and black patina with areas of light green and ochre mineral encrustations. The patina is of archaeological character, indicating long-term burial conditions.

Corrosion and partial loss of relief are present, typical for copper coinage of this period. No evidence of modern aggressive cleaning is observed.