ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. AE Fals. Post-Reform Period. Authentic Ancient Coin

Islamic Caliphate, Umayyad dynasty
AE Fals (Bronze)
Uncertain post-reform period, AH 77–132 / AD 697–750
Undated, no mint stated
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 3.60 g
Die axis: 11 h

Obverse: Central religious inscription in three horizontal lines proclaiming the oneness of God (tawḥīd), a defining statement of early Islamic belief.
Reverse: Bird (often interpreted as a dove) flying left; surrounding circular Kufic legend reading محمد رسول الله (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

This bronze fals is a product of the Islamic monetary reform initiated under the Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, one of the most transformative moments in the history of coinage. Following the reform, figural imagery inherited from Byzantine and Sasanian models was largely abandoned in favor of purely religious inscriptions, marking the emergence of a distinctly Islamic visual and ideological identity.

The obverse proclamation of divine unity reflects the central doctrine of Islam and functioned as a daily, tangible expression of faith for those who handled the coin. These words circulated in markets, garrisons, and villages across the Umayyad realm, embedding Islamic belief directly into everyday economic life.

The reverse bird motif is especially intriguing. While interpretations vary, birds on early Islamic bronzes are often associated with peace, divine protection, or the soul, and may reflect residual Late Antique symbolism adapted to an Islamic framework. The surrounding inscription affirming Muhammad as the Messenger of Allah reinforces the ideological foundation of the Umayyad state, pairing belief with authority.

Coins of this type were struck in large numbers but survive far less frequently today in attractive condition, particularly with clear inscriptions and centered designs. They represent the fully developed phase of Umayyad bronze coinage, after the experimental Arab-Byzantine period and before the Abbasid transition.

These fals were the small change of empire—used by merchants, soldiers, pilgrims, and ordinary people—making them among the most direct material connections to daily life in the early Islamic world.

References: Album 164; SICA Vol. II, 1294–1297.
Condition: Very Fine.
Authenticity: Guaranteed genuine ancient Islamic coin.