a r a b - s a s a n i a n
[o r  e a r l y   m u s l i m]
c o i n a g e


r e f e r e n c e s


| page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | page 4 | page 5 |


Dating Systems:
AH = Hijri [year 1 = 622/3 AD]
YE = Yazdgard Era [year 1 = 632/3 AD]
PYE = Post-Yazdgard Era [year 1 = 652/3 AD]

| AH to YE and AD date conversion table |
| YE to AH, AD and PYE date conversion table |


Marginal Inscriptions:
jayyid = "good"
bism allah = "in the name of God"
lillah = "for God"
bism allah rabbi = "in the name of God, my Lord"
bism allah al-malik = "in the name of God, the possessor"
bism allah rabb al-hukm = "in the name of God, Lord of the judgment"
lillah al-hamd = "praise to God"
hasabahu allah = "God sufficeth him"


| table of arab-sasanian mint cities |


Abbreviation Key:
Obverse:
 Earring: E 0-6
Breast Ornament: B 0-15
Right Area Ornament: RAO

| ornamentation table |

Reverse:
 Star and Crescent: SC (standard; crescent on right) or CS (reversed; star on right)
Attendants' Hands: RR, RL, LR, LL, EE (R=right; L=left; E=even)



Note: In Album's Sylloge of the Islamic Coins In the Ashmolean, Volume I, the three phases of the Main Series are separated this way: First Phase - circa YE 20-30/AD 651-661/AH 31-41; Second Phase - circa YE 30-39/AD 661-671/AH 41-50; Third Phase - circa YE 40-72/AD 671-704/AH 50-85.

Anonymous coinage produced under 'Uthman, 'Ali
and Mu'awiya
Circa 651 - 670 AD

Anonymous posthumous Yazdgard III types
Album 1 - 3
These types bear the immobilized 'year 20' of Yazdgard III ('Yazdgard Era' year 20=651/2 AD=AH 30/1), and are believed to have been struck for about 15 years; some of the earliest dated Islamic coins.

'jayyid'


Anonymous Yazdgard III type
AR Drachm
Mint: BN
Date: 'frozen' year YE 20
27 x 26 mm. (clipped)
2.76 gm.
Album 2; Mitchiner ACW -; Mitchiner WOI -; Nikitin/Roth NC 155 #9 (same dies)
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=22 mm.
Die position=2h
Obverse: Bust right, trace of jayyid in margin.
Reverse: Fire altar; two attendants holding swords (left-handed), facing. Crescent to left, star to right (reversed). Mint name to right (BN); year 20 (frozen) to left.
Note: [see: S. Album List 56, #231 (October 1988) for clear specimen, BN mint, with jayyid (different dies)]


Anonymous Yazdgard III type
AR Drachm
Mint: BN
Date: 'frozen' year YE 20
32 mm.
4.00 gm.
Album 2
Diameter of obverse dotted border=xx mm.; diameter of reverse border=xx mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Bust right, jayyid in margin.
Reverse: Right-handed attendants.
Note: Courtesy Haroon Tareen collection.

'bism Allah'
This type bears the immobilized 'year 20' of Yazdgard III ('Yazdgard Era' year 20=651/2 AD=AH 30/1) and is believed to have been struck for about 15 years. One of the earliest dated Islamic coins.


Anonymous Yazdgard III type
AR Drachm
Mint: SK
Date: 'frozen' year YE 20
33 x 32 mm.
4.02 gm.
Album 1; Mitchiner ACW 1342; Mitchiner WOI 22
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=22 mm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Bust right, Pahlavi legend; bism Allah in margin.
Reverse: Mint name to right (SK); year 20 (frozen) to left.


Anonymous Yazdgard III type
AR Drachm
Mint: SK
Date: 'frozen' year YE 20
33 mm.
3.53 gm.
Album 1; Mitchiner ACW 1342; Mitchiner WOI 22
Diameter of obverse dotted border=24 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Bust right, Pahlavi legend; bism Allah in margin.
Reverse: Mint name to right (SK); year 20 (frozen) to left.


Anonymous Yazdgard III type
AR Drachm
Mint: SK
Date: 'frozen' year YE 20
30 x 29 mm.
3.26 gm.
Album 1; Mitchiner ACW 1342; Mitchiner WOI 22
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Bust right, Pahlavi legend; bism Allah in margin. Gobl countermark 11/Hv.
Reverse: Mint name to right (SK); year 20 (frozen) to left. Test scrape in 1st quadrant.


Anonymous Yazdgard III type
AR Drachm
Mint: SK
Date: 'frozen' year YE 20
21 mm.
1.19 gm. (extremely clipped)
Album 1
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=n/a
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust right, Pahlavi legend.
Reverse: Mint name to right (SK); year 20 (frozen) to left.

Anonymous posthumous Khusro II types
Album 4 - 5, A/B/C/D6

'bism Allah'


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: ST
Date: AH? 35 (>655/56 AD?)
33 x 32 mm.
3.91 gm.
Album 4 type; SICA Vol. I, 374
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend, bism Allah in margin. E0, B0, RAO=crescent.
Reverse: Mint name to right (ST=Istakhr); year 35 to left. Attendants' hands=LR.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: GW
Date: AH? 35 (>655/56 AD?)
31 mm.
3.92 gm.
Album 4 type; SICA Vol. I, -
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend, bism Allah in margin. E0, B0, RAO=crescent.
Reverse: Mint name to right (GW); year 35 to left. Attendants' hands=RR.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: BYSh
Date: YE 25 (656/57 AD)
32 mm.
3.93 gm.
Album 4; Mitchiner ACW 1344v.; Mitchiner WOI 24v.
Gobl Hunnen Countermark 38 (x2) (Bactrian word 'CLOGO' (?)) in 1st and 3rd quadrants.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=22 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend; bism Allah in margin, followed by a single pellet. Bactrian word 'CLOGO' (?) in 1st quadrant (position 8h) and 3rd quadrant (position 1h).
Reverse: Mint name to right (BYSh); year 25 (blundered) to left.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: PR
Date: YE? 29 (>660/61? AD)
33 mm.
2.96 gm.
Album 4 type; SICA Vol. I, -
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend, bism Allah in margin. E0, B0, RAO=crescent.
Reverse: Mint name to right (PR=unlocated in Kufan prefecture (?)); year 29 to left. Attendants' hands=RR.
Note: Fouree.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: DR
Date: YE 30 (661/62 AD)
27 mm.
2.32 gm. (clipped)
Album 4
Gobl Hunnen Countermark type 11 (?) in 1st quadrant.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=20 mm.; diameter of reverse border=20 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend; bism Allah in margin. Countermark in 1st quadrant.
Reverse: Mint name to right (DR); year 30 ('Yazdgard Era') to left.
Note: Courtesy Alexander Akin collection.


'lillah'


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: DA
Date: YE? 30 (661/62 AD)
28 x 29 mm.
3.01 gm. (clipped)
Album A6; SICA Vol. 1, 232
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=21 mm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Triple pellets to right and single pellet to left of star and crescent at 6h; Pahlavi legend; lillah in margin; E0, B10.
Reverse: Mint name to right (DA); year 30 to left. Attendants' hands=RR.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: DA
Date: YE? 30 (661/62 AD)
31 x 30 mm.
3.35 gm.
Album A6; SICA Vol. 1, 234
Diameter of obverse dotted border=xx mm.; diameter of reverse border=xx mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Triple pellets to right and left of star and crescent at 6h; Pahlavi legend; lillah in margin; E0, B10. Khusro's name spelled: 'AWSRY' in Pahlavi.
Reverse: Mint name to right (DA); year 30 to left. Attendants' hands=LL.
Note: Courtesy Haroon Tareen collection.


'bism Allah rabbi'
These are identified as issues of Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan, as governor of al-Basra, before he was granted the governorship of al-Kufa.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: BYSh
Date: 49 AH (668/69 AD)
31 mm.
3.28 gm.
SICA I 128-132 type
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=24 mm.
Die position=9h
Obverse: Bust right, Pahlavi legend; bism Allah rabbi in margin. Pellet at 6h. E0, B0, RAO=crescent.
Reverse: Attendants' hands=LR.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: MY
Date: AH 48 (668/69 AD)
27 mm.
2.53 gm. (clipped)
Album 5 type; SICA -
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend; bism Allah rabbi in margin; E0, B0.
Reverse: Mint name to right (MY), pellet before; year 48 to left. Attendants' hands=LR


'bism Allah al-malik'


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: BYSh
Date: AH 47 (667/68 AD)
32 mm.
4.06 gm.
Album C6; SICA Vol. 1, 117v.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=22 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend; bism Allah al-malik in margin; E0, B0. Gobl Hunnen 11B countermark in 2nd quadrant, over Allah.
Reverse: Pellet at 2h; pellet at 3h. Attendants' hands=ER. Crescent to right of altar flame; star to left. Test scape in 4th quadrant.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: BYSh
Date: AH 47 (667/68 AD)
24 x 25 mm.
2.29 gm. (clipped)
Album C6; SICA Vol. 1, 116v.
Diameter of obverse dotted border=23 mm.; diameter of reverse border=23 mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend; bism Allah al-malik in margin; E0, B0.
Reverse: Attendants' hands=LR. Crescent to right of altar flame; star to left.
Note: Gilded; ex-mount.


Anonymous Khusro II type
AR Drachm
Mint: BYSh
Date: AH 47 (667/68 AD)
32 x 31 mm.
3.95 gm.
Album C6; SICA Vol. 1, 115
Diameter of obverse dotted border=xx mm.; diameter of reverse border=xx mm.
Die position=3h
Obverse: Pahlavi legend; bism Allah al-malik in margin; E0, B0.
Reverse: Two pellets at 11h. Attendants' hands=LR. Crescent to right of altar flame; star to left.
Note: Courtesy Haroon Tareen collection.

Coinage produced under Mu'awiya
661 - 680 AD [AH 41 - 60]

Umayyad Caliph Mu'awiya
(661 - 680 AD [AH 41 - 60]) Album 14


Mu'awiya
AR Drachm
struck 673 - 674 AD [AH 53/54] but bears 663/64 AD (immobilized date)
Mint: DA
Date: 'frozen' year AH 43
31 mm.
4.00 gm.
Album 14; Walker page 26, B.3; Peus 363/Konsul Meyer 5534 type; Mitchiner ACW 1348v.; Mitchiner WOI -
Diameter of obverse dotted border=21 mm.; diameter of reverse border=20 mm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Triple pellets on either side of star and crescent at 6h; pellet above star at 3h, 6h and 9h. Pahlavi legend; bism Allah in margin; breast ornament: three pellets.
Reverse: Mint name to right (DA); year 43 to left. Star on right, crescent on left of altar (reversed).
Note: See: Album SICA I, page 57 and S. Sears, page 227 for the Darabgird 'frozen date' discussion. 




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