716 VF Islamic Coin Umayyad Silver Dirham Sulayman ibn Abdel Malik Wasit 97 AH
Description: A nice darkly toned very fine Umayyad silver dirham struck in 97 AH (716 AD) during the reign of the Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik. Sulayman ruled the Islamic world in the period 96-99 AH (715-717 AD). His father Abd al-Malik is the Umayyad Caliph responsible for the reformed coinage in the Islamic world, of which this coin is a great example. The coin clearly shows the mint location being Wasit with the year of minting being 97 AH. This is a nice coin with fairly dark toning. The coin has a very dark appearance at least on the obverse but is still much better than the photos suggest. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: Struck 97 AH or 716 AD.
Mint: The coin clearly shows mint location being Wasit.
Size and weight: This is a silver dirham, weighs ~2.7 grams and is ~26.5 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album 131, is listed in Lane Poole Catalogue of the Collection of Arabic Coins Preserved in the Khedivial Library in Cairo Egypt as No. 194, is Al-Ush 977, and it is Wilkes No. 297.
Condition: I would grade this coin as a nice and darkly toned very fine coin with a well centered strike having beautiful readable Calligraphy. The coin is very darkly toned at least on the obverse with residue/soiling throughout on the obverse and across the center of the reverse. The coin has general wear throughout but the calligraphy is still very readable and well defined. The coin has some surface scratches and some bag marks. All of these issues can be seen in the photos. The coin is much better than the photos suggest. Coin would make a nice addition to your collection. Please see photo for additional condition information.
Historic Perspective: The Muslim Arabs used existing gold and silver coinage in lands they conquered. At that time the nascent Islamic nation did not have a monetary system and did not strike neither gold nor silver coins, instead the conquering Arabs used the Byzantine monetary system already existing in Egypt for most of the gold coins and the Sassanian monetary system already existing in Iran for most silver coins with minor modifications. In 77 AH (699 AD) Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwan the Umayyad caliph instituted a monetary system and began striking the first Islamic coins including the gold Dinar and silver dirham. The dinar weighed 4.25 grams, or one mithqal, of the highest purity gold possible. The dirham weighed about 2.85 of the purest possible silver composition, which would maintain a solid coin. At the time the center of power and the main gold coin mint was located in Dimishq (current day Damascus in Syria), while silver coins were minted throughout the Muslim empire.
Date: Struck 97 AH or 716 AD.
Mint: The coin clearly shows mint location being Wasit.
Size and weight: This is a silver dirham, weighs ~2.7 grams and is ~26.5 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album 131, is listed in Lane Poole Catalogue of the Collection of Arabic Coins Preserved in the Khedivial Library in Cairo Egypt as No. 194, is Al-Ush 977, and it is Wilkes No. 297.
Condition: I would grade this coin as a nice and darkly toned very fine coin with a well centered strike having beautiful readable Calligraphy. The coin is very darkly toned at least on the obverse with residue/soiling throughout on the obverse and across the center of the reverse. The coin has general wear throughout but the calligraphy is still very readable and well defined. The coin has some surface scratches and some bag marks. All of these issues can be seen in the photos. The coin is much better than the photos suggest. Coin would make a nice addition to your collection. Please see photo for additional condition information.
Historic Perspective: The Muslim Arabs used existing gold and silver coinage in lands they conquered. At that time the nascent Islamic nation did not have a monetary system and did not strike neither gold nor silver coins, instead the conquering Arabs used the Byzantine monetary system already existing in Egypt for most of the gold coins and the Sassanian monetary system already existing in Iran for most silver coins with minor modifications. In 77 AH (699 AD) Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwan the Umayyad caliph instituted a monetary system and began striking the first Islamic coins including the gold Dinar and silver dirham. The dinar weighed 4.25 grams, or one mithqal, of the highest purity gold possible. The dirham weighed about 2.85 of the purest possible silver composition, which would maintain a solid coin. At the time the center of power and the main gold coin mint was located in Dimishq (current day Damascus in Syria), while silver coins were minted throughout the Muslim empire.
