Umayyad Byzantine Gold Dinar

Circulating and used on a daily basis, coins are the earliest testimonies of the foundation of Islamic states and the development of trade. Muslim rulers first used Byzantine gold coins (solidus), which was the most common currency still in use in the early years of Islam. This dinar is an example of a transition period during which coins would be minted using Byzantine coinage as models. It features on the reverse a pole topped by a bar on four steps and the Byzantine emperor standing with his two sons on the obverse. It is, however, the starting point for using Arabic in numismatics: the coin, which was produced in 72-73 AH / 691-692 CE, bears for the first time the word dinar, which identifies Islamic gold coins, but, most importantly, the first use of the kalima (a first version of the Muslim profession of faith).