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Umayyad Empire, Al-Walid I, Dirham 102 AH

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Umayyad Empire, Al-Walid I, Dirham 102 AH (obverse) Umayyad Empire, Al-Walid I, Dirham 102 AH (reverse)

Between 705 and 732, the Umayyads were on the peak of their power. They conquered the Indus valley and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar; in Spain, the Visigoths had to give way to the Islamic onslaught. Only in 732, in the Battle of Tours and Poitiers, further Islamic expansion into Western Europe could be stopped. The design on the Umayyad coins followed the Islamic ban on images. The inscription on the obverse of this dinar is, "There is no God but Allah, he has no partner." The margin legend reads, "Mohammed is the messenger of Allah, he was sent with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over every other religion." On the reverse, the middle of the coin bears the inscription "Allah is one, Allah is eternal, He begetteth not and is not begotten." And the margin legend, finally, goes "This dinar was minted in the name of Allah in the year 102."

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