ARABIC COIN WITH KING
With the rise of Islamic power in the Middle East contact with other civilizations ensued. The Byzantines, long-time a dominant force in the area, exerted influence in the image shown below. The coin was minted in the same style the Byzantines but here the Umayyayd caliph, Abd al-Malik, hold the Sword of Islam, a symbol of power.
-- Why does a ruler's image appear on the coin?
-- Why does this ruler hold the Sword of Islam, and why put this on a coin?
-- If you were a merchant or trader, would you take this coin? Why or why not?
Source: Photo Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris in The March of Islam (Time Life Books, 1987): 18.