Umayyad Caliphate. temp. Suleiman ibn 'Abd al-Malik, AH 96-99 / AD 715-717. Dirham (Silver, 27 mm, 2.85 g, 3 h), variety with pellet below the word lā in the obverse, Herat, AH 97 = AD 715/6. Central field, in three lines: lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka lahū (‘There is no deity but God alone; He has no associate’ in Arabic). Pellet below the word lā in the lower field. Margin: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dirham bi-Hirāt sanat sabʿ wa tisʿīn (‘In the name of God, this dirham was struck in Herat in the year ninety-seven’ in Arabic); within triple circular borders; around, five pellets and an additional circle around. Rev. Central field, in four lines (Qurʾān 112:1-4): Allāh aḥad Allāh / al-ṣamad lam yalid wa / lam yūlad wa-lam yakun / lahu kufuwan aḥad (‘God is One, God the Eternal Refuge; He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none comparable to Him’ in Arabic). Margin (Qurʾān 9:33): Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi wa-law kariha al-mushrikūn (‘Muḥammad is the Messenger of God, whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists may dislike it’ in Arabic); within circular borders; around, five pellets and an additional circle. Pellet at the center. Album 128. Klat 660. Shams Eshragh 553. An extremely rare variety. Beautifully struck and well centered. Small scratches on the obverse, otherwise, good extremely fine.