temp. Yazid I, Umayyad Caliph AH 60-64/AD 680-683

SICA-1, 295; A 12, Extremely Fine

GD (Jayy) mint. Arab-Sasanian Khusro II type naming ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad as governor in Pahlavi script, Pahlavi “GM” monogram and Arabic “bism Allah” in obverse margin; Reverse, fire altar with attendants, mint and date.

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The hereditary accession of Yazid I (AH 60-64/ AD 680-683) to the Umayyad throne was challenged by Hussain ibn Ali, the son of the last Rashidun caliph ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The challenge took a deadly turn in an all-out confrontation between Yazid’s forces and those of Hussain on the plains of Karbala. Out numbered nearly 20 to 1, Hussain, his brother Abbas and their companions were killed. The Battle of Karbala created a major rift in the Muslim community which persists to this day in the division of Sunni and Shia Islam.