Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Triton XXV 11-12 Jan 2022
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ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. Mu'awiya I ibn Abi Sufyan. AH 41-60 / AD 661-680. AV Solidus (22mm, 4.40 g, 6h). Pseudo-Byzantine type. dd NN hЄARCIISThRЄ NbbC, crowned and draped busts of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine facing; crossbars on crowns removed / VICTORIA AVУЧ I, cross potent, with upper portion of vertical bar removed to form a large I, set on three steps; K to right; I//CONOB. AGC I 3 var. = Miles, Earliest 3 and pl. XLV, 6 (Bedoukian Collection) var. (officina letter); Walker, Arab-Byzantine –; Album 3548; ICV 121. Scuff on reverse, light marks. VF. Extremely rare.
On at least two occasions, Mu'awiya was required to pay tribute to the Byzantines, and it is possible that these coins were struck specifically for that purpose. One was in AD 659, when the payment supposedly amounted to a thousand nomismata. The second was in AD 678, when Mu'awiya was forced to agree to a very harsh treaty that obliged him to make an annual payment to the Byzantine emperor of three thousand nomismata. Since these coins would have gone to Constantinople to fulfill the required payment, and there subsequently melted down to be restruck later (in addition to the reported rejection of these coins among the Christian members of the local population), the extreme rarity of these coins today can be accounted for easily. This conclusion may be supported by their iconography. The originals of all four types cited by Miles would have circulated widely in Syria, which depended on Byzantine gold and copper coinage – both in great supply – to support their monetary needs for both large transactions and everyday purchases. The originals of these types were undoubtedly well known to the inhabitants of Syria and, with only alteration of the Cross to reflect Islamic theology.
CNG would like to thank Prof. Lutz Ilisch for his assistance in the authentication of this coin (A pdf of the authentication will be available upon request).
On at least two occasions, Mu'awiya was required to pay tribute to the Byzantines, and it is possible that these coins were struck specifically for that purpose. One was in AD 659, when the payment supposedly amounted to a thousand nomismata. The second was in AD 678, when Mu'awiya was forced to agree to a very harsh treaty that obliged him to make an annual payment to the Byzantine emperor of three thousand nomismata. Since these coins would have gone to Constantinople to fulfill the required payment, and there subsequently melted down to be restruck later (in addition to the reported rejection of these coins among the Christian members of the local population), the extreme rarity of these coins today can be accounted for easily. This conclusion may be supported by their iconography. The originals of all four types cited by Miles would have circulated widely in Syria, which depended on Byzantine gold and copper coinage – both in great supply – to support their monetary needs for both large transactions and everyday purchases. The originals of these types were undoubtedly well known to the inhabitants of Syria and, with only alteration of the Cross to reflect Islamic theology.
CNG would like to thank Prof. Lutz Ilisch for his assistance in the authentication of this coin (A pdf of the authentication will be available upon request).