Vol. 2, No.4 Numismatic Art of Antiquity APR 1988 $1.00 Seventh century-Part I Islamic conquerors adapted local Byzantine coinage by Stephen Album The early Arab conquests, which At the time of the Prophet were accomplished between the years Muhammad's appearance in the early 632 and 652, brought three major seventh century, Arabia had known no currency regions under Muslim Arab coinage of its own for several rule. There was Egypt, a Byzantine centuries, although familiarity with province with its own copper currency foreign coins, especially Byzantine for local use; greater Syria. also a gold solidi and Sasanian silver Byzantine province. but for some time dirhams, must have been widespread in supplied with copper and gold from trading centers such as Mecca. At the the central mint in Constantinople; time of Muhammad's death, the and the lands of Iraq and Iran, nascent Muslim armies began to formerly the Sasanian empire. with its venture ever further afield. until they own coinage tradition. ultimately clashed with Byzantine and In each of these three realms. the Sasanian troops in the early 6308. By Arab conquerors at first relied on Fig. 1: Imitative AE fars of Syrian provenance, issued under Arab 652, the Arab armies had occupied all existing monetary stocks. then copied rule. This type is derived from the Byzantine emperor Constans II's of Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Iran. as well the indigenous coinage. then adapted type 1 of year 2. Note the quadripartite countermark on the obverse. as the Arabian peninsula, and for the indigenous currency systems to their fim time, found themselves adminis­ own designs. Most of these types tering peoples accustomed to regular directly imitated or were closely matique, vol. 65 (1986), pp 231-262. perpetuated. but small module coins. use of coinage. patterned on the Byzantine or Sasanian Most other references are cited in the all marked lB., 'may have played the The early Muslims were duly types found in circulation by the new footnotes to Bates' article. A some­ role of the earlier fractionals. These perspicacious in economic affairs, for rulers. and have thus been labled the what updated version of this, paper, coins are poorly struck. and rather much of their own prosperity had .. Arab-Byzantine or Arab-Sasanian entitled "Coins of Umayyad scarce. They were only recently rested on the caravan trade that passed identified and catalogued by H.A. coinages. There was. in fact, no such Damascus," recently appear~ as a across or along the Arabian peninsula. thing as an Arab-Byzantine and Arab­ three part series in World Coin News Awad ("Seventh Century Arab They were eager and pragmatic admin­ SHW.an 'coina&e', only Arab­ (Vol. 14. nos. 41-43, Q&-6, 13 &. 20, Imitations of Alexandrian Oodeca­ istrators. quick to learn from their Byzantine and Arab-Sasanian types 1987.) numInia," MltSeum Notes, 18 (1912), newly subjugated populations, and forming part of a single coinage, best In general. Arab-Byzantjne and pp. 113-117). Average examples. free from that blind chauvinism that termed the 'early Islamic and Arab-Sasanian types were produced quite unattractive, sell for $10-30. was the Achilles heel of so many Umayyad' coinage." from the 640s/650s until about the Syria had its own Byzantine mint, powerful conquerors. Confronted (The basic reference for the Arab­ year 700, at the time of Abd ai­ located at Antakya (Antioch) in wilh monetized economies utterly Byzantine coinage remains John Malik's second and better known northern Syria, now located just unlike their own, they realized at once Walker, A Catalogue of the Arab­ coinage reform, but in actuality. the inside the borders of Turkey. But that that in economic affairs. the best Byzantine and Post-Reform Umaiyad division between these types and the mint was taken by the Persians during policy was the least intrusive. The Coins, London 1956.. The most post-reform coinage was a gradual Khusraw n's occupation of the eastern Ar<lbs were thus loath to introduce important recent study of the series is one. At some mints, such as Bishapur province of the Empire, and was radical changes in existing currencies, the masterful article by M.L. Bates, in Iran, both pre-reform and post­ closed just before the accession of choosing instead. perhaps by default., "History, Geography and Numismatics reform types were struck simultan­ Heraclius who ruled from 610 to 641. to continue utilizing existing coins in the First Century of Islamic eously for a period of years. (See Philip Grierson's Byzantine and coin types. Coinage," Revue suisse de numis- The simplest case is Egypt, where Coins, London 1982, p. 68; Grierson's the pre-existing Byzantine coinage, work is by far the most complete and struck at Alexandria, comprised only current reference for Byzantine 12 nummia coppers, identified by the numismatic history, and indispensable letter IB (=12) on the reverse, reference for anyone even marginally together with some rarer fractions. interested in medieval numismatics.) Miscellanea • • • • By 628, Heraclius had recaptured The last of these were struck by Constans II (641-668), during the all of the lost lands. including Syria, • Scher to address ANA years 641-642 and perhaps also in 645- but no local mint was restored. Dr. Stephen K. Scher will give the Joseph B. and Morton M. Stack 646, just prior to the second and Instead, Syria was supplied with coinage from Constantinople, both Memorial lecture to members of the American Numismatic Society definitive Muslim conquest of on Saturday, April 16 at 3 p.m. Dr. Scher's talk will focus on the Alexandria in 646. Under the new copper and gold, and this arrangement early history of coin collections and is titled "Renaissance Coin rulers, the mint continued to produce seems to have continued until well Collectors and the Origins of the Medal." Scher was formerly the types of Constans II with after the Arab conquest, which took place over the years 634-638. In fact, chainnan of the Art DepartlJlent at Brown University. increasing degeneration of type and inscription. The fractions were not Please turn to page X • Princeton hosts Overbeck exhibit INSIDE ..;;- ~ o·r"'" ". The exhibition prepared by Dr. Bernhard H. Overbeck of the THE CELATOR: • '" 0 " Staatliche Miinzsammlung in Munich is now showing at the main ,. -;;m&>0_ exhibition gallery of Princeton University's Firestone Library in ~ -x," ~ Princeton, N.J. Opening on January 22 and continuing through April Point of View II ~~O 24, "Rome and.her enemies: The Evidence of Coinage" is a traveling People IV iil 8l'"''" '" ~ exhibition which some will remember from Emory University which Art & Market V i;> sponsored the exhibit during the period of the ANA Convention last Book News VII [ summer in Atlanta, GA. The Princeton exhibit has been expanded , by inclusion of some 50 coins from the Firestone Library Collection. Dust of Ages IX ~ The Overbeck exhibit travels next to the University of Georgia in Coin File X .. <= Athens, GA. English copies of the exhibition catalog, prepared in Trivia X ~• m . '" collaboration with Prof. Thomas S. Burrt'i, may be obtained from Coming Events XIII ~ ~6 .. ~~ Bums at a cost of $10 by writing to him at the Department of -12> Classifieds XVIII z~6,.-1S! History, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322. p l)~ Prof. Directory XVIII. ~? ~ ;oj m aIL ... II The Calator Apr 1988 rondel, or a kylix tondo. It is indeed only through the dedication of works quite probable that th"is design by a patron. It logically follows that actually came .from a vase , pa:inter major innovations in style or treat­ 7he CeloIors rather than a celator as Hettger ment would evolve from the private to the public. There are certainly claims. ,The .. coiJl.. .. f(om . Hime.;a presents an unemobonal. nondescript excePtions to this rule, as in the' coins Poiid of View ... votive scene which does not lend of Greek Sicily, but the pieces from itself well to the circular space and Thasos and Himera I fear do not faU Commenlllry by Wayne G. Sayles may actually be copied from a into that category. rectangular panel painting or We encourage all types of sculptural relief. viewpoints and applaud the efforts of new writers in this field: but let us e rarely find occasion to nothing in common, in fact, they are It is always fun to conjecture that not become so "popular" in our quite the opposite. Herger's assertion criticize the scholarship of coins were the source of designs for approach that we lose sight of true others. test be held to that the design from Himera was W we the parallel arts of painting and scholarship and take too lightly the close account ourselves. There are, influenced by the coin from Thasos. sculpture. but the mass of evidence is work of those who have come before however, some assertions and inter· simply because the two coins each to the contrary. It is well to us. have a Nymph and a Satyr in their peetalions that fairly scream for remember that the art on coins was We hope to see some of you at the commenL iconography. is absurd. It is akin to · publicft art, while the works of Greater New York show late in The March 8 issue of World Coin comparing donkeys with dinosaurs maJor painters and sculptors were April. Until then. keep in touch, News contains, on page 30, an article because they both have tails. usually private commissions for the enjoy the hobby and let us hear your by Henry T. Hettger titled ~The Satyr wealthy. The latter became public point of view! and the Nymph-.