A Period of Transition: Early Islamic and Umayyad Coinage

John Wilson, dean emeritus and professor of religion at Pepperdine University, has accumulated a collection of over 1200 coins from the Holy Land dating from the Persian Period (c. 5th century) to the time of the Crusaders (c. 14th century). Wilson’s interest in these coins has given many Pepperdine undergraduate students the opportunity to study and research the coins’ significance in historical, religious and artistic context. From Wilson’s generosity, I, a senior art history major at Pepperdine, have been given the opportunity to analyze four coins from his collection dating from 620 AD to 680 AD. These four coins provides a meager yet insightful glimpse into the coinage minted by Islamic rulers during their conquest over the Holy Land and the transition of rule from the Byzantine Empire to the Islamic Caliphate. With the help of an innovative technology called Reflective Transference Image (RTI), on loan from USC, I will be able to view the coins in high-resolution images that can be adjusted with respect to light and reflectivity. Creating RTI images of the coins administers a deeper alternate perspective giving light to aspects of the coin that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Using the RTI technology alongside research of the coins’ historical context verifies that the coins not only serve an economical purpose but also have a strategic political, social and religious agenda. See the author\u27s related research paper