Islamic Coinage — Umayyad Caliphate Ruler: al-Walīd I ibn ʿAbd al-Malik Reign: AH 86–96 / AD 705–715 Denomination: Silver AR Dirham Mint: Jayy (جَيّ), near Isfahan, Iran Date: AH 91 / AD 709–710 Reference: Album 128 (scarce mint) Weight: 2.87 g Diameter: 27 mm Condition: Extremely Fine ________________________________________ Obverse Three-line central inscription of the Kalima (Islamic declaration of faith): لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah (“There is no god but God alone; He has no partner.”) Outer margin: mint name Jayy and Hijri year ٩١ (91 AH), engraved in early Kufic script. ________________________________________ Reverse Central field bears Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ (Qurʾān 112) in four lines, affirming the Islamic doctrine of divine unity. Outer margin: verse from Sūrat at-Tawbah (Qurʾān 9:33): “He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all religion…” ________________________________________ Historical Background This dirham was struck in AH 91 (AD 709–710) during the reign of Caliph al-Walīd I, one of the most powerful rulers of the Umayyad dynasty. Al-Walīd presided over the height of Umayyad expansion, with Muslim armies advancing into Hispania in the west and deep into Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent in the east. His reign was also marked by major architectural projects, including the Great Mosque of Damascus, and by the consolidation of administrative and monetary reforms initiated by his father, ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān. The standardized epigraphic dirham, bearing only Qurʾanic inscriptions and declarations of faith, represents the culmination of these reforms, replacing earlier Byzantine and Sasanian types with a unified Islamic currency. Coins such as this served both economic and ideological purposes, circulating widely while reinforcing Islamic doctrine and caliphal authority. The mint of Jayy, located near present-day Isfahan in central Iran, was an important regional center inherited from the Sasanian period. Under Umayyad rule, Jayy became integrated into the imperial monetary network, supplying silver coinage for Iran and neighboring regions. Dirhams from Jayy are comparatively scarce, reflecting limited output relative to major mints such as Wasit or Damascus. Issues from this mint provide valuable evidence for Umayyad administration in eastern territories and the spread of standardized Islamic coinage across former Sasanian lands