40 Follis - imitation islamique
Features
| Issuer |
Umayyad Caliphate
 |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard circulation coins |
| Value | 1 Fals / Nummus (1⁄180) |
| Currency | Solidus (661-750) |
| Composition | Copper |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Number | N# 559202 |
Obverse
Scripts: Arabic, Latin
Lettering: M
Edge
Plain
Comments
Arab-Byzantine
(7th-8th centuries)
After the crushing of Sassanid power, the Muslims swept through the Byzantine Empire less than ten years after the death of Mohammed (632). Heraclius lived long enough to see Muslim troops invade the Near East as far as Egypt. By autumn 642, Egypt had been definitively lost to Byzantium. It seems that the new invaders initially retained the Byzantine monetary system, imitating existing coins and calling them fals, a deformation of folles. These imitations were produced for some fifty years, along with gold dinars, an imitation of the Byzantine solidi. Ali, the fourth and last caliph in Mohammed's line (he was at once his cousin, his brother-in-law and his son-in-law) saw his power challenged by Mo'awiya, governor of Syria, who had a well-trained army that had defeated the Byzantines. Ali was defeated and assassinated. The Umayyads (named after Omayya, Mo'awiya's father) established their capital in Damascus, and with them lost the elective nature of the caliphate. The majority of believers, the Sunnis, accepted this change. But the Muslims of the "party of Ali" ("shi'at Ali") or Shi'ites remained attached to the idea that only descendants of Mohammed could claim the title of caliph, or rather imam, a word implying power by divine right.
(CGB)
See also
Manage my collection
Please sign in or create an account to manage your collection.
| Date | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undetermined | |||||||||||||||
| ? | |||||||||||||||
Get this coin
No member from this site currently wants to exchange it.
Numista Rarity index: 95
This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. It ranges from 0 to 100, 0 meaning a very common coin or banknote and 100 meaning a rare coin or banknote among Numista members.
Contribute to the catalogue
Modify or add data on this pageRegister a past auction sale
Register an example of this type
Duplicate this page
