ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, AH 65-86 / AD 685-705. Drachm (Silver, 32 mm, 3.19 g), Arab-Sasanian type, citing governor ʿAmir ibn Laqit (AH 83 / AD 702), klmʾn-NAL (Kirman-Narmashir), AH 83 = 702. Draped Sasanian-style bust to right, wearing elaborate mural crown; behind head, ‘GDE ʾp̄zwt’ (‘[may his] glory increase’ in Pahlavi); before head, ‘pylwc' ʾmwl / Y lkytʾn’ (‘Victorious ʿAmir ibn Laqit’ in Pahlavi); in outer margin, ‘bism Allāh - ʿĀmir lillāh’ (‘In the name of Allah, ʿAmir for Allah’ in Arabic). Rev. Fire altar with ribbons, flanked by two attendants; above altar, star and crescent; to left, date in Pahlavi; to right, klmʾn-NAL (abbreviation for the name of the mint in Pahlavi). Album 39. Extremely rare. Harshly cleaned and rough, otherwise, good very fine.


Album has wrongly read the name of the ruler as ‘ʿAmr’ and the marginal legend as ‘ʿammara Allah’ (‘May Allah make prosperous’).