ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. Marwan II ibn Muhammad, AH 127-132 / AD 744-750. Dinar (Gold, 19 mm, 4.00 g, 7 h), uncertain mint, AH 132 = AD 749/750. In inner field: 'no God but Allah, He is alone, He has no associate' (in Kufic); in inner margin: 'Muhammad is the messenger of Allah who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions' (in Kufic).
Rev. In inner field: 'Allah is One, Allah is eternal, He does not beget nor is He begotten' (in Kufic); in inner margin: 'in the name of Allah this dinar was struck in the year two and thirty and one hundred' (in Kufic). SICA II, 327ff. A very rare and historically important issue. Clipped and with light marks
, otherwise, about extremely fine.
From the Edris Shir Mohammad Collection of Islamic gold coins.
The last Umayyad caliph, Marwan II ibn Muhammad, was an experienced general, but he was also a squanderer who famously moved his capital from Dimashq to Harran, the birthplace of Abraham, and spent millions of Dirhams for his luxurious life. On 16 January 750, Marwan II faced a considerably larger Abbasid army in the Battle of the Zab and was utterly defeated, which brought the Umayyad Caliphate to an end. The present coin is the last Umayyad dinar: it was struck was just months before Marwan's crushing defeat and is hence of great rarity today.
