ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL COINS
ANCIENT
PERSIAN SILVER SIGLOS

The
ancient Persian Empire stretched through the Fertile Crescent, covering
much of modern-day Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The Persian silver
Siglos was first introduced about 546BC, during the reign of Cyrus the
Great. The silver Siglos continued to be issued during the
reigns of Darius and Xerxes. It was practically the only coin
of issued by the Persian Empire until the it was conquered by Alexander
the Great in 330BC. The coins show the king kneeling holding a bow and
carrying a spear or a dagger. The reverse side has
a crude incuse punch mark that was formed when the coin was
struck. It is an important historic coin that was used in
much of the ancient world.
Item
SIGLOS PERSIA SILVER SIGLOS 546-330BC
VG-F-crude
$149.00
SILVER
TETRADRACHMS OF ALEXANDER THE
GREAT

As
a youth, Alexander was taught by Aristotle. Upon the
assassination of his father in 336BC, Alexander became the King of
Macedonia at age 20. His army quickly conquered the Greek states and he
then set off across Asia. With brilliant military and political tactics
he conquered Egypt and the Persian Empire. He continued conquering all
in his path. In 326BC he reached India. There, his
weary army mutinied, refusing to go any further. Alexander
was forced to return. He died three years later, after a
prolonged banquet and drinking binge. Until his reign, Greek coins did
not show mortals. But Alexander sought to proclaim himself as a
God. The coins of Alexander portray him as Hercules, dressed
in a lion's skin. The reverse shows Zeus seated. After the
death of Alexander in 323BC his top generals fought for control of
portions of his empire. Seleucus I Nicator gained control of
a vast territory stretching from Anatolia (now Turkey) to Persia to
northwestern India, thus founding the Seleucid Empire. After
battles
with Chandragupta of the Mauryan
Empire in India they agreed to a peace treaty. Seleucus gave
up some territory. In exchange Chandragupta gave him 500 war
elephants, his daughter in marriage, aphrodisiacs and other gifts. He
was assassinated in 281BC during his campaign to take Macedonia and
Thrace. Seleucus struck Tetradrachms in the same style as
Alexander's, however with the legend ΣEΛEYKOY (Seleucus) rather than
AΛEXANΔΡOY (Alexander) on the reverse.
Item
ALEX-TET ALEXANDER THE GREAT, 336-323BC,
SILVER TETRADRACHM Fine
$285.00
ANCIENT SELEUCID
SILVER COINS
After the death of Alexander in 323BC his top generals fought for
control of his empire. Seleucus I Nicator gained
control of
a vast territory stretching from Anatolia (now Turkey) to Persia to
northwestern India, thus founding the Seleucid Empire. After
battles
with Chandragupta of the Mauryan
Empire in India they agreed to a peace treaty. Seleucus gave
up some territory. In exchange Chandragupta gave him 500 war
elephants, his daughter in marriage, aphrodisiacs and other gifts. He
was assassinated in 281BC during his campaign to take Macedonia and
Thrace. Seleucus struck Tetradrachms in the same style as
Alexander's, however with the legend ΣEΛEYKOY (Seleucus) rather than
AΛEXANΔΡOY (Alexander) on the reverse. Seleucus was
succeeded by his son Antiochus I Soter. Most of Antiochus'
reign devoted to wars and putting down revolts. Antiochus
made peace with his father's murder by abandoning claims to
Macedonia. In 275BC he defeated the Galatians in Anatolia by
using the his father's war elephants. In 268BC he executed
his eldest son for leading a rebellion. He
unsuccessfully battled the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt for control of
Syria. In 262BC he attacked Peragum, was defeated and died soon
thereafter. The Seleucus I Tetradrachm is similar
to the coins of Alexander the Great. It is a thick silver
coin, approximately 26mm that depicts Seleucus as Hercules on the
obverse and Zeus seated on the reverse. We have two
silver Drachms of Antiochos I. Both are approximately 15mm
and depict the head of Antiochos. One type has Apollo seated
on the reverse. The other, depicting a horsehead on the
reverse, is from Ai Khanoum in northern Afghanistan. The city
is believed to have been founded about 280BC by Antiochos due to its
proximity to silver mines in the nearby Hindu Kush mountains.
Item
SEL-TET SELEUCUS I NIKATOR
305-281BC SILVER TETRADRACHM Fine
$295.00
Item
SEL-APO ANTIOCHOS I 281-261BC SILVER
DRACHM Apollo type
AG-G OUT
Item
SEL-HRS ANTIOCHOS I 281-261BC SILVER
DRACHM Horse head type AG-G OUT
INDO-GREEK
SILVER DRACHM
OF APOLLODOTUS II

The
Indo-Greeks descended from Alexander the Great, who conquered
northern India in 326BC. They were the eastern most part of Hellenistic
culture, ruling the area around Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-western
India. They maintained Greek culture, religion and language,
incorporating it with elements of Indian culture and language.
Apollodotus II was one of the greatest Indo-Greek kings.
During his reign, from about 80 to 65BC he re-established much of the
glory and territory of the Indo-Greek kingdoms. After his
death the Indo-Greek kingdom fragmented and soon disappeared.
This silver drachm of Apollodotus II reflects both the Greek and Indian
culture. The obverse depicts the bust of the king with a
Greek legend that translates as "
Of
Apollodotus the Great, Savior & Father loving King".
The reverse depicts Athena Alkidemos standing and has the legend in
Kharoshthi script that translates "
Savior
King Appolodotus".
He obviously thought well of
himself. The coin is approximately 17mm in diameter. It is an
attractive and historic ancient silver coin from the farthest reaches
of Greek culture.
Item
IN-APOLLO INDO-GREEK SILVER DRACHM,
APOLLODOTUS II ca.80-65BC VG-F
$45.00
ANCIENT JUDEAN WIDOW'S
MITE FROM THE
TIME OF CHRIST

The
story of the Widow's Mite can be found in the Bible in Mark
12:41-44. For Jesus, the widow's small offering of her only
two small coins was worth far more than the large contributions of the
rich who gave only a small portion of what they had. The
mite, also known as the lepton, was the smallest denomination
struck in ancient Judea. The coin was first struck during the
reign of Alexander Janeaus, and continued to be used during the time of
Christ. Most display an ancient anchor on one side and a
wheel on the other, though other designs were used as well. Minters
were paid by how many pieces they produced, not how well they produced
them. As a result, the coins tend to be crude and off center.
Every coin is different. This historic
coin of
the Bible is over 2000 years old and comes with
a Certificate of
Authenticity.
Item
MITE ANCIENT JUDEAN WIDOW'S MITE FROM TIME OF
CHRIST, CRUDE $24.00
Item
MITEx5 5 of the above ANCIENT JUDEAN WIDOW'S
MITES FROM TIME OF
CHRIST, CRUDE $99.75
These coins are all
certified genuine, graded and come in NGC holders
The four notches in the images are the edges of the NGC holders, not
the coin itself
HELENA - MOTHER OF CONSTANTINE AND DISCOVER OF THE TRUE CROSS

Helena
was a stable maid or a bar maid. Sometime before 270AD she
met up and coming military leader Constantius. It is said
they were wearing identical silver bracelets and he immediately saw her
as his soulmate. Around 272 she gave birth to their son,
Constantine. By 289 Constantius divorced her in order to
marry the oldest daughter of Emperor Maximian. Helena became Christian
sometime after that, remained close to her son and never
remarried. Constantius rose to become Emperor in
305. Constantine became co-emperor upon the death
of Constantius in 306. In 325AD Constantine gave his mother
the title of Augusta (Empress) and had coins struck for her.
She then undertook a pilgrimage to Palestine where she constructed or
enhanced numerous churches and is said to have discovered the True
Cross. This copper Nummus (AE4 = 13.5mm to 18mm) depicts Helena on the
obverse and various military or mythological themes on the reverse. It
was struck from about 324 until the death of Constantine in 337AD. The
coin is certified and graded by NGC.
Item
HELENA ROME, HELENA 324-337AD AE4 NUMMIS NGC
VF
$75.00
CONSTANTINE EXECUTES HIS SON AND WIFE


Though Constantine professed to be
Christian, his practice left something to be desired. In 307
he left his wife Minervina with whom he had one son: Crispus.
He married Fausta the young daughter of Emperor Maximian. He
then killed Maximian. Constantine named Crispus as Caesar
(junior emperor) in 317 and gave him control over the Gallic
lands. He proved himself in battles with the Goths and was
popular with the Romans who saw him as a worthy successor to
Constantine. By 326 Constantine viewed his son as a
potentially dangerous rival. Constantine accused Crispus of
having sexual relations with Fausta, who was Constantine's wife and
Crispus's his step-mother. The two were not far apart in age.
Constantine executed Crispus. Fausta was either thrown alive
into boiling oil or suffocated in a hot bath. These copper
Nummus of Crispus and Fausta feature their portraits on the obverse
Item
CRISPUS ROME, CRISPUS 317-326AD AE3 NUMMIS
NGC VF out
Item
FAUSTA ROME, FAUSTA 324-326AD AE3 NUMMIS NGC
VF
$75.00
KUSHAN
COIN OF THE "UNKNOWN KING"

The
Kushan Empire ruled the area from northern India through Afghanistan
into Central Asia in the first and second centuries AD. It
grew wealthy controlling trade centers on the Silk Road and on the
Indus River and had diplomatic relations with both Rome and
China. Until recently the actual name of its second emperor
was unknown. He was known only by the title on his coins
"Soter Megas", which translates as “Great Savior”. He thought
of himself as being so great, he did need to use his actual name. With
the discovery of a large stone tablet listing the names of the Kushan
rulers it is now known his name was Vima Takto who ruled from about 80
to 105AD. His bronze tetradrachm features a Greek style
diademed bust of the king on one side, and the king on horseback on the
other. It is an attractive, well-struck ancient coin.
Item
SOTER KUSHAN BRONZE TETRADRACHM, SOTER MEGAS
(VIMA TAKTO) ca.80-105AD VF
$39.95
ANCIENT
KUSHANO-SASANIAN COPPER
COIN

After the
split of the Kushan Empire around 230AD, the eastern portion became a
vassal state of the Sasanian Empire
is known as the
Kushano-Sassanians. It controlled parts of what are now
Afghanistan and Pakistan. It remained until about 350AD, when the area
was conquered by the White Huns (Hephthalites). These small,
crude copper coins, sometimes called a Drachm or a unit, were minted
between about 241 and 350AD. They are some of the last coins of the
Kushano-Sasanians. They are modeled after the Sasanian silver Drachm,
however are smaller, much cruder and made of copper. One side
features the
bust of the king, the other features a Zoroastrian fire
altar.
Item
KUSHAN-SAS KUSHANO-SASANIAN COPPER
DRACHM,
ca.241-350AD G-CRUDE
$5.00
COINS
OF KING ARTHUR?

These
small, ancient copper coins, called Barbarous Radiates, are found in
hoards in England. They are crude privately made, ancient
copies
of third century Roman coins. They are not generally regarded
as
forgeries as they are smaller than the standard issues. The
designs are based on the Roman Antoninianus which features the emperor
wearing a radiate crown. Some sources attribute them to the
Dark
Ages or the Saxon period, a time when the legendary King Arthur is said
to have ruled. Other sources attribute them to the late third
century, when Britain and Gaul were under the control of their own
self-declared emperors. Either way they are fascinating ancient coins
from ancient Britain.
Item
GB-BARBx1 1 ANCIENT BRITISH BARBAROUS
RADIATE,
CRUDE
$8.00
Item
GB-BARBx5 5 of the above ANCIENT BARBAROUS
RADIATES,
CRUDE
$35.00
BEAUTIFUL ANCIENT
SILVER COIN OF
THE HIMYARITE KINGS OF ARABIA

The
Himyarite Kingdom was centered in what is now
Yemen. It
grew wealthy exporting frankincense and myrrh and trading ivory, which
they exported from Africa and sold to the Roman Empire. About
380AD the kingdom converted from polytheism to Judaism. These
15mm convex silver half denarius depict a male's head facing right,
with a monogram and a trident behind. The reverse features a
smaller head, an ornamented scepter and inscriptions. The
coins were minted from about 100 to 200AD. Though struck in
high
relief, the coins show only minimal wear. It is a scarce and
attractive coin from a little-known ancient kingdom.
Item
HIMYARITE HIMYARITE KINGS OF ARABIA SILVER
1/2
DENARIUS ca.100-200AD XF
$135.00
ANCIENT
SASANIAN SILVER DRACHM OF PEROZ

Peroz
ruled the vast Sasanian Empire, which stretched from India to Turkey,
between 457 and 484AD. The name Peroz, means “The Victor”,
though throughout much of his reign he was hardly victorious.
The early years of his reign was spent fighting with his brother over
control of the Empire, whom he eventually defeated. The
country suffered from seven years of drought and famine starting in
464. Some sources state that mighty Tigris and Euphrates
rivers both dried up. Wells dried up, crops failed and
thousands died. No sooner than the country recovered from the
famine, than Peroz attacked the Hephthalite (White) Huns. He
suffered a crushing defeat, was captured, and forced to surrender his
son as a hostage until a large ransom was paid. In
481AD he was defeated by the Kushans. The province
of Armenia successfully revolted and was lost to the
Empire. He then again attacked the Huns, and was
again defeated. Peroz, along with much of his army, was
slaughtered. This silver Drachm of Peroz pictures
the emperor wearing a winged helmet on one side. The other
side depicts two priests in front at a fire alter, an allusion to the
official state Zoroastrian religion.
Item
SAS-PEROZ SASANIAN SILVER DRACHM, PEROZ
457-484AD XF
$89.75
ATTRACTIVE
HIGH GRADE ANCIENT SASANIAN SILVER DRACHM OF KHUSRU II

This
silver Drachm struck in the name of Sasanian Emperor Khusro II (Khusraw
II, Khosrau II) is over 1300 years old, yet is in Almost Uncirculated
condition. Khusro II was the last great Sasanian Emperor
before the Muslim conquest. He reigned from 591 to 628AD. He
was initially put on the throne by his uncles, who deposed, blinded
then killed his father. An army commander however usurped the throne
and defeated K Khusro in battle. Khusro regained the throne
with the help of Byzantine Emperor Maurice. After appointing
his uncles to high positions, he had one of them murdered.
The other escaped and led a seven-year revolt against Khusro until he
was captured and killed. Khusro attacked the
Byzantine Empire after Maurice was murdered in 602AD. That
war lasted the rest of his reign. Though Khusro was initially
successful, the Byzantines eventually defeated the Sasanian
forces. In 628 Khusro’s son, Kavadh II revolted, captured and
executed Khusro, along with most of his family. Kavadh then
made peace with Byzantines, giving them territory and paying an
indemnity. This attractive, high grade silver Drachm depicts
Khusro on the obverse and a Zoroastrian fire altar with two attendants
on the reverse. The coin shows no or minimal wear, though is
weakly struck in parts due to its thin planchet. The coin is
dated 628AD, the last year of his reign. It was apparently
struck in the Tajikistan region some 10 to 20 years following his
death. It may have been struck due to a shortage of Drachms needed for
the Silk Road trade. At that time the Sasanian Empire was in
its final death throes, beset by dynastic wars, the loss to the
Byzantines, and the Muslim conquest. The coin grades an
amazing Almost Uncirculated.
Item
SAS-KH2 SASANIAN DRACHM TYPE OF KHUSRO II
591-628AD, AU $89.75
HIGH GRADE
ABBASID PROVINCIAL
SILVER 1/2 DIRHAM
OF TABARISTAN

Tabaristan
is a region on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in what is now
Iran. It was one of the last parts of Persia to fall to the
Muslim conquest due to natural barriers including high mountains,
numerous rivers, swamps and dense forests as well resistive
population. Even after it fell to the Abbasid Caliphate it
was virtually independent and had its own distinctive, non-Muslim style
coinage until about 793AD. The coins were silver 1/2 Dirhams based on
the Sassanian Dirham. The obverse featured a crowned
Sassanian style bust. The reverse features a Zoroastrian fire
altar flanked by two attendants. The coins are about 23mm in
diameter, are well struck, and have little or no wear. It is
an unusual transitional coin struck by the Muslim Abbasids but
retaining the design of the earlier Zoroastrian Sassanian coinage.
Item
TABARISTAN TABARISTAN 1/2 DIRHAM,
8th CENTURY
AD, XF
$49.50
THE DISASTROUS
REIGN OF WANG MANG 

Wang
Mang arranged to have himself appointed regent for the young Han
Emperor in 7AD. Two years later he killed the boy and usurped the
throne. He attempted major reforms of China's economy, many
of which were attempted by the communists in the 1950's, These
included the abolition of slavery, introduction of an income
tax,
redistribution of the land, institution of price controls, and
confiscation of gold. He demonetized existing coins and
instituted new ones based on an unbacked fiat coinage. Despite the
execution and exile of thousands, the reforms were not accepted. The
economy collapsed; there were widespread general strikes and massive
starvation. In 23AD Wang was slain, his "reforms" were abolished and
the Han dynasty restored. He attempted to abolish the popular
Wu-Ch'u coin which had been in circulation for over a century.
He
made multiple attempts to force the introduction of his own coins as
part of his monetary reforms, however, his coins were widely
rejected. His final attempt at new coins was the
introduction of the Hou Ch'uan coin in 14AD. It too was
poorly
accepted. The coin remained in use
until after his death, when the Wu Ch’u was restored as the standard
circulating coin of China.
Item
CN-HOU-CHUAN
CHINA WANG MANG HOU CH'UAN COIN 14-23AD
Scj.149+ Fine
$8.00
FAMOUS
K'AI YUAN COIN OF THE TANG
DYNASTY

The
K'ai Yuan coin was introduced by Chinese Emperor Kao Tsu, who founded
the Tang Dyansty in 618AD. The coins replaced the previously
used Wu-Chu and other coins. The high quality of the coins
and excellent calligraphy set a standard for Chinese coins for the next
1000 years! The legend on the coin, K'ai Yuan Tung
Pao translates as "precious currency of the K'ai Yuan
era". The Tang Dynasty was a brilliant period in
Chinese history. It was an era of great prosperity and
artistry. The K'ai Yuan coin continued to be issued
for the next 300 years, until the collapse of the Dynasty in
907AD. During much of the dynasty the coin was the
only denomination struck. Because of the relatively low value
of the coin and the high level of commerce a LOT of the coins were
issued during that period. (Think of doing all your transactions with
only pennies!) As a result the coin, though over
1000 years old, is still plentiful and inexpensive.
Item
CN-KAI CHINA K'AI YUAN 1 CASH COIN 618-907AD
Scj. 312+ Fine-VF
$4.50
Item
CN-KAIx10 10 PIECES OF CHINA K'AI YUAN 1
CASH
COIN 618-907AD Fine-VF
$25.00
Item
CN-KAIx25 25 PIECES OF CHINA K'AI YUAN 1
CASH
COIN 618-907AD Fine-VF
$49.50
MEDIEVAL SILVER
COINS OF THE
HABBARID AMIRS OF SINDH


Sindh
(Sind) is located in what is now the south-eastern portion of
Pakistan. The Habbaris were Arab traders and merchants that
settled in Sindh in pre-Islamic times. Despite living in
India for hundreds of years and marrying locals, they maintained their
Arab identity, language and customs. By the mid 9th century
AD they were able to assert control over Sindh, paying only nominal
allegiance to the Abbasid Caliph. The coinage of the Habbarids of Sind
(also known as the Amirs of Sindh) consisted of small (10 to
11mm) silver Dammas (Dhammas) that feature Arabic inscriptions on both
sides. In 1026 Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud conquered
Sindh. We are pleased to offer silver Dammas of two of the
Habbarid sultans of Sindh. Abdallah I, who ruled from about
884 to 913AD, and Ali, who ruled from about 973 to 987AD
Item SINDH-ABD SINDH SILVER DAMMA, ABDALLAH
ca.884-913AD VF
$8.00
Item SINDH-ALI
SINDH SILVER DAMMA, ALI ca. 973-987AD VF
$7.00
FORMER SLAVE
FOUNDS
GHAZNAVID DYNASTY

At
its peak the Ghaznavids controlled a vast central Asian empire that
included Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India as well as parts of Iran
and Turkmenistan. The founder of the dynasty was Sabuktekin
(Sabuktigin). In his youth he was captured in a tribal war
and sold as a slave. He was eventually purchased by Alptigin,
the governor of Ghazna, who so recognized his potential. He
later married the Alptgin's daughter. In 977 he
became governor of Ghazna, which became a semi-independent kingdom
within the Samanid Empire. He expanded his kingdom,
conquering much of which is now Afghanistan. He died in 997
after becoming sick on a military campaign. His son Mahmud,
declared full independence and further expanded the
territory. This silver dirham of Sabuktigin was struck at
Farwan in Afghanistan. One side cites the Shada (There is no
God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger). The other side
acknowledges his Samanid overlord and the Abbasid Caliph. The
silver coin is approximately 17mm.
Item
GHAZ-SEBUK GHAZNAVID SILVER DIRHAM OF
SABUKTEKIN 977-997AD A-1599 Fine
$18.00
THE FAMOUS BULL
&
HORSEMAN JITAL

The
Bull and Horseman Jital was introduced by the Hindu Kings in Kabul and
Ohind (now Afghanistan and Pakistan) in the 9th century. One
side featured a humped bull. The other side a man on a horse
holding a lance. The coins became the standard for much of
Afghanistan and northern India. It continued to be struck for
hundreds of years by neighboring and successive kingdoms. It gradually
become cruder and more debased as each generation would copy the design
from coins found in circulation. These Bull and Horseman
Jitals date from around the 10th to 11th century. They are
made of debased silver and feature crude line drawings of the bull and
horseman. I do not have the time or patience to do an exact
attribution so am letting them go cheap.
Item
B&H INDIA BI BULL & HORSEMAN
JITAL circa 1000AD VF-crude
$7.50
MEDIEVALCOIN OF THE
SULTANATE OF JAUNPUR 

Jaunpur
was a powerful Sultanate in north-central India. Jaunpur was
established in 1349 by the Sultan of Delhi who later appointed his
daughter's lover the governor. In 1393 the governor
declared independence. Jaunpur reached its peak under Ibrahim
Shah, who reigned from 1402 to 1440. He attacked but was
unable to conquer Delhi to the west. His war with the Bengal Sultanate
to the east was only ended after diplomatic pressure from the Ming
Empire of China and Timurid Empire. Ibrahim Shah was a patron
of Islamic learning and established a number of colleges which produced
many scholarly works on Islamic theology. In 1480 Jaunpur was
conquered by Delhi, bringing an end to the Sultanate.
Item
JAUNPUR JAUNPUR COPPER FALS, IBRAHIM SHAH
1402-1440 VF $5.00
Item
JAUNPURx10 10 of the above JAUNPUR FALS OF
IBRAHIM SHAH
1402-1440 VF $35.00
ATTRACTIVE
SILVER DENAR OF BELA II THE BLIND OF HUNGARY

Bela
was blinded as a small boy on the orders of his uncle, King
Colman. He narrowly escaped the castration that was also
ordered. He was hidden in a monastery and believed
dead. After the death of his uncle, he came out of
hiding. Following a struggle for power he established himself
as the King of Hungary. In the second half of Bela’s reign,
Hungary adopted an active foreign policy, taking Bosnia and Split.
Bela later became a
drunkard. His courtiers took advantage of his drunkenness to
receive grants from him or have him order the execution of their
rivals. Bela died in 1141 at age 32. The silver
Denar of Bela II has a cross within a circle on both sides of the
coin. The coin is about 12mm in diameter it is remarkably
well struck for a medieval coin and shows virtually no wear.
Item
HU-BELA HUNGARY SILVER DENAR OF BELA II 1131-1141AD XF-UNC.
$39.75
RICHARD THE
LIONHEART

Richard
the Lionheart was the King of England, Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and
Gascony and Lord of Cyprus. Though he was born in England he disliked
the country and spent less than six months there throughout his entire
reign. He regarded it as little more than a source of tax
revenue. Most of his reign was spent in France, on Crusade or as a
prisoner of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI who held him for ransom while
he was attempting to return home from the Third Crusade.
Richard's knightly prowess made him a popular king and the subject of
legends. During the Third Crusade he occupied Sicily and captured
Cyprus with the aid of
Levon of Armenia
before arriving in the Holy Land in 1191. He sold Cyprus to the
Knights Templar In 1199 Richard died after being
wounded
while laying siege to a castle in an effort to get a hoard of gold that
had been found by a peasant. Richard’s coins from England are
very scarce and pricy. This Anglo-Gallic silver Denier of
Richard the Lionheart is much more reasonable. The coin has a
simple design. One side has his name on it “RICA / DIUS” while the
other has a cross and the name of the mint (Aquitaine or
Poitou). As is typical of coins of that era, it is crudely
engraved and weakly struck.
Item
LIONHEART RICHARD THE LIONHEART 1169-1199
SILVER DENIER VG-Crude
$125.00
CRUSADER COIN OF
BOHEMOND THE
CHILD

Bohemond
III of the Crusader Principality of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the
Child and Bohemond the Stammerer, ascended to the throne in
1163. He then exiled his mother who had served as his regent
since he was age one. .In 1180 he deserted his wife in favor of Sibyl,
who may have been a spy for Saladin This led to an escalating
stuggle with the Church. Bohemond was excommunicated. In retaliation he
confiscated the church's property, which led to an Antioch placed under
interdict, which then led to armed conflicts. The conflict
was partially solved through mediation and the leaders of the
opposition fled to Cilician Armenia. In 1185 he invited the
king Roupen III of Cilician Armenia to a banquet but imprisoned him
instead. He then invaded Cilician Armenia. A peace
treaty was signed which released the Roupen in return for a large
ransom, Roupon acknowledging Bohemond's suzerainty and giving Bohemond
territory. Upon his release Roupon promptly recaptured the
territory. In 1194
Cilician Armenian
King Levon I (Leo) invited Bohemond to
negotiate over a castle Leo had captured, but instead took Bohemond
prisoner. Bohemond was released after giving up claims on
Armenia. Bohemond was involved in the disputes over the
dynastic succession of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, which led to
Saladin's capture of Jerusalem in 1187. In 1188 Saladin captured much
of northern Syria, and forced surrender of fortresses of the Knights
Templar. Bohemond pleaded for a truce, which Saladin granted,
but left him only with his capital and its port. The Third
Crusade was called in 1189 in an attempt to recapture
Jerusalem. During the Crusade Bohemond twice met with
Richard
the Lionheart, but did not provide any military assistance to
the
Crusaders. Upon Bohemond's death in 1201, a series of wars
broke out among his successors over control of his territory. This was
not resolved until 1219. The obverse of this silver Denier of
Antioch a crude portrait of Bohemond III wearing a helmet and chain
mail. A crescent moon is to the left and a star to the right.
The reverse features a cross and a crescent. It is
an historic coin from what was an important Crusader kingdom.
Item
ANTIOCH CRUSADER PRINCIPALITY OF ANTIOCH,
BOHEMOND III DENIER 1163-1201
VG-FINE $95.00
FIRST
SILVER COIN OF MEDIEVAL ARMENIA

About
1198 Levon I (also called Leo II, Leon II and Levon the Magnificant)
was crowned as the first king of Cilcian Armenia. He had
ruled
the territory as Lord of Armenia since 1187, after his brother was
captured by
Bohemond III of Antioch
and
retired to a monastery. As king he had the privilege of issuing the
first Armenian coins since ancient times. He established a
powerful Christian kingdom and was a strong supporter of the Third
Crusade. He had numerous intrigues and conflicts with
Bohemond III of Antioch,
at one point taking him and his family prisoner after inviting them to
castle. He was later involved in the War of the Antiochene Succession
after Bohemond's death. He joined
Richard
the Lion Heart in
the
conquest of Cyprus and was actively involved in the numerous political
plots and intrigues of the Crusader kingdoms and neighboring
kingdoms. These crude silver Trams are approximately 22mm in
diameter. One side pictures King Levon seated upon
his
throne. The reverse shows a lion and leopard with a
cross.
It is an historic Armenian coin with a close connection to the
Crusades.
Item
AM-LEVON
ARMENIA SILVER TRAM OF LEVON I
1198-1219 F-VF-crude
$65.00
SILVER
COINS OF THE
SLAVE KINGS OF THE HOLY LAND
The Bahri Mamluks ruled Egypt, Syria and the Holy Land from 1250 to
1382. The Mamluks were slaves purchased as boys from Russia,
converted to Islam and trained to be warriors. In 1250 Mamluk
slaves overthrew their masters, the Ayyubids, and established the Bahri
Mamluk dynasty with its capital in Cairo. They continued to
import Mamluk slaves to serve in their military. The Sultan
was supposed to be selected from the ranks of the Mamluk slaves, so the
Sultan would also have been slave! Thus, the Mamluks are
known as the "Slave-Kings". Mamluks were not supposed to be
able to inherit wealth or power, but many attempted to do so, resulting
in brutal and bloody quests for power among various factions competing
for supremacy. Mamluk Sultans rarely died a natural
death.
Baybars was a brilliant military leader. He helped defeat the
Seventh Crusade under Louis IX of France in 1250, then in 1260 he gave
the Mongol armies their first substantial defeat and turned back the
Mongol conquests of the Middle East. Shortly after that the
Mamluk Sultan was assassinated and Baybars proclaimed himself Sultan.
As sultan, he engaged in a combination of military action and
diplomacy, greatly expand the Mamluk empire. He died in 1277,
possibly from accidentally drinking a poisoned alcoholic beverage he
intended for a rival. These silver Dirhams of Baybars, like
most Mamluk coins, is crude, often with large weakly struck areas. In
addition to inscriptions, most have a crude depiction of a lion at the
bottom of the obverse.
Mamluk power and culture reached its zenith under Al-Nasir Muhammad I.
He served three reigns as Sultan. He was the son of a Mamluk
Sultan, rather than a Mamluk slave. He was first made Sultan
in 1293. He was only 8 years old, so was controlled by
others. He was deposed the following year in a palace
revolt. In 1299 the reigning sultan was murdered and Muhammad
was again placed on the throne, again under the control of
others. He fled the palace in 1309 rather than continue to
submit to authority of others. After the population of Cairo
forced his unpopular successor to flee, he reclaimed his
throne. He ruthlessly cracked down on corruption and those he
infringed on his power. He also engaged in major public works
projects including rebuilding an ancient canal connecting Alexandria
with the Nile and building or rebuilding many mosques, schools and
public baths. We have factional silver Dirhams struck during
Muhammad's third reign from 1310 to 1341. The small, irregularly shaped
coins were struck using dies for the much larger 1 Dirham coin, so most
of the design is off the flan.
In the year following the death of Muhammed in June 1341 there were
three Mamuk sultans, two of which were murdered and the third deposed
as various factions vied for control. In June 1342 As-Salih Isma'il, a
son of Muhammad and one of his concubines became Sultan. He
was a pious ruler that brought some political stability to the Mamluk
empire before he died of an illness in 1345. The Silver Dirhams of
Isma'il, like other Mamluk Dirhams, have Arabic inscriptions on both
sides and are weakly struck.
Item
MAM-BAYB MAMLUK DIRHAM, BAYBARS I, 1260-1277
A-883
VG-crude OUT
Item
MAM-MUH MAMLUK FRACTIONAL DIRHAM, MUHAMMED I
1310-41 A-921
VG-crude
$15.00
Item
MAM-ISM MAMLUK DIRHAM, ISMA'IL 1342-45,
G-VG-crude OUT
CHRIST FEATURED ON
SILVER GROSH
OF THE LAST MEDIEVAL KING OF BULGARIA

Ivan
Sratsimir was the last king of the medieval Bulgarian
Kingdom. He reigned from the city of Vidin from 1356, until
he was
captured and killed by the Ottoman Turks in 1396.
One side of this 16mm silver Grosch depicts the bust of Christ,
blessing with his right hand and holding the Gospel in his
left. To his right and left is the Christogram "
IC –
XC". The other side depicts the king seated on
his throne
holding a scepter in his right hand. The coin shows little if
any wear, but is rather crudely struck.
Item
BG-SRATSIMIR BULGARIA SILVER GROSH OF IVAN
SRATSIMIR 1356-96 VF-crude
$85.00
MEDIEVAL
VENETIAN SILVER COIN DEPICTS CHRIST & ST. MARK

This
silver Grosso was issued for Antonio Venier who was Doge of the
Venetian Republic from 1382 until his death in 1400. Under
his rule Venice acquired numerous Mediterranean islands, including
Corfu and most of Cyclades and Dodecanese. He became renowned for his
sense of justice after allowing his own son to die in prison for his
crimes. One side of the coin depicts Jesus Christ seated upon
a throne. The other side shows St. Mark, the patron saint of
Venice, handing the doge a banner.
Item
VENICE VENICE GROSSO ANTONIO VENIER
1382-1400
VF-crude $125.00
BISHOPRIC
OF DORPAT

The
Bishopric of Dorpat (now
Tartu)
was a prince-bishopric that once
controlled much of what is now south-eastern
Estonia. It was an
important Hanseatic trade center. This small (about 12mm)
silver
1 Lubische (late called 1 Pfennig) was issued by the Bishops of Dorpat
between 1379 and 1441. During this period the Bishopric was
in conflict with the Knights of the Livonian Order who controlled
adjacent territories. Both sides of the coin depict the arms of the
Bishopric which consists of a crossed key and sword. The
Dorpat Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop, was once one of the largest
religious structures in Eastern Europe. It was heavily
damaged in the 1520's during the Protestant Reformation and was
abandoned after the last Bishop was deported to Russia in
1558. Ruins of the once grand cathedral are now part of the
grounds of the University of Tartu. The coin is a reminder of a once
powerful but now extinct Bishopric.
Item
DORPAT BISHOPRIC OF DORPAT SILVER LUBISCHE
1379-1441
VG-F-CRUDE $12.00
FRIEDRICH THE
IRONTOOTH OF
BRANDENBURG

This
silver Bracteate Hohlpfennig was issued by
Friedrich II (Frederick II) who was the
Prince-Elector of the
Margravate of Brandenburg from
1440 to 1470. It is believed that he was nicknamed "The Irontooth" or
"The
Iron" due to his great strength and power. Friedrich
strengthened Brandenburg forming the basis of what was to become
Prussia and the German Empire. The rights of the towns and
nobility were curtailed and he regained Neumark (East Brandenburg) from
the Teutonic Knights. The citizens of Berlin revolted when he
attempted to build a palace on Colin island in the Spree
river. Friedrich prevailed, built the castle that became the
Stadtschloss (Berlin Palace), and the rights of the city were greatly
curtailed. The Stadtschloss was torn down by East Germany in the 1950's
and is now being rebuilt. The silver Bracteate Hohlpfennig is
an extremely thin and single sided coin wtih a raised rim.
The
design is
embossed from the reverse. This coin is approximately 16mm in
diameter and features an eagle with outstretched wings.
Because the coins are so thin and fragile, few survive today.
Item
BRAND BRANDENBURG SILVER HOHLPFENNIG,
FRIEDRICH II 1440-1470, Saurma 4675 F-VF
$39.00
MEDIEVAL CITY
COINS OF THE
MARGARVIATE OF BRANDENBURG
These medieval city Hohlpfennigs were issued during the reign of
Friedrich II Irontooth, who was Prince-elector of the Margraviate of
Brandenburg from 1440 to 1470. A Hohlpfennig is a thin silver
coin, about 16mm in diameter with a raised rim. The coin design is
embossed on one side and incuse on the other. They were widely used in
Northern Germany in the late Middle Ages. The coins depict
the arms of the city in which they were struck. The coin from Stendal
depicts half an eagle on the left and four diamonds on the
right. Stendal is located about 78 miles (125km) west of
Berlin. It the joined Hanseatic League in 1358 and purchased the
privilege of minting from the Brandenburg margraves in 1369.
In 1456 Friedrich II founded a convent for Augustinian nuns in the
city, which today is a museum. The Hohlpfennig from Frankfurt
an der Oder features a plumed knight's helmet. Frankfurt (Oder) is
located about 50 miles (80km.) east of Berlin on the Oder river on what
is now the German-Polish border. It was founded as a Polish
town. In 1249 it became part of the Margraviate of
Brandenburg, The knight's helmet design makes this one of the
more interesting Hohlpfennigs.
Item
STENDAL STENDAL SILVER HOHLPFENNIG, FRIEDRICH
II 1440-70, Bahrfeldt 19 VF-crude
$29.50
Item
FRANK-O FRANKFURT (ODER) SILVER HOHLPFENNIG,
FRIEDRICH
II 1440-70, Bahrfeldt 16 VF-crude
$33.50
SILVER
COIN OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
The Ottoman Empire was a vast, rich, powerful empire that at its peak
spanned three continents, including much of southern Europe, western
Asia and north Africa. It was founded at the end of the 13th century in
what is now Turkey, and lasted until 1922. Its early coinage consisted
primarily of small, poorly struck silver coins. We are
pleased to offer some of the coins of some of the Ottoman's most
important early Sultans. Because the coins were produced in large
quantities and have not been widely
collected, they are still quite reasonably priced.
and
the
Karamanids. In 1450 he led his army into Albania but fell ill
and died. This silver Akce of Murad is dated AH825 (1421 AD). It was
minted at Serez, which is now Serres in Macedonia. The coin is about 11
to 14mm in diameter.
Suleiman the Magnificent
(Suleyman I) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566.
During his long reign he greatly expanded his empire, conquering much
of the Middle East, North Africa, most of Hungary and laid siege to
Vienna twice. He instituted major reforms in education,
taxation and criminal law. He was an accomplished poet,
goldsmith and patron of the arts. This
silver Medini (3 Akces) of Suleiman was struck at the Amid mint, in
what is now Diyabakir in Turkey. Diyabakir, located on the Tigris River
is considered the "un-proclaimed capital of so-called Turkish
Kurdistan". The silver coin is approximately 13mm in diameter
and is dated AH926 (1520AD). It is an historic coin of an
historic monarch.
Item
TR-SUL OTTOMAN, SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
SILVER MEDINI
AH926=1520AD, AMID MINT VG-crude
$6.00
SILVER DENAR OF
TRANSYLVANIA

This
silver Dener of Transylvania was struck for Gabriel Bethlen. Bethlen
became the Prince Transylvania in 1613 with support from the Ottoman
Empire. His reign marked the start of a golden age for
Transylvania. He developed mines and industry, founded a
college
and supported the arts. He nationalized much of the foreign trade,
profits of which helped support his many programs. He was
Calvinist, and waged three wars against the Catholic
Hapsburgs.
In 1620 he was elected King of Hungary. After a string of
military defeats by Hapsburg forces, he renounced the title in 1621 in
return for guarantees of religious freedom for Hungarian
Protestants.. The obverse depicts the Madonna and
Child. The reverse has the arms of
Hungary. The
slightly irregular coin is approximately 13mm. The coin is
dated 1621 and were struck at the Kremnica Mint (KB)
and
show
virtually
no wear.
Item
TRANSY-1621 TRANSYLVANIA 1 DENAR 1621 KM120
XF-AU $75.00
Item
TRANSY-1626 TRANSYLVANIA 1 DENAR 1626 KM162
VF $55.00
ANCIENT
&
MEDIEVAL COIN SPECIAL
A selection of four different identified ancient and medieval coins,
including at least one silver coin. The coins are
from
Europe, India and Central Asia. This was one of my
best
sellers for almost 50 years.
Each coin is identified in its own envelope. Coins grade
About
Good
to Very Fine. Multiple lots will most likely contain the same
coins.
Item
4A&M 4 IDENTIFIED ANCIENT AND
MEDIEVAL COINS INCLUDING
SILVER $19.75
ALSO SEE:
ANCIENT
AND MEDIEVAL COINS OF AFGHANISTAN
ANCIENT
AND MEDIEVAL COINS OF INDIA and PAKISTAN
MEDIEVAL COINS OF
THE MIDDLE EAST
ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL CHINESE
COINS
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