ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. Mu'awiya I ibn Abi Sufyan, AH 41-60 / AD 661-680. Fals (Bronze, 14x20 mm, 3.28 g, 5 h), Arab-Byzantine type, uncertain mint in Filastin. Crude imperial figure standing facing, holding globus cruciger in his left hand; in field to left, 'Muhammad' in Kufic. Rev. Large m in center flanked by I and II; above, cross; below, 'ba'd' (part or portion in Kufic). DOCAB, 31. Goodwin&Gyselen, p. 54, 39. SICA I, -. Rare and of great interest. Attractive patina. Minor edge crack, otherwise, very fine.
T. Goodwin noted, in correspondence with this cataloguer, that this coin is very similar to a type with the name of the governor 'al-Amir Sa'id'. He therefore concludes that the name 'Muhammad' on the obverse of our coin is not that of the Prophet but of a local governor. The translation of the mysterious word 'ba'd', on the other hand, remains unresolved: it perhaps stands for 'part' or 'portion', but it could also be the name of a mint of part of a personal name. We kindly thank T. Goodwin for his valuable contributions to the discussion of this issue