Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Islamic Auction 2 27 Oct 2022
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Pre-reform issues, Arab-Sasanian. Marwan b. al-Muhallab. fl. AH 74 / AD 694. AR Drachm (24.5mm, 2.00 g, 3h). KWAT (Kavad-Khurra) mint. Dated AH 74. Reverse: date in Pahlawi numerals. Malek, Arab-Sasanian 816A. Lightly clipped. VF. Extremely rare.
Marwan b. al-Muhallab's father was al-Muhallab b. Abi Sufra, who had originally supported the Zubayrids against the Umayyads but who transferred his allegiance to 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan after the defeat of Mus'ab b. al-Zubayr in AH 72. Little is known of his career, although he was killed during a rebellion in AH 102. This extremely rare issue is his only appearance in the numismatic record.
While the specimen published by Malek is described as 'clipped', it seems that these drachms were originally struck to a smaller module and lighter weight standard than normal. The present coin while almost exactly half the weight of a standard drachm, nevertheless still retains its full marginal legend and has all eight intact star-and-crescents in the outer margins on both sides. Even the crown on the Sasanian royal bust is fully visible. It is hard to reconcile this with the assumption that this coin has lost more than half its original silver through clipping. Might it have been struck to the weight standard later adopted for the post-Reform dirham?
Marwan b. al-Muhallab's father was al-Muhallab b. Abi Sufra, who had originally supported the Zubayrids against the Umayyads but who transferred his allegiance to 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwan after the defeat of Mus'ab b. al-Zubayr in AH 72. Little is known of his career, although he was killed during a rebellion in AH 102. This extremely rare issue is his only appearance in the numismatic record.
While the specimen published by Malek is described as 'clipped', it seems that these drachms were originally struck to a smaller module and lighter weight standard than normal. The present coin while almost exactly half the weight of a standard drachm, nevertheless still retains its full marginal legend and has all eight intact star-and-crescents in the outer margins on both sides. Even the crown on the Sasanian royal bust is fully visible. It is hard to reconcile this with the assumption that this coin has lost more than half its original silver through clipping. Might it have been struck to the weight standard later adopted for the post-Reform dirham?