Coins struck at Damascus
1 catalogued coin and note attributed to Damascus, with weights, legends, dates and Wikimedia-sourced images across Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
In short
Damascus was the Umayyad capital and the mint where the Islamic monetary reform of 696–697 CE took its final form — the birthplace of the purely epigraphic gold dinar. Damascus is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 77 CE – 696 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the Dinar denominations, issued under Abd al-Malik (post-reform).
- Catalogued
- 1
- Eras
- 1
- Metals
- 1
- Denominations
- 1
Key facts
| Catalogued pieces | 1 |
|---|---|
| Date range | 77 CE – 696 CE |
| Eras represented | Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic |
| Metals | Gold |
| Denominations | Dinar |
| Issuers | Abd al-Malik (post-reform) |
| Role | Umayyad capital, 661–750 |
| Reform date | AH 77–79 / 696–697 CE |
| Dinar standard | ≈4.25 g gold |
| Design | Purely epigraphic, no figural imagery |
The reform of Abd al-Malik
For sixty years after the conquests, Muslim rulers struck adapted Byzantine and Sasanian coin. Abd al-Malik's reform swept away imagery altogether: dinar and dirham became inscription only, carrying the shahada, Qur'anic phrases, mint and Hijri date.
The change is one of the most consequential design decisions in monetary history. It gave Islamic coinage a single visual identity that held, with local variation, for a thousand years from Spain to Central Asia.
Damascus and Iran
Damascus coins matter to Iranian numismatics because the reform standard they set replaced the Arab-Sasanian drachm on the plateau. Within a generation, mints from Basra to Nishapur were striking to the Damascus template.
Umayyad dinars of the reform period are among the most sought-after Islamic coins, and the earliest dated reform issues carry substantial premiums.
Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic · 651 – 1258 CE
Era overview →Frequently asked about Damascus
- Why do Islamic coins have no pictures?
- Because of Abd al-Malik's reform of 696–697 CE, which replaced the figural Byzantine- and Sasanian-derived types with purely inscriptional dinars and dirhams.
- How did the reform affect Iran?
- It ended the Arab-Sasanian drachm. Within a generation Iranian mints were striking epigraphic dirhams to the new caliphal standard.
- What coins were struck at Damascus?
- Damascus is a mint of the Iranian world represented in the Persian Treasury catalogue by 1 coin and note struck between 77 CE – 696 CE. Its output here covers Gold in the Dinar denominations, issued under Abd al-Malik (post-reform).
- How many Damascus pieces are catalogued on Persian Treasury?
- 1 item, dated 77 CE – 696 CE, spread across 1 era: Arab-Sasanian & Early Islamic.
- Which metals were used for Damascus coinage?
- Gold. Each entry records the metal, the approximate weight where known, and a cited reference.
- Which denominations are associated with Damascus?
- Dinar. Every denomination has its own reference page with dated examples.