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Originally Posted by mahratt
You're absolutely right! Of course, in the later coins weapon shown better!
So you agree that we can not say for sure what is depicted in these very old coins?
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First of all it is necessary to explan that on another forum we discussed about development of a sabre but to no avail ((
As we found out there are three versions of sabre development:
1. Turkic origin. In the period of the second Eastern Turkic (682-744 years) khaganate. The first samples had one and half edged blade and a straight handle without the cross-section.
2. On Iran territory together with turkic slave-warriors in 8-9th century.
3.Then a saber was adopted by Arabs.
But there was discussed an article too in which states that Arabs used a sabre in 7th century before Turkic people and as the only evidence was shown one of coins posted above:
"...this coin series dates to the very beginning of the rule of Al-Malik (685-705). On the obverse has a figure with no face, dressed in a burnous, long robe and with a sword at the left side. It is the shape of this sword that is of interest: the sword is curved, the blade is up-turned (kind of “shashka-like” suspension), the handle top being inclined towards the blade and a trace of yelman seen in its farthest third. These three features help to distinctly characterize this weapon as a saber".
"Finally, an Umayyad coin of the late 7 th century showing Caliph Al-Malik (or the very Muhammad) armed with a typical saber is presented here. Its dating by far precedes the emergence of sabers in the Iranian region of the Abbasid Caliphate, which excludes the possibility of primary coming of saber through Iran in the Islamic world. This coin is the earliest dated and documented image of saber known in the literature on weapon studies"
If on the coin we have a saber (but it is very strange to see saber in the scabbard with "up-turned suspension" and simultaneously "elman"), then the version of Arab origin of a saber in 7th century to have a right to exist.