robi's collection: SAUDI ARAB

GOLD COIN

SILVER COINS

In the seventh century, Arab forces, under the banner of Islam, soon conquered an empire stretching from Afghanistan to North Africa. At its height the Umayyad (Omayyad) Caliphate spread from Spain and southern France to northern India. Initially they copied the coins of the lands they conquered. Caliph 'Abd al-Malik introduced the first fully Islamic coin with this silver Dirham. The design has no pictures, but features professions of the Islamic faith. One side of the coin reads "There is no god except Allah alone. He has no partner." On the other side it reads "Allah is One, Allah is the Eternal. He begets not neither is He begotten". This well struck silver Dirham is dated during the reign of 'Abd al-Malik, which lasted from 685 to 705AD. It is an excellent example of the first true Muslim coin.

BI-METAL COINS