Catalog
Fals - Anonymous - Complex Legend
| Issuer | Umayyad Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 696-750 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a multi-line Arabic religious inscription arranged within an informal rectangular text block. The shahada legend reads 'lā ilāha illā Allāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah' (There is no god but God alone, He has no partner), disposed across three lines in early Kufic script with characteristic angular strokes. A partial outer marginal legend encircles the central field but is largely illegible due to die wear and flan irregularity. The flan is irregularly struck with scalloped edges typical of early Umayyad copper coinage, and the surfaces exhibit a green patina consistent with prolonged burial. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The Anonymous Umayyad fals presents one of the more persistent puzzles in early Islamic numismatics. Abd al-Malik's sweeping monetary reform of 696–698 AD standardized gold and silver coinage with purely epigraphic designs, but copper was left largely to local and provincial authorities, producing a chaotic array of types that continued minting on their own schedules and traditions well into the Marwanid period. The "complex legend" designation signals deliberate textual elaboration — likely a regional mint asserting theological or administrative identity within the reform framework rather than simply complying with it.