Early Islamic Umayyad Bronze Fals (about 1,335-1,325 years ago)

Own a Coin from the Moment Islam First Appeared on Currency

A real Umayyad bronze fals — struck roughly fifty years after the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, at the exact moment when Islamic identity began replacing Byzantine imagery on the coins of a rapidly expanding new civilization.

$47.52

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☪️ Features early Kufic Arabic inscriptions appearing alongside Byzantine monetary forms — two worlds on one coin
🏛 Struck across Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt during the Umayyad Caliphate's rapid expansion
🤲 A tangible piece of the moment Islamic civilization first took shape in coinage

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

When the Umayyad Caliphate swept through former Byzantine territories in the 7th century, it inherited an existing monetary system — and at first, it adapted rather than replaced it. This bronze fals preserves that transition in extraordinary detail. The obverse carries a standing caliphal figure derived directly from Byzantine imperial imagery — but the crosses have been removed or modified, stripped of their Christian symbolism to align with Islamic belief. The reverse retains the large "M" denomination mark of the Byzantine follis, now accompanied by early Kufic Arabic inscriptions that would eventually replace Greek legends entirely.

In some examples, elements of the shahada — the Islamic declaration of faith — begin to appear on the reverse, one of the most profound statements of religious and political authority ever pressed into metal. This coin predates the sweeping monetary reforms of Caliph Abd al-Malik, who would introduce fully epigraphic Islamic coinage — coins bearing only Arabic text and no figurative imagery whatsoever. What you hold here is the moment just before that transformation, when imagery, language, and identity were all simultaneously in flux.

These coins circulated across a world that was changing faster than any generation before it had experienced — former Byzantine provinces becoming Islamic ones, Greek giving way to Arabic, crosses giving way to the shahada. This small bronze fals is a front-row seat to one of history's most consequential civilizational transitions.

Perfect for:

• Collectors of Islamic, Byzantine transition, and early medieval coinage
• History lovers drawn to the rise of Islam and the fall of Byzantine power
• Umayyad Caliphate and early Islamic monetary history enthusiasts
• Anyone looking for a rare, historically charged piece of world history

What You'll Receive

• One authentic Umayyad bronze fals
• Denomination: Bronze Fals (adapted Byzantine monetary form)
• Minted across Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt
• Struck late 7th century AD — similar to examples shown (each coin is unique)
• Carefully sourced and verified for authenticity

Buy with Confidence

• Guaranteed authentic ancient coin
• Carefully sourced and verified
• 30-day return policy
• Secure shipping from the U.S.

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