a r a b - b y z a n t i n e
r e f e r e n c e s
Outline below follows Clive Foss' Arab-Byzantine Coins (2008)
[under construction]
The Earliest Arab-Byzantine Coins (638 - 647)
Cyprus Imitations (638 - c. 645)
Two-Figure Obverse (642 - 646)
Pseudo-Byzantine type (no mint)
AE Fals
Foss No. 5 type; SICA 507 variant (type C) (?)
20 x 19 mm.
2.74 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Two standing figures.
Reverse: Large 'M'
Bust Type (645 - 647)
Pseudo-Byzantine type (no mint)
AE Fals
Foss No. 7 type; SICA 530 variant (type I) (?)
25 x 20 mm.
4.40 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Imitative of Constans II. Pseudo-Pahlavi inscription.
Reverse: Large 'M'
The Imitative Coinage (647 - c. 670)
Close Imitations
Poor Imitations
Pseudo-Byzantine type (no mint)
AE Fals
SICA I 515 (type E)
21 mm.
1.55 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Standing emperor.
Reverse: Large 'm'
Pseudo-Byzantine type (no mint)
AE Fals
SICA I 522 (?) (type E)
18 x 21 mm.
3.42 gm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Standing emperor.
Reverse: Large 'm'
Pseudo-Byzantine type (no mint)
AE Fals
SICA I 526-527 (?) (type F)
25 mm.
5.23 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Standing emperor.
Reverse: Large 'M'
"ΛITOIE" Type
"Lazy B" Type
The Derivative Coinage
Dateable Type: "Year 20" Reverse
Undated: Single Military Figure
"Lazy S"
De-Christianized Types
Types with Arabic Legends
Muhammad Type
Al-Wafa Lillah Type
Countermarked Types
Anomalous Types
The Caliphate of Mu'awiya (660 - 680)
Late Byzantine Types
Gold Issues (c. 660 (?))
The First Bilingual Series
Damascus
Emesa/Hims
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 531-537 (Type VI Standing Emperor)
19 x 20 mm.
3.31 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Standing emperor; bism allah "in the name of God"
Reverse: Large 'M'; in exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 531-537 (Type VI Standing Emperor)
19 mm.
4.47 gm.
Die position=11h
Obverse: Standing emperor; bism allah "in the name of God"
Reverse: Large 'M'; in exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 531-537 (Type VI Standing Emperor)
21 mm.
3.91 gm.
Die position=5h
Obverse: Standing emperor.
Reverse: Large 'M'
Note: No inscription on left obverse (?)
Jerusalem
Diospolis (Ludd)
Tiberias
The Main Bilingual Series: Jund of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus mint
AE Fals
SICA I 566-572 type
22 mm.
4.09 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Standing imperial figure; ✸ in right field.
Reverse: Large 'M'; ☧ above, ✸ (?) below. Arabic inscription.
Pseudo-Damascus
"Pseudo-Damascus" mint
AE Fals
SICA I 580 (Type VI Standing Emperor)
19 mm.
4.59 gm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Standing emperor.
Reverse: Large 'm' with ✶ between uprights.
"Pseudo-Damascus" mint
AE Fals
SICA I 577v. (Type VI Standing Emperor)
20 mm.
3.03 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Standing emperor.
Reverse: Large 'M'
Heliopolis/Baalbek
Heliopolis/Baalbek mint
AE Fals
SICA I 583 (Type V Two Standing Imperial Figures)
21 x 19 mm.
3.77 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Two standing figures.
Reverse: Large 'M', cross above.
Heliopolis/Baalbek mint
AE Fals
SICA I 583 (Type V Two Standing Imperial Figures)
20 x 21 mm.
5.13 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Two standing figures.
Reverse: Large 'M'
The Main Bilingual Series: Jund of Hims
Emesa/Hims
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 543-547 (Type VII Imperial Bust)
21 mm.
4.07 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Imperial bust.
Reverse: Large 'm', ✸ between 2 pellets above. In exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 543-547 (Type VII Imperial Bust)
21 mm.
4.50 gm.
Die position=5h
Obverse: Imperial bust.
Reverse: Large 'm', ✸ between 2 pellets above. In exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 543-547 (Type VII Imperial Bust)
18 x 17 mm.
3.27 gm.
Die position=11h
Obverse: Imperial bust.
Reverse: Large 'm', ✸ between 2 pellets above. In exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 543-547 (Type VII Imperial Bust)
21 mm.
2.07 gm.
Die position=11h
Obverse: Imperial bust.
Reverse: Large 'm', ✸ between 2 pellets above. In exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 543-547 (Type VII Imperial Bust)
20 x 21 mm.
3.13 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Imperial bust.
Reverse: Large 'm', ✸ between 2 pellets above. In exergue: tayyib "good"
Emesa/Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 543-547 (Type VII Imperial Bust)
19 x 20 mm.
3.73 gm.
Die position=11h
Obverse: Imperial bust.
Reverse: Large 'm', ✸ between 2 pellets above. In exergue: tayyib "good"
Antaradus/Tartus
The Main Bilingual Series: Jund of Jordan
Tiberias/Tabariya
Tiberias/Tabariya mint
AE Fals
SICA I 588-591 (Type III Three Standing Imperial Figures)
19 x 17 mm.
3.75 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Three standing figures.
Reverse: Large M, cross above. Legend in left field; THBEP = Tiberias
Note: Possible imitation.
Scythopolis/Baisan
Gerasa/Jerash
Abila (?)
The Civil Wars (680 - 692)
The Caliphate of Abd Al-Malik (685 - 705)
Accession Issue (Gerasa/Jerash probable mint)
Issues of the First Years of the Reigh (c. 685 - 688)
Tiberias/Tabariya
Baisan
Without Mintmarks or Caliph's Name
Tabariya (probable mint)
With Name of Abd Al-Malik, No Mintmark
Amman (probable mint)
'Experimental' Types
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Anonymous Types
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Muhammad Types: Jund of Palestine
Jerusalem (Iliya)
Jerusalem/Iliya mint
AE Fals
SICA I 731
20 x 17 mm.
2.12 gm.
Die position=5h
Obverse: Standing figure in Arab dress; muhammad rasul allah "Muhammad is the Prophet of God"
Reverse: Large 'm'; iliya filistin
Ludd
Uncertain Mint
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Muhammad Types: Jazira
Harran
Al-Ruha
Uncertain Mint
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Standard Types: Anonymous Issues with Religious Legends Both Sides
Damascus
Amman
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Standard Types: Standing Caliph with Title only: Qinnasrin Jund
Ma'arrat Misrin
Ma'arrat Misrin mint (?)
AE Fals
SICA I 675 (?)
18 x 20 mm.
2.39 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Standing caliph.
Reverse: Φ on four steps.
Manbij
Sarmin
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Standard Types: Standing Caliph with Title and Name: Damascus Jund
Damascus
Amman
Baalbek
Baalbek mint
AE Fals
SICA I 608-614 type var.
15 mm.
3.19 gm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Standing caliph; ✸ in right field.
Reverse: Φ on steps.
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Standard Types: Standing Caliph with Title and Name: Hims Jund
Hims
Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 689-694 type
21 x 18 mm.
2.41 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Standing caliph.
Reverse: Φ on four steps; ✸ in left field.
Hims mint
AE Fals
SICA I 689-694 type
22 x 19 mm.
3.62 gm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Standing caliph.
Reverse: Φ on four steps; ✸ in left field.
The Standing Caliph Coinage: Standard Types: Standing Caliph with Title and Name: Qinnasrin Jund
Qinnasrin
Halab
Halab mint
AE Fals
SICA I 608-614 type; Bone 1.2 type
18 x 20 mm.
2.65 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Standing caliph.
Reverse: Φ on three steps.
Halab mint
AE Fals
SICA I 608-614 type
18 x 19 mm.
3.06 gm.
Die position=10h
Obverse: Standing Caliph.
Reverse: Φ on three steps.
Jibrin
Manbij
Qurus
Sarmin
Tanukh
Uncertain Mints
Egypt
The Persian Occupation (618-630) [see: Sasanian Empire, page 5 (Khusro II)]
The Byzantine Restoration (630-646) [see: Byzantine Empire, page 2]
Egypt Under the Arabs (642-705)
Imitative Coins
AE Fals
SICA I -; Foss -
13 x 14 mm.
1.03 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Crude bust right.
Reverse: I ☩ B. In exergue: ΑΛΕΞ
AE Fals
SICA I -; Foss -
13 mm.
0.84 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Crude bust right.
Reverse: I ☩ B. In exergue: ΑΛΕΞ
MACP Coins
ABAZ Coins
ΠAN Coins
b a c k t o i s l a m i c d y n a s t i e s