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A’are /s/amic Coins
BY GEORGE C. MILES
THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY
BROADwAY AT 156TH STREET
NEW YORK
1950
C r e a
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/ h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
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coPYRIGHT, 1950, BY THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC sociETY
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
COMPOSITION BY PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS.
PRESSWORK BY MERIDEN GRAVURE CO.
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t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N
o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e
/ h t t p : / / w w w . h
a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s
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y - n
c - s
a - 4 . 0
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NUMISMATIC NOTES AND MONOGRAPHS
Number 118
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N
o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e
/ h t t p : / / w w w . h
a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s
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y - n
c - s
a - 4 . 0
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NUMISMATIC NOTES AND MONOGRAPHS
is devoted to essays and treatises on subjects relat
ing to coins, paper money, medals and decorations.
PUBLICATION COMMITTEE
HERBERT E. IvEs, Chairman
ALFRED R. BELLINGER
AGNES BALDw1N BRETT
THOMAs O. MABBOTT
SAwYER. McA. MossER, Editor
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N
o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e
/ h t t p : / / w w w . h
a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s
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y - n
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FOREWORD
P-
|
\HIS is the first of a projected series of contributions inwhich it is proposed to describe inedited and rare Islamic
coins for the most part in the Museum of the American Numismatic Society. To these have been added notable rarities in other
public and private collections to which I have had access. Among
the latter is the fine unpublished collection formed in Egypt by
Yacoub Artin Bey in the late nineteenth century, acquired by
Robert C. H. Brock in 1902 and presented by him to the University
of Pennsylvania Museum, whose authorities have generously placed
the collection on temporary loan with the American Numismatic
Society for purposes of publication.
A complete catalogue of a l l
the Islamic coins i n
,
for example, the
Museum o f
the American Numismatic Society, i scertainly desirable,
but even i fthe prohibitive expense could b emet, such acatalogue
would involve the needless duplication o f
avery large amount o f
material that i salready well known; both the cost t othe publisher
and the effort o n
the part o f
the editor would b escarcely commen
surate with the benefits gained. But the advantages o fpublishing
the rare coins i nthis and other collections systematically, beginning
with the earliest Muslim issues and proceeding i n a snearly chrono
logical order a s
possible down through the successive dynasties o
f
Islam, need scarcely b eargued. Each rare coin has something t oadd,
sometimes trivial, sometimes quite significant, t oour knowledge o f
Islamic numismatics, history and geography. The orderly presenta
tion o f
this material should facilitate the eventual compilation o f
acomplete corpus o f
the coinages o f
each o f
the numerous Islamic
dynasties, agigantic undertaking, needless t osay, and one which,
i nspite o f
the already great mass o f
edited coins, must still await
the detailed description o f
the rarities i nmany large and important
collections.
* The Umayyad and early ‘Abbāsid dinars i nthis collection have been published i n a n
article i n The American Numismatic Society Museum Notes, I I I
(1948), “Some Early Arab
Dinars," pp. 93-114.
[ v |
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e
/ h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO I NS
In determining “rarity” I have been liberal: that i s , I have i n
cluded some pieces which have been published before and some
which may have been edited, because I have
borne i n
mind the
inaccessibility t omost readers o fmany out-of-the-way publications,
and (for me) the disproportionately unrewarding labor involved i n
discovering whether agiven issue has o r
has not been published i n
the vast and often obscure numismatic literature. Thus, while I
have checked each specimen against the descriptions i n avery con
siderable number o f
books, catalogues and articles, each search has
b y
n o
means been exhaustive.
The present volume deals with rarities i nthe three earliest divisions o
fIslamic numismatics: I . The Pre-Reform Coinage, includ
ing the Sassanian and Byzantine imitations. This section straddles
the Umayyad and ‘Abbāsid periods, for the early Muslim coins o f
Bukhārā and Tabaristān are i nthe Sassanian tradition. I I .
The
Post-Reform Umayyad Coinage, beginning with the earliest dinars
and dirhams o f
the purely Arab type, after the reform o f
‘Abd
al-Malik, and continuing down t othe end o f
the dynasty i n132
A.H. (750 A.D.). III. The ‘Abbāsid Coinage, from 132 A.H. t o656 A.H.
(1258 A.D.). Subsequent volumes will deal with the dynasties which
evolved during the course o f
the decline o f
the ‘Abbāsid Caliphate
and with the later Islamic empires, kingdoms and principalities i n
both the East and the West.
{ v i
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C r e a
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CONTENTS
FOREwoRD
ABBREVIATIONS
I. THE PRE-REFORM CoINAGE
A.
C.
Arab-Sassanian
Anonymous
Governors
Barbarous Imitations
‘Abbāsid Coins of Bukhārā
Arab-EphthaliteKhwārizm
‘Abbāsid Governors of Tabaristān
Earliest African and Spanish Issues
Gold
Copper
Byzantine-Arab
II. THE PosT-REFORM UMAYYAD CoINAGE
A. Gold
B.
C.
Silver
Copper
III. THE ABBASID CoINAGE
A.
B.
C.
INDICES
Gold
Silver
Copper
With Names of Mints
Mint Names Lacking or Effaced
PAGE
ix
:
IOIO
I2
15
15
I6
I9
22
27
35
107
107
I24
127
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ABBREVIATIONS
AGW=George C. Miles, Early Arabic Glass Weights and Stamps,
The American Numismatic Society, Numismatic Notes andMonographs, no. 111, New York, 1948.
ANS=The Museum of the American Numismatic Society, New York.
Berlin=Heinrich Nützel, Katalog der Orientalischen Münzen, I:Die Münzen der Östlichen Chalifen (Königliche Museen zuBerlin), Berlin, 1898.
BM=(in Section I) John Walker, A Catalogue of the Arab-Sassanian Coins (British Museum), London, 1941.
(in Sections II and III) Stanley Lane-Poole, Catalogue of OrientalCoins in the British Museum, London, 1875-1890.
Casanova=P. Casanova, Inventaire sommaire de la Collection des
Monnaies Musulmanes de S.A. la Princesse Ismail, Paris, 1896.Constantinople=Ismā'il Ghālib, Müze-yi-Humāyūn, Meskükät-i
Qadimeh-i-Islāmiyyeh Qatalóght, Qustantiniyyah, 1312.Dorn, Nova Supplementa=B. Dorn, Nova Supplementa ad Re
censionem numorum Muhammedanorum, Acad. Imp. Scient.
Petropolit. Additamentis editoris aucta, S t .
Petersbourg, 1855.
E .
o fI=Encyclopaedia o
fIslām.
GCM=the author's collection.Ibn-al-Athir=Al-Kāmil f i al-Ta'rikh, ed. C . J . Tornberg, Leyden,
1867-1874.
Ibn-Khaldün=Kitāb al-'Ibar, ed. Bülāq, 1284 A.H.Ibn-Khallikån=Wafayāt al-A'yān, ed. d eSlane, Paris, 1838; transl.,
d eSlane, Paris &London, 1843-1871.
JNSI=Journal o fthe Numismatic Society o fIndia. JRAS=Journal o fthe Royal Asiatic Society.
Khedivial Library=Stanley Lane-Poole, Catalogue o fthe Collection
o
f
Arabic Coins preserved i n
the Khedivial Library a t
Cairo,London, 1897.
[ix |
C r e a
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R A R E IS LA M I C C O I NS
Le Strange, Lands=G. Le Strange, The Lands of the Eastern Caliphate, Cambridge, 1930.
Le Strange, Palestine=Guy Le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, London, 1890.
Markov=A. Markov, Inventarnii Katalog Musulmanskikh Monet,
S t . Petersbourg, 1896.
Mas'udi, Muruj=Kitāb Murūj al-Dhahab, ed. C . Barbier d eMey
nard &Pavet d eCourteille, Les Prairies d'Or, Paris 1861-1877.MMA=Metropolitan Museum o
fFine Arts, New York.
NC=Numismatic Chronicle, London.NHR=George C
. Miles, The Numismatic History o fRayy, New York,
The American Numismatic Society, 1938.
(NumismaticStudies No. 2).NNA=Nordisk Numismatisk Arsskrift.
NZ=Numismatische Zeitschrift, Wien.Østrup=J. Østrup, Catalogue des Monnaies Arabes e t Turques d u
Cabinet Royal des Médailles d u
Musée National d eCopenhague,
Copenhagen, 1938.
Paris=Henri Lavoix, Catalogue des Monnaies Musulmanes d e l a
Bibliothèque Nationale, I ,Paris, 1887.
RA=Revue Archéologique.
Recensio=C. M. Fraehn, Recensio Numorum MuhammedamorumAcademiae Imp. Scient. Petropolitanae, S t
.Petersbourg, 1826.
RN=Revue Numismatique, Paris.
RNB =Revue d e l aNumismatique Belge. Tabari–Al-Tabari, Tar'ikh al-Rusul wa-al-Mulúk, ed. d eGeoje
e tal., Leyden, 1879-1901.
Ties.>W. Tiesenhausen, Moneti vostochnavo Khalifata, S t .
Petersbourg, 1873.
Tornberg=C. J . Tornberg, Numi Cufici Regii Numophylacii Hol
miensis, Upsalla, 1848. Tornberg, Symbolae IV=C. J . Tornberg, Symbolae a drem numa
riam Muhammedanorum e xMuseo regio Holmiensi (Nova ActaReg. Soc. Scient. Upsaliensis, ser. III, vol. IV), Uppsala, 1862.
[ x |
C r e a
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO I NS
UM=Collection of the University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; formerly Yacoub Artin Bey Collection.
Yāqüt=Mu'jam al-Buldán, ed. F. Wüstenfeld, Leipzig, 1866-1870.Zambaur, Manuel–E. de Zambaur, Manuel de Généalogie et de
Chronologie pour l’Histoire de l'Islam, Hannover, 1927.
ZDMG=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft.
Z. für N.EZeitschrift für Numismatik, Berlin.
[ xi )
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I. THE PRE-REFORM COINAGE
A. ARAB-SAssANIAN
Of approximately 150 Arab-Sassanian coins in the collection of the American Numismatic Society, fifty-seven have been published
in John Walker's admirable Catalogue of the Arab-Sassanian Coins
(British Museum, London, 1941). Except in one or two instances
where I have felt that some minor emendation is necessary I haveomitted reference to these published specimens in the following
pages. They may be easily found in Walker's catalogue, designated
“ETN” or “ANS”. The vast majority of Mr. Newell's collectionhas been incorporated with that of the Museum to which he devoted
so many years of his life. In the present publication I have includedspecimens from the ANS and other collections unknown to Walker.For the most part they are minor varieties of published pieces, buta few are unique or quite unusual. With some exceptions I makeno mention of specimens identical with those appearing in the BMcatalogue.
ANONYMOUS, WITH THE NAME OF KHUSRAU II
1. Year 30. Dārābjird.
A clipped specimen similar to BM No. 15 (p. 10), except that theobverse marginal legend, although obscure due to wear, appears not
to be defective. Walker reads the mint signature a 3 as DR.' Iwould suggest the more apparent reading DP, a quite logical abbreviation, especially in view of the existing variant DAP."
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 27mm., 2.72grm.PLATE I
2Referred t o i nthis section o f
the present volume simply a sBM. I nthe sections dealing
with the post-reform Umayyad coinage and the ‘Abbāsid coinage, the abbreviation BM refers t othe pertinent volume o
fLane-Poole's Catalogue o
fOriental Coins i nthe British Museum.
Walker's catalogue i sdefinitive, o r
a s nearly s o a
sone can wish, and i s adelight t ouse.
Among many other virtues, his exhaustive handling o f
a l l previously published Arab-Sas
sanian coins spares the
student the laborious searching, t o
which I have referred i n
theforeword, usually incident t opublishing “rare and inedited” coins. I nconsequence I have b y
and large been content t orefer only t othis work; a l l
other pertinent references can b e
found there.
*BM, pp. cili and cxvi. * F
. D . J . Paruck (“Mint-marks on Săsânian and Arab-Săsânian Coins,” i n JNSI, VI,
[ 1 }
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R A RE IS LA M I C CO I NS
2. Year 30. Nihâwand.
Similar to BM No. RB 2 (p. 10), with the following exceptions:
the mint signature is -AJH (BM signature No. 43a), and the starand crescent on the rev. are reversed, i.e., star l. and crescent r. of flame.
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 30mm., 3.69grm.PLATE I
3 . Year 41. Dārābjird.
Cf. BM No. I . 9(p. 17), probably identical, but i t i snot illustrated and the obv. margin i snot described. The present specimen
has: crescent over l . shoulder, breast-ornament ..., and margin,
*.*.: J) (- (#. A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 29mm., 3.3ogrm.PLATE I
4 . Year 45. Sistan.
Identical with BM No. Th. 2(p. 18). I reproduce this specimen
because i t confirms Walker's reading o f
the date, which i nthe
Thorburn Collection i s“faint, but almost certainly” 45.
R .
GCM (Bombay, 1946). 32mm., 4.08grm.
PLATE I
5 . Year 43(2). Sistán.
Similar t othe above except i nthe following particulars: n obreastornament; legend i nfirst quarter &\e-; date --rel-e-. The date i s t ome apuzzle. With great hesitation Isuggest JHLSIH.
A R .
GCM (Bombay, 1946). 32mm., 4.01 grm.PLATE I
6 . Year 44(?). Sistän.
Similar t oNo. 5above, except i nthe following particulars: breast
1944, p . 105) read DP and made the vague suggestion that the mint might b e “located
i nthe vicinity o f
the district o f Dārābgard.” I agree with Walker i nassigning BM mint
marks Nos. 17-22 t o Dārābjird, and i ngeneral with his consolidation o f
variants. Thenumber o
f separate mints hypothecated b y
such writers a s Paruck and d e Morgan i s
fantastic.
[ 2 |
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A R A B-SAS SANIAN
ornament • •; date -ca)-2-. This date also is very curious and Isubmit JHLJR with much reserve.
A R . GCM (Bombay, 1946). 32mm., 3.91grm.
PLATE I
The legend £N*- i nthe first quarter o f the margin o f thesecoins" appears t ome t o b
eMZD, Pahlevi mizd, “Lohn”=Persian 3 -
,mizd, muzd, “reward, premium, salary, wages, hire,” probably
i nthe sense o f
“valid currency.” On Nos. 5and 6the final letter i s
more clearly written than o nNo. 4and the Thorburn specimen o
f
the year 45.
7 . Year 48. Bishapür.
Similar t oBM No. 2 5(p. 19), but n ocountermark, obverse margin correctly written, and slight variation i nthe epigraphy o
fthe
date.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.), 32mm., 3.47grm.PLATE I
8 . Year 48. Bishápiir.
* - ***6 . . .Similar t oabove, but countermark (similar t oBM counter
mark No. 1 1
?
)
i n
second quarter o
f
obverse over beginning o
f
Arabic legend. A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 33mm., 3.93grm.PLATE I
9 . Year 50. Bishápiir.
Three specimens similar t oBM No. 3 3(p. 21), but with minorvariations i nthe epigraphy o
fthe date and mint.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 33, 31, 30mm. 3.89, 3.26, 3.38grm.
10. Year 50(?). Bishápiir.Similar t o the above except i nthe following particulars: ear
* I nthe BM catalogue the only occurrence o fthis legend i son the Thorburn specimen.
6Cf. H. S . Nyberg, Hilfsbuch des Pehlevi, I (Uppsala, 1928), p .
53, I I (Uppsala, 1931), p . 152; Steingass, s.v.
[ 3 ]
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO I NSo
ornament &, obverse margin 9 g. 6: Ji r" (# (pellet, if any,under star and crescent at bottom, clipped); date somewhat obscure.
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 28mm., 2.75grm.PLATE I
Governors
‘Abdullah b .Zubayr
11. Dārābjird. Year 53=65 A.H. =684/5 A.D.
Similar t oBM Nos. ANS 7and 8(p. 33), except: breast-ornament clearly *; star l ,nothing r . o fcrown; minor difference i nepigraphy o
fdate; and i nfourth quarter o f
reverse d " .
A
R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 31mm., 3.81grm.PLATE I I
12. Kirmān. Year 6 7A.H. =686/7 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 4 8(p. 35). On the present specimen a swell a s o
nthat i nthe BM the third letter o fthe Pahlevi legend i nthe
obverse margin appears t ome t o b e(with the letter following) - ,
not a stranscribed i nthe description o fBM No. 48. The same ob
servation applies t oBM No. 206 (p. 103).
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 31mm., 4.02grm.PLATE I I
Ziyād b . abi-Sufyan
13. Bishāpür. Year 5 2A.H. =672 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. ANS 9(p. 38), but with aminor difference i nthe epigraphy o
fthe date, and n
ocountermark.
A R ,
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 33mm., 3.74grm.PLATE I I
‘Abdullāh b . Āmir
14. Bishapür. Year 4 4A.H. =664/5 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 6 8(p. 47), but the breast-ornament i sclearly
• • ,
and there i s n o
additional pellet o n
the neck.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 28mm., 2.76grm.PLATE I I
[4 |
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A R A B-SAS S AN IAN
‘Ubaydullah b. Ziyād
15. Basrah. Year 58 A.H. =677/8 A.D.
Similar to BM No. 80 (p. 58) (not illustrated), that is if theepigraphy of the date is the same.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 28mm., 3.36grm.PLATE I I
16. Basrah. Year 60 AH-679/80 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 8 3(p. 58), but date written kJ/0/.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 32mm., 4.28grm.
Walker (BM, pp. 184-185) has made brief mention o f
two specimens o
fBasrah, year 6 1(similar t oBM No. 85), and one o fBasrah,year 6
2(similar t oBM No. 87), two o fthem from the Newell Collection, the other from the Wood Collection. Similarly h ehas men
tioned (p. 186) one o fRayy, year 6 0(similar t oBM No. 9 9except
that the earring i s.".), published i nmy NHR, No. 7 B(ex NewellColl.). Aspecimen o f Rayy, year 6 2(ex Newell Coll.), similar t o
BM No. 104, was listed i nNHR No. 9B.
Salm b . Ziyād
17. Marv. Year 6 3A.H. =682/3 A.D.
Similar t oBM Nos. 124ff. (p. 78), except that there i s n ocrescentover the l . shoulder, and there i sonly one countermark #5, inthe first quarter o
fthe obverse. Date poorly preserved and badly
written. .
A R .
ANs (ex Brand Coll.). 33mm., 3.43grm.PLATE I I
‘Abdullah b . Khāzim
18. Balkh. Year 6 7
A.H. =686/7 A.D. 7 I am inclined t oaccept Walker's interpretation o f the mint signature usually read a s
BBA (see BM, pp. cxii-cxiii), i nspite o f
the epigraphical difficulty inherent i nthis reading.
Icannot agree with the bulk o fParuck's counter-arguments (op. cit., pp. 99-10o), although I am not equipped t odispute his statement with regard t o the Parsik form o f the name
Balkh.
[ 5 J
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A RE IS LA M I C CO I NS
Similar to BM No. 158 (p. 88), but no crescent over the l. shoulder,
and countermark fou over 64 of obverse margin.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 33mm., 3.97grm.
19. Marv. Year 6 6A.H. =685/6 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 172 ( p .
91), but countermark A.Ş." only, i nsecond quarter o
fobverse margin, between the Arabic legend
and the edge o f
the flan.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 34mm., 4.06grm.PLATE I I
20. Marv. Year 6 9
A.H. =688/9 A.D.Identical with BM No. 182 (p. 93). I mention i tonly because
i t has the same countermark i nalmost the same position, just
above (#. A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 34mm., 4.02grm.
21. Marv. Year 6 9A.H. =688/9 A.D.
Similar t o BM Nos. 175ff. (pp. 92-3), but countermark foLonly, i nthird quarter.
A R
.
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 33mm., 3.68grm.
22. Marv. Year 7 0A.H. =689/90 A.D.
Three specimens, similar t oBM No. 185 (p. 94), but with dif ferent countermarks, t owit: (a) “ l
. i nfirst quarter.
(b) I' (twice P ) i nfirst quarter.(c) foL over 64, and că i nthird
quarter.
There are minor differences i nthe epigraphy o f
the date. One
o fthe specimens received mention b y
Walker, p . 191.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 34, 34, 34mm., 4.06, 4.02, 3.96grm.
[ 6 J
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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A R A B-SAS S AN IAN
‘Umar b. 'Ubaydullāh
23. Ardashir-Khurrah. Year 70 A.H. =689/90 A.D.
Similar to BM No. Cam. 9 (p. 99), except in these particulars:
pellet over 1, shoulder; obv, margin **) . . )^ 3 : ...-J1 J•(*- 5 n ocountermark; pellet l . and r . o
fmint signature; n
opellet r . o f
date.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 28mm., 2.93grm.PLATE I I
24. Bishapür. Year 6 7A.H. =686/7 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 194 (p. 99), except i nthe following particulars:
earring " " ; points i nobverse margin uncertain due t oclipping;no countermarks. Mentioned but not described b
yWalker, p . 193.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 25mm., 2.57grm.
25. Bishápiir. Year 6 8A.H. =687/8 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 195 (p. 99), but ear-crescent doubtful, andcountermarks L'o and
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO INS
nothing l. and r. of flame; (b) breast-ornament • •(?); pellet underbeginning of Ji r"; pellet and obscure stroke l, and r. of flame.
A R ,
GCM (Bombay, 1946). 33, 32mm., 4.07, 3.98grm.
PLATE I I(No. 27b)
‘Atiyah b . al-Aswad
28. Kirmān. Year 7 2A.H. =691/2 A.D.
This specimen i smentioned b y
Walker (p. 196). Although the
date i s obscure i t i s legible, and a s the specimen differs i nsomeparticulars I describe i there: n oPahlevi inscription after © i nobverse margin; and the mint signature contains additional, but
obliterated, letters a t
the end. A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 31mm., 3.91grm.PLATE I I
29. Kirmān. Year 7 4A.H. =693/4 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. Th. 1 5(p. 111). Ipublish i there, a sthe Thorburn specimen has not been illustrated.
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 28mm., 2.92grm.PLATE III
Al-Muhallab b .
abi-Sufrah30. Bishapür. Year 7 5A.H. =694/5 A.D.
Similar t oBM No. 222 (p. 114). There i s apellet after the date(also o
nthe BM specimen, although not described).
A R ,
ANS. 32mm., 3.56grm.
PLATE III
Al-Hajjāj b . Yüsuf
31. Bishapür. Year 7 6A.H. =695/6 A.D.
Identical with BM No. 230 (p. 118), but Ireproduce i there i nview o
f i t s
remarkable interest and i t srelatively good preservation.
A R .
ANs (ex Starosselsky Coll.,), 32mm., 3.82grm.PLATE III
[8]
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO INS
34. Arabic legend, ‘Ali Sulayman.
Two specimens similar to BM Nos. 344-350 (pp. 168-9), bearing
t h e
obverse legend: u . ...~ J i J3-2 - J - ~3- Gle 3-yl 4 J They are o f different dies, but essentially similar t othepublished specimens. I illustrate one o f them, only because i tappears t obear aletter o
rletters after the critical word gle, -the
point o fgreatest difficulty i nthe interpretation o
fthe legend which
Walker has s othoroughly and competently discussed (BM, pp. xcivxcvi). I accept Walker's reading and argument for al-Amin, but
Imust confess t oconsiderable scepticism about the suggestion that
the names o f
two governors are present. Unfortunately the presentspecimen fails t oclinch a
nargument i nfavor o f
aconcealed & o r
o f
5 - 4 gle, because the letters(?) after gle are not clear; but I
believe that i tdoes somewhat support one o f
these two logical pos
sibilities; i.e., a nomitted word which would make the legend read
either “‘Ali b . Sulayman” o r“at the hands o fSulayman.”
AR, ANS. 25, 25mm., 2.5I, 2.43grm.
PLATE III (No. 34a)
Arab-Ephthalite
The two rare Arab-Ephthalite coins i nthe ANS, one o fRabi' b .
Ziyād (?), and the other o f‘Abdullah b . Kházim (?), have beenpublished b
yWalker, BM Nos. ANS 1 7and ETN 20, pp. 127-8.
Khwārizm
35. Al-Fadl b . Yahyà (?). Ca. 179 A.H. =ca. 795 A.D.
Beardless head o f king, r .
,Horseman, riding prancing
wearing crested helmet (?), horse with trappings r . ,holding
surrounded b y
turban with whip (?) upraised with leftflaps behind; necklace o
ftwo hand, and reins with right;
strands. Debased Aramaic leg- wears crested helmet (?), withend a
t r . flaps; quiver suspended diago
[ 10 |
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t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C C O I NS
to 179 or 180 A.H. =793-797 A.D.” Other coins of similar type bear
the name Ja'far, identified with Ja'far b. Muhammad, governor of
Khurāsān in 171-173 A.H. =787-789 A.D." On both of these types Tolstov tentatively reads the Khwārizmian legend as ‘AbdullāhShāh, the Muslim name of the probable Aphrigid ruler of theperiod.”
The weights of Tolstov's specimens with Arabic legends are:2.05, 1.92, 1.44 and 1.32 grims.
‘Abbāsid Governors of Tabaristán
‘Umar b. al-‘Alā
Name in Pahlevi
36. Year 122 = 157 A.H. =773/4 A.D. This coin is unique. Similar to BM No. 262 (p. 134), except in the
following particulars: star and pellet l . , pellet (and star P ) r .
, o f
crown; star l . and crescent r . o f flame; date 'el) Pelul (the first
letter i smissing because the coin has been pierced a t this point);
pellet over S o f
mint name.
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 24mm., 1.91grm.
PLATE IIIName i nPahlevi and Arabic
37. Year 125=160 A.H. =776/7 A.D.Identical with BM No. B . 4 0(p. 136). I reproduce i tbecause o f
i t s
excellent preservation.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 24mm, 1.92grm.PLATE III
* * Tabari III, pp. 629, 631, 637, 645. There i ssome question about the period o fal-Fadl'sgovernorship o
fKhurāsān; c f .
the discussion i nmy NHR, pp. 67-8. Tolstov (op. cit., p .
131)
gives 787-795 A.D. and makes reference t oother reports o f
the dates o f
al-Fadl's viceroyship.Barthold (Turkestan down t othe Mongol Invasion, E
. J . W. Gibb Memorial Series, N.S.,
V ,
London, 1928, pp. 202, 464) gives 794-795. I t i s ,
o f course, not t o b eexcluded that the
Fadl mentioned o nthe coins i sal-Fadl b . Sulaymān (783-787 A.D.) (cf. Tolstov, loc. cit.).*Tolstov, op. cit., p . 131; Tabari III, p
.609.
* *ibid., p
.135.
[ 12 J
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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TABARISTAN
Name in Arabic
38. Year 127=162 A.H. =778/9 A.D.Similar to BM No. 268 (p. 138), but no pellet over S of mint
name.”
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 24mm, 1.87grm.PLATE III
Sulaymān
39. Year 137=172 A.H. =788/9 A.D.Six specimens similar t oBM Nos. 285-288 (pp. 144-5), but with
various differences i nthe neck-ornamentation, and none with thefaulty obverse marginal inscription. Ireproduce two specimens only.
(a) R .ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 24mm, 2.1ogrm.(b) A R
.
GCM (Istanbul, 1942). 23mm., 1.76grm.
PLATE III (No. 39a)PLATE IV (No. 39b)
40. Year 138=173 A.H. =789/90 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 288 (p. 145), but with different neck-orna
mentation. This issue i srare (cf. BM p .
209); Unvala lists none.
A R .
GCM (Istanbul, 1942). 23mm., 1.71 grn.PLATE IV
Jarir
41. Year 135=170 A.H. =786/7 A.D.Similar t oBM No. Z . 5(p. 145), but breast-ornament ".", and
pellet (not star) l .and r . o f
flame.
AR. ANS. 25mm., I.92grm.
4 2 .
Year 136=171 A.H. =787/8 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 289 ( p
.145), but breast-ornament "...', and
star l . and r . of flame.
A R . ANs (ex J . F . Jones Coll.). 24mm, 1.65grm.
1 5 J.-M. Unvala, Numismatique du Tabaristān (Paris, 1938), p
l . XXII, lists some specimens that may b e identical t othis. This work cannot, unfortunately, b erelied upon a s i t
abounds i nerrors and contains n o legible reproductions. I have not attempted t ocollate
his references t ospecimens i nthe ANs.
[ 1 3 ]
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO I NS
Häni
43. Year 137=172 A.H. =788/9 A.D.Similar to BM No. 291 (p. 147), but breast-ornament "...', and(apparently) crescent l. and pellet r. of flame.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 24mm, 1.94grm.
44. Year 138=173 A.H. =789/90 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 293 ( p
.147), but breast-ornament ".", l .and r .
of flames obscure.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 24mm, 2.17grm.
Muqātil
45. Year 139= 174 A.H. =790/1 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 296 (p. 149), but crescent l . and star r . o f
flame."
A R .
F . H .
Armstrong (Toronto). 23mm., 1.87grm.
‘Abdullāh
46. Year 139= 174 A.H. =790/1 A.D.Similar t oBM No. I . 5 5(p. 150), but the date o nthis specimen
i sdistinct.
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1936). 23mm, 2.07grm.PLATE IV
There are i nthe ANS two specimens o fAbdullāh's issue o ftheyear 140. The obverse o
fone and the reverse o
fthe other i sillustrated
i nthe BM catalogue a sNo. ANS 2 1(p. 151), Pl. XXVI, No. 5 .
“Afzut” Coins
47. Year 133=168 A.H. =784/5 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 305, except i nthe following particulars: the
breast-ornament appears t o b e a star; tiny pellet l , and r . o f theflame.
A R .
GCM (Teheran, 1935). 24mm, 1.82 grm.
1 6Unvala does not list this variety.
[ 14 J
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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TABARISTAN
48. Year 134= 169 A.H. = 785/6 A.D.Similar to BM No. 306 (p. 155), but star, not pellet, l. and r. of
flame. A R .
R . D .
Kenney (N.Y.). 25mm., 2.11grm.
49. Year 136= 171 A.H. =787/8 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 312 ( p
.157), but breast-ornament ".", and
pellets (?) l and r . o fflame. A R .
GCM. 24mm., 1.61grm.
50. Year 137=172 A.H. =788/9 A.D.Similar t oBM No. ETN 2 3(p. 158), but the BM description
implies astar l . and r . o f flame, whereas both the ETN specimen
and the present one have pellets, not stars. A R .
ANs (ex Wood Coll.). 24mm, 2.04grm.
51. Year 137=172 A.H. =788/9 A.D.Similar t oBM No. ETN 2 3(p. 158), but breast-ornament ".",
and star l . and r .of flame.
A R .
ANs (ex Wood Coll.). 23mm, 1.8ogrm.PLATE IV
52. Year 141 =176 A.H. =792/3 A.D.Similar t oBM No. 313 ( p
.159), but breast-ornament "...', and
pellet l . and star r . o f
flame.
A R
,
ANs. 24mm, 2.16grm.PLATE IV
53. Year 143= 178 A.H. =794/5 A.D.Similar t oBM Nos. 314ff. (p. 160), but breast-ornament uncer
tain, and pellet l .and r . o f
flame.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 25mm., 1.78grm.
B. EARLIEST AFRICAN AND SPANISH IssuEs
Gold
54. Africa. Type I .
Similar t oBM ix," Nos. 74-75 (p. 21), Codera," pp. 39-42. The
1 7BM references henceforth are t oStanley Lane-Poole's Catalogue o
fOriental Coins i n
the British Museum (London, 1875-90). *Don Francisco Codera yZaidin, Tratado d eNumismática Arábigo-Española (Madrid,
1879).
[ 1 5 J
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C C O I NS
present piece presents nothing unusual, but good specimens of these
issues are of sufficient rarity to deserve reproduction.
A. ANs (ex Newell Coll.). Iomm., 2.01grm.PLATE IV
55. Africa. Type I.Similar to BM i x
,No. 7 3(p. 21), but inscriptions imperfectly
preserved.
A .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). Iomm., 1.36grm.PLATE IV
56. Spain. Type III. Year 93.Similar t oBM i x
,No. 9 2(p. 24), Codera, pp. 46–51. Obverse in
scriptions completely preserved: ININ2LôFRTIN2PNANNXCIIIand INOCXI. A ' .
ANs (ex Newell, e xCampaner Coll.). 12.5mm., 4.26grm.PLATE IV
Copper
57. Müsa b . Nusayr.
Same type a s Paris, i ,Nos. 120-124, but the variant inscriptions
are worth recording:
Obv.: reading from top clockwise (upside down) ANI........(right side up) XVX.
Rev.: reading from top counter-clockwise NIIVSI&MVS . . . . .MIR(?) . . . .
AE, ANS. I5mm., 2.90grm.PLATE IV
C. BYzANTINE-ARAB
Copper
Among the approximately fifty Byzantine-Arab coppers i nthe
collection o fANS there are several varieties o f types commonly
described. These may b e
o f
use t othe scholar who undertakes acomplete publication o
fthis series, but the varieties d
onot seem t o
me t o b eworth reproducing here. The few quite unusual pieces are
described below.
[ 16 |
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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BYZ ANT IN E - A R A B COPPER
58. Harrān.
Caliph standing. At l . :-->
Q +At r .
:&l_- At 1
: K A t
I. : X-P-A.Beaded border. Beneath: obscure, I S(?)
Beaded border.
Cf. Ties, No. 5 2(Adler). A E
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 19mm., 2.93grm.PLATE IV
59. Qinnasrin.
Avery rare coin similar t othat i nthe Cabinet des Médailles,Paris, described b
y R . Cottevieille-Giraudet, RN, 1935, pp. 227-8.
Bearded head o f Caliph (?), “J”
facing. [ć]-->
From the eyebrows downward the face i sbetter preserved than
on the Paris specimen, but not unfortunately the upper part o f
the
head, o n
which Cottevieille-Giraudet i npart bases his argument i n
reply t oWalker's suggestion" that the “Caliph” o nByzantine-Arab
coins should not be described a s
bare-headed. This coin i s
s
o
curiousthat Ireproduce i t i nspite o f i t spoor preservation.
A E .
ANs (ex Wood Coll.). 16mm., 2.12grm.PLATE IV
60. Uncertain Mint. &P
Figure o f
Heraclius I ,standing, I ncenter: X • , e . ! a sBM i x
,Nos. 2ff, (pp. 4-6). O C
Letters a t r . obscure.
Beaded border. Beneath: a l l \s,
Beaded border.
A E .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 20mm., 4.01grm.PLATE IV
1 9 J .Walker, NC, 1935, p
.125.
[ 17 J
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO INS
61. Uncertain Mint.
Caliph standing. Traces of leg- In center:
end at l . ,upwards, &E->
. . . . . J . (3)Beaded border. Around: beginning a ttop, up
side down,
4J) J3-2 . . . J 1 y l
J 1 y
Beaded border.
A E .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 18mm., 3.62grm.-PLATE IV
[ 18 }
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A RE IS LA M I C CO INS
66. Madin Amir al-Mu'minin bi'l-Hijaz.
Year 105 A.H. =723/4 A.D. J1
- J|
Yl J| y * * ~.e-A-9 all c)-Aaa : J3 J eu + J-51] U-l*_* y
5\ad-u
Margin: Qur’ān, IX, 33, to als' Margin:
** J-->
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U MAYYA D GOLD
that the Umayyad Caliph Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz (99-101 A.H.)bought a piece of land, on which there was at least one mine, from
the son of a certain Bilāl b. al-Härith, to whom the property had
been given in fief by the Prophet; and Casanova has amply demon
strated that this mine was the source of the gold as well as the mint
of our coin. While this dinar was struck five years after the death
of the Caliph whose personal property the mine was, it is not surprising to find the name of the mint still in use.
There seems to me little doubt that the Ma‘din Bani Sulaim is
further to be identified with “Mahad Dahab” (~3 +), the siteof the gold mine now being worked by the Saudi Arabian Mining
Syndicate Ltd., under the management of the American Smeltingand Refining Company.” I owe to Mr. K. S. Twitchell the knowledge of many interesting facts in connection with this mine, located
at 40° 52' 45° E . ,
23°29'52" N . I n1941 Mr. Twitchell was kind
enough t oplace a t my disposition aphotograph o f
a nextremely
interesting Kufic inscription found i nthe old tailings o f
the mine,
and Ihope soon t o b eable t opublish this inscription together with afurther discussion o
fthe probable identity o
f“Mahad Dahab”
and the “Mine o f
the Commander o f
the Believers i nthe Hijāz.”
The inscription,
dated 304 A.H. =916/7 A.D.,
records the building o
f
agreat highway for the pilgrimage t oMecca.”
67. Year 107 A.H. =725/6 A.D.Similar t oKhedivial Library, No. 41, except that the points under
J3 are lacking. A .
ANs (ex Starosselsky Coll.). 20mm., 4.19grm.PLATE IV
68. Year 110 A.H. =728/9 A.D.Similar t oBM i x
,No. 32" (p. 28), except that ten i swritten 3_42,
instead o
f
U+2. I
nsize, weight, fabric and
style this dinar i
s
atypi *Cf. K . S . Twitchell, Saudi Arabia, with a nAccount o f the Development o f i t sNaturalResources (Princeton, N.J., 1947), p
.146.
* Ipresented the substance o fthis inscription i n ashort paper entitled “Two EpigraphicalDocuments from Mahad Dhahab i nthe Hidjāz,” before the American Oriental Society a t
i t sannual meeting i nWashington, D.C. i nApril, 1947.
[ 2 1 }
C r e a
t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - N o n C o m m e r c i a l - S h a r e A l i k e / h t t p : / / w w w . h a t h i t r u s t . o r g / a c c e s s_
u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C CO I NS
cal. It is possibly a contemporary forgery but more probably theissue of some temporary mint.”
A. ANs. 24mm., 4.08grm.PLATE IV
B. SILVER
There are more than 230 Umayyad dirhams of the reformed type
in the ANS. Of these the following are worthy of notice:
69. Arminiyah. Year 100 A.H. =718/9 A.D.Similar to BM i, No. 48, except that there is no point in the rev.
arC2.
A R . ANs. 28mm., 2.87grm.
PLATE V
70. Ifriqiyah. Year 9 8A.H. =716/7 A.D. "
Similar t oBM i ,No. 54, but date &A.3 out ... Pellet under - o f~ and under c o f3-3. This i sthe earliest date o fthis mintknown t ome.
A R .
ANs (ex Nies Coll.). 27mm., 2.46grm. (ringed)PLATE V
71. Ifriqiyah. Year 102 A.H. =720/1 A.D.
Similar t o
BM i x ,
No. 53’ (p. 30),
but u s
not omitted. A R . ANs. 29mm, 2.82grm.
PLATE V
72. Ifriqiyah. Year 116 A.H. =734/5 A.D. Two specimens similar t oBM i ,No. 56, but date: 2-3 2-4 e-- ~
(a) R.ANs. 28mm., 2.91grm.
(b) A R .
GCM. 23mm, 2.25grm. (clipped)PLATE V
73. Ifriqiyah. Year 124 A.H. =741/2 A.D.
Similar t oBM i ,
No. 58, but date:
- R .
ANs. 27mm., 2.87grm.PLATE V
*Lacking access t o Tiesenhausen's reference under his No. 543, I cannot tell whetherthe dinar o
f110 described there i s o
fthis peculiar fabric and style.
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u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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U MAYYAD SILVER
7 4 .
Bihqubadh al-Awsat. Year 9 0A.H. =708/9 A.D.
Similar t oBM i ,No. 43, but mint and date:
&:- - -
-3W suit: A R .
ANs. 26.5mm, 2.75grm. (formerly ringed)PLATE V
Of the three Bihqubadh's (al-‘Alā, “Upper,” al-Awsat, “Middle,”
and al-Asfal, “Lower”), four specimens are known (all o f
the year
90) o fal-Asfal”; two specimens o
fal-Awsat, o f
which the present
i sone”; and none o f
al-‘Alā.
75. Al-Taymarrah. Year 9 8A.H. =716/7 A.D.
Similar t o
BM i ,
No. 69,
but date: 3-3 Ju. - G
AR. ANS. 27mm., 2.72grm.
PLATE V
76. Al-Janzah(?). Year 9 4A.H. =712/3 A.D.Similar t oBM i ,No. 43, but mint and date:
3-3 &21 -[f]=::\:Points: • under ~ o
f ~ which i s curiously written; " . . . under a o
flia; - under g o f33:1; " . . . under 2 1 o f&-l. A R .
ANs (ex Starosselsky Coll.). 28mm., 2.72grm.PLATE V
This unique coin, i fthe mint name i sproperly read, i s o fvery
considerable interest. The writing o f
the mint name i scuriously
bungled, probably b y
uneven striking, with the result that the
definite article has scarcely any relief ( i t
i sclear t othe eye o n
the
coin itself, but not i nthe reproduction o f
the cast), and there appears t o b
e astroke between the Cand the 3 . However, Ibelieve
that the reading can b etaken t o b ecorrect. Janzah” i s the early
Arabic orthography o f Tāvgaxa, Ganjah, o
rKanja (Elizabetpol),
2 6One i nthe E
. T .Rogers Collection (NC, 1874), one i nthe Bibliothèque Nationale, one
i nthe Khedivial Collection, and one i nmy own. Cf. Walker (Arab-Sassanians), p .
cix,note 2.
* The other, also o f the year 9o, only recently came t omy attention: Ulla S . LinderWelin, “Ein grosser Fund Arabischer Münzen aus Stora Velinge, Gotland” i nNNA, 1941,p. 94.
*Cf. Yāqüt, I I ,
p .
132; and Le Strange, Lands, p .
178.
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u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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an important city of Arrān between Bardā and Tiflis, in what is
now Karabagh. The existence of this mint-name on an issue of the
reformed coinage is important collaborative evidence of the probablevalidity of Mordtmann's and Walker's attribution of an Arab-Sas
sanian dirham to KNjA (Kanja).”In Markov's inventory of the Ermitage Collection a dirham of
“Djanze,” also of the year 94, is listed (p. 4, No. 106); it is probably
identical with the present specimen, although I do not know whatto make of the parenthetical description, “polovinka.” Is only half
of the coin preserved, or is it a half-dirham?
77. Jundi Sābür. Year 90 A.H. =708/9 A.D.Similar to BM i, No. 7 4 ,
but date: G-: * - : A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 26mm., 2.48grm. (frag. lacking)PLATE V
77a. Dabil. Year 8 5A.H. =704 A.D.Similar t oBM i ,No. 43, but mint and date: J: J-->
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U MAYYAD SILVER
ance of this mint in the reformed coinage. Maysän and Dasht-Maysän
(Dasht-i Maysän) were districts in Irāq.”
79. Dimishq. Year 118 A.H. =736 A.D.Similar to BM i, No. 113, but unlike the BM specimen, the weight
is up to standard.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 26.5mm, 2.89grm.
80. Al-Sāmiyah. Year 131 A.H. =748/9 A.D.Similar t oBM i ,No. 141.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 24.5mm., 2.86grm.
This mint was originally read al-Shāmiyah b y
Lane-Poole, and
later (BM i i , p . 221) corrected t oread al-Sāmiyah. The full andcogent argument for identifying al-Sāmiyah with “Baesamsa” o
r
“Besamia” o f Characene, near the capital Spasinu-Charax, i s set
forth b y
Otto Blau i n a narticle entitled “Mesenisches” i nNZ, IX,1877, pp. 270-273.”
81. Sarakhs. Year 9 0A.H. =708/9 A.D.
Similar t oBM i ,No. 132, but date: g---> < - G
A R .
ANs. 27mm, 2.75grm. (pierced)PLATE V
This i sthe earliest issue of this mint known t ome.
82. Surraq. Year 9 2A.H. =710/11 A.D.
Similar t oBM i , No. 133, but date: g---> Ju: < -
g ;
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 27.5mm., 2.91grm.PLATE V
83. Al-Küfah. Year 108 A.H. =726/7 A.D.Similar t oBM i , No. 148, but date: *3 Ju- ~ The coin i s
clipped and the annulets are therefore off the flan.
A R .
ANs (ex Starosselsky Coll.). 23.5mm., 1.93grm.PLATE V
*Cf. Le Strange, Lands, pp. 42,80; and Walker, BM (Arab-Sassanians), pp. cxvii-cxviii,cxl, where mention i smade o
fthe existence o
fthis dirham.
**Cf. N . G .
Nassar, Quarterly, Dept. o fAntiquities i nPalestine, XIII, Nos. 3-4, p
.121.
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u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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84. Al-Kufah. Year 127 A.H. =744/5 A.D.Similar to BM i, No. 141, but mint and date:
** J.--> &- ~ **Qu A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 24mm., 2.77grm.PLATE V
There i s ,
s ofar a s Iknow from published notices, n oother ex
ample o f
aKüfah issue o f
this date. That this specimen may b e o f
the year 129 (of which there are anumber o fpublished specimens)
rather than 127, i snot entirely out o f
the question, a sthere i s n o
clear separation between any o f
the first four strokes o f
the digit.
While the first stroke may b e alittle higher than the others, there
appears t o
b
e
slightly more space between the third and fourthstrokes than between any o fthe others. I nview o
fthe revolutionary
issues o f
the year 128, there would seem t ome t o b e alikelihood—
which o f
course cannot b esupported without aview o f
the examples—that there were n
oregular issues o f
al-Kufah after 128
(see No. 8 5below), and that the published specimens attributed
t othe year 129 should read 127.
85. Al-Kufah. Year 128 A.H. =745/6 A.D.Similar t oBM i , No. 141, but mint and date: 3 W =
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U MAYYAD SILVER
87. Maysän. Year 79 A.H. =698/9 A.D.Similar to BM i, No. 43, but mint and date:
3-3 c- --,
3 A R . ANs. 26mm, 2.53grm.PLATE V88. Hamadhán. Year 9 1A.H. =709/10 A.D.
Similar t oBM i , No. 170, but date: g---is sa- -... Themint name i s
, a susual, defectively written 3...a.
A R .
ANs (ex Newell Coll.). 29mm., 2.89grm.PLATE V
89. Hamadhán. Year 9 6A.H. =714/5 A.D.Similar t oBM i , No. 170, but date: G-3 c .
- : -g. The an
nulets are clipped off the flan.
AR. ANS. 25mm., 2.31 grim.
C. CoPPER
The ANS collection contains over 300 Umayyad fulüs o fvariousreformed types. These may b eclassified roughly i nfive categories:
those with (a) the simplest religious legends, (b) less commonreligious inscriptions, (c) animals and birds and other adjuncts,
(d) dates but n omint names, and (e) mint names, with o rwithoutdates, sometimes with governors' names. At present I d onot propose t odescribe any o
fthe pieces i nthe first category. S
ofew o
f
these types with more o rless identical legends have been accuratelyreproduced that i t i s impossible t otell whether agiven type has
been published o r
not. Certainly the classification o f
these early
anonymous coppers i ssomething that should b eundertaken, but this
i s
atask not appropriate t o
the present publication. The student whoundertakes such astudy should have access t o a
l lthe larger col
lections, and i nattempting t odetermine the provenance should
travel throughout the former Umayyad lands, gathering the evi
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u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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R A R E IS LA M I C C O I NS
dence on the spot, for copper seldom travels far. Above all, he
should make full use of the mass of excavation specimens, the vast
majority of them unpublished but doubtless stored in the basementsand closets of many museums in Europe and America.
Of the remaining four categories I describe a few here whichappear to me, without exhaustive search for similar published types,
to be worthy of notice.”
90. No mint (?), or date.Within square: 1 J1 y Within square: Fish to 1.
J| y At top: -->e-A-9 At l . : J3-2
Marginal legend ? At bottom: J)Annulet (or inscription ? ) a t r .AE. ANS. I5mm., 3.19grm.
PLATE VI91. No mint (?), o rdate.Within beaded circle: duck t o r . Within beaded circle: A l
l
Traces o fmarginal legend ? Margin: . . . . . ~~
A E .
ANs (ex Newell, e x Torrey Coll.). 15mm., 2.52grm.
92. No mint o rdate.
[1] J 1 y Scroll
all y A E .
ANs. 16mm., 5.07grm.PLATE VI
93. No mint o rdate.Lion crouching t o l . Within beaded circle:
Around: 2-3 J1 y ! J 1 y -->ea J3-2 J)
Margin within beaded circle:OOOOOO
A E ,
ANS. 15mm., 2.63grm.PLATE VI
3 3 To my knowledge only three o
fthe Umayyad coppers i nthe ANS have been published:
Al-Rayy, years 101, 116 and 120 A.H. (NHR, Nos. 26, 30, and 31B).
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u s e # c c - b y - n c - s a - 4 . 0
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