The Golden Coin Of The Umayyah Caliphious Age Can Play More Than IDR 17 Billion In Auctions In The UK

JAKARTA - A gold coin from the Umayyah Caliphary era is predicted to sell for more than 1 million pounds (Rp17,482,406,970), when auctioned in the UK later this month.

Umayyah's caliphate controls most of the areas now known as the Middle East from 660 to 750.

Although coins from that period are common, the Arabic phrase written on the dinar is said to be rare. "Madin Amir Al Muminin", meaning Amirul Mukminin, is the official title of ruler of the Muslim community.

The coin was used for about three years, said the Classical Numismatic Group (CNG), which organizes the auction.

CNG said it was the first coin from the year 711-712, according to the 93rd year of Hijrah, to be auctioned off.

The coin is expected to sell 700,000, but could be worth more than 1 million, the group said.

"The small and extraordinary Umayyah Dinar. Small, beautiful, very rare historical documents," said Stephen Lloyd, an Islamic coin specialist at CNG, as reported by The National News on October 20.

He added that evidence suggests that the coins "have only been printed in small quantities, which are consistent with its current large scarcity."

It is explained that the coin also refers to the sixth Umayyayya caliph, Al Walid I. He conquered the northwestern Africa, Spain and the lower Central Asia, and also helped build the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and the Great Mosque of Damascus.

The plan is that the rare coin will be offered at the CNG Islamic auction in London, England on 27 October.