Overstruck on a 375 Year Old Coin

358, Lot: 441. Estimate $100. Sold for $240. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. AH 65-86 / AD 685-705. Æ Fals (21.5mm, 3.38 g, 5h). Arab-Byzantine Standing Caliph type. Hims (Emesa) mint. Struck circa 690s. Caliph standing facing, holding hilt of sword / Modified cross potent set on steps; star to left, bi-hims to right. SICA 1, 689-93; cf. Walker, Arab-Byzantine 119 (for type); Album 3539. Near VF, green-brown patina. Overstruck on follis of Constantine I or Constantine II (as Caesar).

The undertype is a follis of Constantine I or Constantine II (as Caesar) with the reverse type CLARITAS REPVB (or REPVBLICAE), Sol standing left, holding globe and raising hand, that was used at a variety of Roman mints circa AD 317–318. The identification is confirmed by the visibility of a portion of the obverse legend, [..]ANTINVS [...], at 7-9 o’clock on the obverse here, a portion of the reverse legend, RE[...], at 11-12 o’clock on the reverse here, and a portion of the reverse type, Sol standing left holding globe, at 10 o’clock to the center of the reverse here. This Arab-Byzantine type was thus struck on a coin that was 375 years old at the time.