Coin of Abd al-Malik
- Audio guide stop: 522
- Gallery: Room 68
- Culture: Umayyad dynasty
- Made in: Damascus
- Date: 696-697 (AH 77)
- Object type: coin
- Materials: gold
- Museum number: 1874,0706.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is a gold coin from the Umayyad dynasty, created in Damascus around the year 697 AD. What you’re seeing is more than just money—it’s a powerful statement in miniature form.
Take a closer look at the inscriptions. The text is written in elegant Arabic script, covering both sides of the coin. On one side, you’ll read the words: “There is no God but God, He is alone, He has no associate,” followed by a reference to Muhammad as the Messenger of God. On the reverse side, it continues with important monotheist declarations.
These inscriptions reflect the spiritual and political ideals of the time, using currency as a way to spread Islamic beliefs across the vast empire. Made of gold, this coin is not only a symbol of economic value but also a piece of early Islamic cultural history.
See it in person
Coin of Abd al-Malik is on display in Room 68 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 522, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
