Arab-Byzantine follis, "standing Caliph" type, c.685-705 AD, Ummayad Caliphate

Caliph standing facing, wearing long robes, holding pommel of sword; girdle band hanging from elbow, "of Abd al-Malik, leader of the faithful" in crude Kufic around / M, with Shahada around. 14mm, 3.62 grams. Amman or Iliya Filistin (Jerusalem) mint. Walker 104?.

Rare type with the "M" (=40 nummi) on the reverse instead of the "cross on steps".

These coins are the earliest coins of the first Islamic Caliphate - after conquering the Byzantine Middle East, they issued coins in the corrupted style of Byzantine (especially of Constans II). These circulates for about a few decades, until the end of the 7th century.