Umayyad Caliphate. temp. 'Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, AH 99-101 / AD 717-720. Dirham (Silver, 27 mm, 2.77 g, 3 h), Dimashq (Damascus), AH 100 = AD 718/9. 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). Margin: bi-sm Allāh ḍuriba hādhā al-dirham bi-Dimashq sana miʾa (‘In the name of God, this dirham was struck at Dimashq in the year one hundred’ in Arabic); within triple circular borders; around, five pellets and an additional circle. Rev. Central field, in four lines (Qurʾān 112:1-4): Allāh aḥad Allāh / al-ṣamad lam yalid wa / lam yūlad wa-lam yakun / lahū 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 arsalahū bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahū ʿalā al-dīn kullihī wa-law kariha al-mushrikūn (‘Muhammad 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. Album 133. Klat 344. A well struck example. Tiny marks and deposits, otherwise, extremely fine.


Dimashq was the principal Umayyad mint in Syria and one of the most important mints of the early Islamic silver coinage. This issue was struck in AH 100, during the short but historically important reign of ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz.

The dotted letter in ḍuriba is a noteworthy epigraphic feature. Umayyad post-reform dirhams generally use a sparse, highly conventionalized script, and diacritical pointing is often absent or only selectively applied. The presence of a dot in ḍuriba is therefore an unusual and useful die detail, adding interest to an otherwise standard Dimashq issue.