202, Lot: 530. Estimate $300. Sold for $625. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ISLAMIC, Time of the Rashidun to the Umayyads. Pseudo-Byzantine types. Circa AH 13/6-76/7 / AD 635/8-696/7. Æ Follis (27mm, 10.96 g, 7h). Pseudo-Byzantine type. Scythopolis mint. Two imperial figures enthroned facing, both nimbate and holding crucifom scepter; cross above / Large M; cross above, A/N/N/O U/II across field, A below, NIKO in exergue. APBQ A1; Goodwin, Overview, 32; Album 98; SICA 1, 594. VF, dark brown patina.

The important town of Scythopolis-Beth Shan struck an extensive series of imitative folles in the period between the collapse of Byzantine authority in Syria-Palestine in the AD 640s and the introduction of pure Islamic types around AD 695. This is the earliest issue, having purely Byzantine types with Greek legends. It is not known why Scythopolis and other cities like Gerash struck heavy folles imitating coins of Justin II while other mints were striking small copies of the contemporary coins of Constans II. It has been noted that several large hoards of regular folles of Justin II have been found in the Jordan River valley area.