Umayyad Caliphate. temp. Suleiman ibn 'Abd al-Malik, AH 96-99 / AD 715-717. Dirham (Silver, 27 mm, 2.78 g, 12 h), Arminiyya (Armenia), AH 99 = AD 717/8. Central field, in 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-Arminiyya sanat tisʿ wa-tisʿīn (‘In the name of God, this dirham was struck in Arminiyya in the year ninety-nine’ in Arabic). 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 unto Him’ in Arabic). Margin: Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahu bi-l-hudā wa-dīn al-ḥaqq li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi 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). Album 131. ICV 237. Klat 53. A very rare date for the Arminiyya mint. Minor deposits and a light die break, otherwise, good very fine.



Dirhams of Arminiyya dated AH 99 are known in small numbers and mark the final year of Sulaymān’s reign.