The Mutilated and Collared Cross The Identity of the Object on the Reverse of the Standing Caliph Fulūs of ‘Abd al-Malik

Abstract

The reverse of the Standing Caliph fals struck under ‘Abd al-Malik (685–705 CE) normally depicted an object consisting of a pole-on-steps crossed by an ellipse or circle. Several different interpretations of this device have been offered to date, perhaps the most popular being that the pole has been transformed into the Greek letter phi in abbreviation of the name of this coin denomination, a φόλλις in Greek or fals in Arabic. It is argued here that the apparent ellipse or circle represents a slave collar and that it has been set upon a cross that has been disfigured by the removal of its horizontal bar in order to emphasize that the Christian community within the caliphate has been subjected in the manner of slaves.