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 Replies: 6 / Views: 1,292 |
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Valued Member
Finland
79 Posts |
One more mystery coin has arised from the huge silver coin lot. This coin has arabic inscription on it, but I think was able to identify the coin to be from Persian (or Iran) kingdom and I believe the mint year is muslim era 1317...but please correct if I'm mistaken. But anyway, that's about all that I can identify, since I cannot find this coin/medal from regular Krause coin catalogs. Thus I'd once again need you guys helping me out to positively identify this coin or medal...and of course, some catalog value would also be appreciated. Here is a photograph of the coin:  -JJ- |
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Moderator
 Australia
16812 Posts |
Hmm. I can't find it in Krause either, and I'd agree with your reading of "1317" for the date. Searching Krause is made more complicated by the fact that "year 1317" happened in Iran twice; in (AD) 1899 it was 1317 in the "ordinary Islamic" Lunar Hejira (AH) calendar, the same as for the rest of the Islamic world. In (AD) 1925 when Shah Reza took the throne, the Solar Hegira (SH) calendar was adopted and AH 1343 became SH 1304. The year 1317 thus happened again, in (AD) 1938.
In any event, the title of the Shah on your piece (in the centre of the non-lion side) gives the name (by my reading) as Muzaffar al-Din Shah, who reigned (AD) 1896-1907, so it looks like it is AH 1317, or 1899.
I suspect it's a medal, both for the atypical lettering around the Shah's name (rather than the normal wreath) and the apparent remnants of an attached loop. The lion-side looks identical to the 5000 dinars issued in AH 1293-1297 (KM# A914, 914 and 915); I suspect the Persian mint took a "waste not, want not" approach to old dies sitting around, and used it to make the medal.
Assuming it's a medal, I'm not sure what it commemorates. Maybe someone who can understand Persian script better than I can give us a translation of the writing around the rim of the non-Lion side?
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2254 Posts |
The closest thing I could find during my search was Iranian, and it seemed the best fit was in the Dinar denomination. 2000 and 5000. The only problem I was having is that ALL of the coins I have been looking at have the "Kiani crown" pictured on at least one side. I assume this denotes the coin as actual currency?
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Valued Member
 Finland
79 Posts |
Sap, Krause states that on some medallic issues, the other side of the medal was struck similar to regular coins. I also noted that the lion-side is very similar to 2000/5000 dinar coins, but the script-side threw me off, since there is no wreath, but some inscription.
Any idea, if this is listed in Krause Special Coin catalogs?
-JJ-
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Valued Member
Finland
79 Posts |
Mystery solved; one finnish coin enthusiast found it. This item is indeed a medal, listed in a book 'Unusual World Coins', here is a quote from an email: quote:
Iran, medals of valor:
... These are often confused and catalogued as actual coins, and manyof the earlier types actually circulated alongside regular coinage. Examples with mountings removed sell for 60 - 80 % of the valuations given.
# MV 30 Non-denominated
Silver Ruler: Muzaffar al-Din Shah AH1313-1324 / 1896-1907AD
Obv: Sun behind lion standing left on shelf holding sword in sprys
Rev: Continuous legend around Shah's inscription
Note: Typical ribbon mounting
Date AH1317
CV: F 30.00, VF 40.00, XF 90.00, UNC 135
-JJ- |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
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Moderator
Australia
16812 Posts |
Well Done!  Sorry I wasn't as much help with this one. I do have the Krause "Unusual World Coins" catalogue (an old, 1992 edition) but it was on loan; I only got it back this morning.  I can verify that it is indeed listed in my copy of UWC, with those comments. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Replies: 6 / Views: 1,292 |
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Posted 03/10/2007 10:59 am
