Iran-Arab Sasanian AH49 1 drachm BYSh mint
The Arabs overran the Sasanian Empire in the 650’s and established Islamic dominance over most of the territory. The Arab capital at the time was Medina, but the caliph (Umar I) left most of the local governments to manage as before, asking only allegiance to the new order. As a result, Persian coinage continued much as before, despite the Muslim prohibition against ‘graven images’. Initially, issues were anomymous, but eventually identified Umayyad governors. After the coinage reform of ‘Abd al-Malik I in 685 AD, the Sasanian imitations ceased and subsequent Islamic issues possessed only script. The specimen shown was lot 73 in Stephen Album Auction #16, held May 18, 2013, and sold for US$212.40. The catalog description reads[1]:
"ARAB-SASANIAN: Khusraw type, ca. 666-670, AR drachm, BYSh (Bishapur), AH49, Hephthalite countermark #33 in ObQ1, with rabbi in ObQ3, thus an issue of Ziyad b. Abi Sufyan, cleaned VF to EF, R."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.47g, silver.
Catalog reference: A-5.
- Album, Stephen. Checklist of Islamic Coins. Santa Rosa, 1998. Stephen Album.
- [1]Album, Stephen. Stephen Album Rare Coins - Auction 16. Santa Rosa, 2013. Stephen Album Rare Coins.
- Mitchiner, Michael. Oriental Coins and their Values - The World of Islam. London, 2000. Hawkins Publications.
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