ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. Mu'awiya I ibn Abi Sufyan, AH 41-60 / AD 661-680. Fals (Bronze, 24 mm, 2.20 g, 7 h), Arab-Byzantine, derived from a Constantine IV follis from Syracuse, uncertain, circa AH 50 = AD 670. Helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantine IV facing, holding globus cruciger in his right hand; to left and right, blundered legend. Rev. Large M flanked by standing and facing figures, each wearing crown and chlamys and holding globus cruciger in his right hand; above, monogram; in exergue, blundered SCL. Album 3508. DOCAB 25. Goodwin&Gyselen, p. 48, Class I. Very rare. Some light deposits and with an edge crack, otherwise, good very fine.


It is still very much unclear whether the obverse legend on this type it is a blundered version of something meaningful or simply meaningless scribble. One possible reading offered by T. Goodwin and R. Gyselen is 'mlt'n' - MLKA ('Martan Shah', 'king of men' in Pahlawi) .