A rare and important Islamic gold coin highlights Morton & Eden’s June 12 auction in London.

The circa 691 to 694 gold solidus of caliph ‘Abd al-Malik bin Marwan has a pre-sale estimate of £150,000 to £200,000 ($185,818 to $247,758 U.S.).

The coin weighs 4.27 grams and measures 20 millimeters in diameter, slightly smaller and lighter than a Jefferson 5-cent coin.

Its historical and religious importance lies in the fact that it is an example of the first gold coin issue to bear the words of the Shahada in its legends, to spread the tenets of Islam.

Shahada is a statement of belief that “There is no god but God, He is unique, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” and is central to Islam.

Changing coinage

During the Umayyad period of Arab expansion across former Byzantine and Persian lands, experiments were put in motion by the caliph ‘Abd al-Malik bin Marwan to establish a national Islamic currency.

In former Byzantine regions where the solidus was well-established as the primary gold coin in commerce, the Arabs started by initially removing all Christian symbolism from the coinage but retaining the images of the Byzantine rulers.

The next stage was to eliminate all Latin inscriptions and introduce the Shahada inscribed in kufic script, emphasizing the basic tenets of Islam.

Struck around AH 72 to AH 74 (circa A.D. 691 to 694), the offered example is in remarkably fine condition.

Ultimately the caliph established a purely epigraphic Islamic coinage in AH 77 (A.D. 697) and coins like this one were demonetized.

Tom Eden of Morton & Eden said in a press release: “It was very exciting to be shown this coin, which had in the past been assumed to be a standard Byzantine issue. Careful examination of the edge showed that at some stage it was mounted probably in a jewellery setting and this could be a reason for its survival, for coins like this were supposed to be handed in and melted following the introduction of the first purely Islamic dinars in AH 77.

“In the last 42 years only four other examples have appeared for auction – a sign of its great rarity today,” he said.

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