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Fals Balkh
| Issuer | Abbasid Caliphate |
|---|---|
| Year | 142 (759) |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Fals (1⁄60) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the first part of the Shahada in three lines of angular Kufic script, reading 'There is no god but God alone.' The central inscription is enclosed within a single inner circle, with a circular marginal legend in Kufic script running along the outer border. The coin exhibits the characteristic irregular flan and bold, deeply struck Kufic lettering typical of early Abbasid provincial copper coinage. The overall style is purely epigraphic, with no figural or decorative elements. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Balkh — ancient Bactra, once capital of Bactria and a city Alexander the Great used as a base for his eastern campaigns — was one of the earliest mints in the Abbasid network to strike copper fulus following the dynasty's consolidation of power after 132 AH. Local copper coinage in this region operated under considerable administrative autonomy; provincial governors often controlled fals production independently of the central diwan, which is why Balkh issues from this decade show marked variation in weight and module across dies.