early pre-reform - Coin Auctions
 Lot 106 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Emperor, ca. 660s, AE square fals (4.48g), NM, A-3523A, muhammad left of standing figure, weak on this piece / cross above and ba'd below cursive m, Fine. Foss has suggested a date range of 647-658 but in my opinion, the 660s seem the most likely. In any case, this would be the earliest Islamic coin to bear the name Muhammad in Arabic, which first appears on silver drachms in AH66 (type A-20 of 'Abd al-Malik b. 'Abd Allah, struck in Bishapur, AH66 = AD 685/686). Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 122 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Caliph, ca. 690-698, AE fals (3.28g), Ayla, ND, A-3545A, unusually broad image of the caliph on obverse / standard reverse for this type, VF, RRR. There has been a long debate over whether the mint name on this coin refers to Ayla, now Eilat at the southern edge of Israel, together with Aqaba directly across the border in Jordan, or is simply an engraver's typo for Iliya (Aelia Capitolina), then the current name for Jerusalem. Surprisingly, the form Ayla appears on both these pre-reform Arab-Byzantine coins and the post-reform fulus. In both cases, the style is identical to the regular issues of Iliya, except for the 8-point star above the cursive m on the pre-reform issues. One may argue that the identical style and calligraphy suggest a single mint, where ayla was merely a typo. Contrarily, one can argue that the stylistic similarity occurred because the dies were produced by the same engravers, or even that the coins were struck at a single location, then distributed to the named cities. In the early Islamic period, an important copper smelting factory was located at or near Ayla, which would suggest some sort of commercial relationship between the two locations. At present, the dilemma remains unresolved, but current opinion seems to favor the separation of Iliya and Ayla as two separate locations, irrespective of where the dies or the coins were produced. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 101 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Emperor, ca. 670s-680s, AE fals (3.84g), Hims (Emisos), ND, A-3516, Foss-80, bism Allah left, uncertain Greek letters right / mint name EMI / CIC, capital M with cross above, officina Δ, Arabic tayyib below, Fine to VF, R. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 117 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Caliph, ca. 692-700, AE fals (3.77g), Tanukh, A-3531, mint name refers to the tribe, the Banu Tanukh, rather than a physical location, pleasant Fine to VF, R. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 112 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Imperial Bust, ca. 680-690, AE fals (4.68g), Hims, A-3524, mint name in Arabic on obverse & Greek on reverse (Emises), cursive m (type VII), lovely full strike, choice VF. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 107 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Emperor, ca. 660s, AE square fals (4.24g), NM, A-3523A, muhammad left of standing figure / cross above and ba'd below cursive m, some weakness but both Arabic words fully legible, Very Good to Fine. Foss has suggested a date range of 647-658 but in my opinion, the 660s seem the most likely. In any case, this would be the earliest Islamic coin to bear the name Muhammad in Arabic, which first appears on silver drachms in AH66 (type A-20 of 'Abd al-Malik b. 'Abd Allah, struck in Bishapur, AH66 = AD 685/686). Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 123 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Three Standing Figures, ca. 640s, AE fals (8.78g), year "17", A-3561, MIB-X45 (same reverse die), mint mark KYΠP for Cyprus, clear date, officina Γ, excellent strike, lovely brown patination, choice VF, RR, similar to our Auction 20, lot 201 (same reverse die). This seems to be a very early issue, possibly struck in Cyprus itself shortly after the Arab conquest, rather than in Syria, as the obverse closely resembles the standard style of the Byzantine Cypriot mint. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 102 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Emperor, ca. 670-690, AE fals (3.16g), Damascus, "year 17", A-3517, W-8, uncertain object above T to left / capital M, ANO left, year right, ΔAM below, VF. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 118 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Standing Caliph, ca. 692-700, AE fals (3.88g), ['Amman], A-3532, SNAT-639 ff, first half of mint to right of circle-on-steps, second half to left, average strike, Fine to VF. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
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 Lot 113 - islamic early pre-reform - Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22ARAB-BYZANTINE: Imperial Bust, ca. 680-690, AE fals (4.68g), Hims, A-3524, mint name in Arabic on obverse & Greek on reverse (Emises), cursive m (type VII), attractive full strike, VF. Stephen Album Rare Coins Numismatic Auction #22islamic early pre-reform |
