Pepperdine University Libraries The John Wilson Coin Collection - Ancient Coins of the Holy Land [digital resource], Pepperdine University Special Collections and University Archives
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Description
This coin marks a significant transformation in early- Islamic coins. It is an Arab-Byzantine coin minted in the 7th century during the reign of Abd al-Malik (r. 685-705), the fifth caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty. It was under his reign that there was the first appearance of the profession of the Muslim faith in Arabic. Abd al-Malik replaced the symbol of the emperor with the face of the caliph, yet the Byzantine Greek “M” remains. Eventually, under Abd al-Malik, there was a canon established that imparted a stronger sense of authority with the image of the Caliph. Christianity was no longer the primary, dominate religion, Islam had taken a hold of that position. Abd al-Malik Ilya (Jerusalem) Copper (Cu) 20 mm 6 3.04 g The obverse side shows the depiction of the caliph standing facing. Circumambulating the caliph is and inscription, solely in Arabic, expressing “Muhammad, is the apostle of God”, which is a piece of Islam’s profession of faith. Arabic is the only language found on the coin, giving proof that Abd al-Malik was growing in power and influence. Muhammad is the apostle of God On the reverse, there is a depiction of the Greek ‘M’, underlined and on either side there contains another inscription, in Arabic, stating the mint – Iliya Filastin, better known as Jerusalem. Iliya Filastin
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