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Fals - Anonymous al-Fustat
| Issuer | Umayyad Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 696-750 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a central motif, possibly a cross on steps or a stylised symbol of pre-Islamic origin, adapted from Byzantine coinage conventions common in early Umayyad Egyptian issues. Surrounding the central device are traces of Arabic or pseudo-Arabic inscription, heavily worn and difficult to fully resolve. The flan is irregular and the strike uneven, typical of hammered copper fulus produced at the mint of al-Fustat during the Umayyad period. The field shows significant surface corrosion consistent with burial or prolonged circulation. |
| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The anonymous copper fals of al-Fustat occupies an awkward transitional moment: Abd al-Malik's monetary reform of 696–698 standardized gold and silver coinage across the caliphate, but copper was left largely to provincial authorities, resulting in a sprawling, inconsistent output that numismatists still struggle to attribute with confidence. Al-Fustat, the garrison city founded after the Arab conquest of Egypt in 641, functioned as the administrative hub through which Egypt's considerable agricultural surplus flowed — its mint output reflects fiscal improvisation more than central planning.