UMAYYAD, TEMP. ‘ABD AL-MALIK B. MARWAN (65-86h)

Circular bronze weight, naming al-Hajjaj ben Yusuf.

Bismillah a- | mr al-amir al-Hajja- | j bin Yusuf bi’l-wa- | fa hadha mizan | tisa‘ Engraved in five lines with central point between third and fourth plain, with central point and slightly raised border at margin 36.05 gr.

These extremely rare bronze weights were evidently denominated in mithqals, and examples are known for three, six and nine mithqals weight. The present example appears to be the heaviest weight of this type so far recorded. Interestingly, the mark of value is always written with a final ta marbuta, unlike the standard mint/date formula on contemporary Umayyad coins. These weights are dated to the period of ‘Abd al-Malik’s coinage reforms in the mid-70s, and further sug- gested that these bronze pieces predated the adoption of glass weights. The metal coin weights that were first employed by the Muslims must be extremely rare.