temp. Marwan I ibn al-Hakkam, Umayyad Caliph AH 64-65/AD 683-685

Walker Th.11; A 26, Fine

SK (Sijistan) mint. In the name of Talha ibn ‘Abd Allah, Marwanid Governor of Sijistan for the Umayyads. Sasanian-style bust right, Talha’s name and patronymic in Pahlavi at right, Arabic Talha lillah in margin; Reverse, fire altar with attendants, mint and date. The coins of this governor are known only from Sijistan with dates 64 and 66. The obverse margin bears the unconventional motto Talha lillah (“Talha for Allah”) in place of the usual bism Allah (“In the name of Allah”).

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The hallmark of naval warfare between Muslims and Byzantines in this period was the use of “Greek Fire” by the Byzantines, a highly effective weapon which repelled the Arab navy and destroyed their ships. The use of “Greek Fire” in late antiquity was the forerunner of modern naval surface to surface weaponry.