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Forget Years, Try Collecting Medieval Coins By The Month!

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Spence's Avatar
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34427 Posts
 Posted 11/19/2016  2:03 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Some of you may have noticed my focus on coins with dates, but the most recent addition to my collection takes this a step further as the coin also lists both the month and year of minting. I'll provide some of the details in this post, but I would like to draw your attention to Ron's excellent earlier post (and superior coin) of this same type:

http://goccf.com/t/231893

From what I read (and so please correct me if I get something wrong...), Genghis Khan had sent a trade mission to the Khwarazmian Dynasty (covering many of the modern-day 'stans) in 1218 AD that was treated roughly. As retribution, he invaded and in the later months of the year AH 617 (1220/1221 AD), the Khwarazmians were quickly being pummeled by his army. After the cities of Bukhara and Samarkand (both in modern day Uzbekistan) fell, the Sultan Ala-ud-din Muhammed told the remaining cities in his realm that they were basically on their own. In the fourth month of AH 618 ("Rabi II" which corresponds to June or July of 1221 AD), the city of Kurzuwan (in modern day Afghanistan) was under siege and minted coins with not only the year, but also the month of their minting. This practice lasted into the fifth month of AH 618 ("Jumada al-Awwal") before abruptly stopping when the city fell and its inhabitants were generally slaughtered. Any captives would have been assimilated into the Mongol clan Sartuul.

The obv inscription contains the mint and the Kalima: "Kurzuwan/There is no God but Allah/Muhammad is the apostle of Allah" while the rev inscription has the date and in the center, "al-Malik".

The coins of these two months are not uncommon, with a couple dozen available on vcoins right now in the $25 to $40 range. Mine is somewhat typical of the series, with a good amount of the inscription off of the flan. It can be attributed as Album 1971.



Forget-Years,-Try-Collecting-Medieval-Coins-By-The-Month!

Forget-Years,-Try-Collecting-Medieval-Coins-By-The-Month!
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb

"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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echizento's Avatar
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 Posted 11/19/2016  2:26 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Nice coin and excellent write up. I'm surprised that these coins are not rare considering that they were only struck for a two month period and than the city no longer existed. I don't know of any records stating how many people lived in the city, but the records state that the Khan slaughtered everyone. The scene of carnage most have been terrible. The Khan was sending a message to other cities not to mess with him or they would get the same.
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Kamnaskires's Avatar
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 Posted 11/19/2016  2:34 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kamnaskires to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Another great write-up from the board's king of write-up's. (Also holds the titles of "king of educating the masses," and of "fostering enthusiasm for the hobby." Call him Dave at your own peril! Long live the king!)
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Spence's Avatar
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 Posted 11/19/2016  3:05 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
board's king of write-up's


Thanks for the praise Bob, but I think that there are about six or seven of us who really bring it when we post. You sir, are one of them.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb

"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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moxking's Avatar
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 Posted 11/19/2016  4:27 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add moxking to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Very much enjoyed the tale. We are fortunate to have coins as they are often all that is left of entire populations.
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 Posted 11/20/2016  9:50 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add january1may to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
For ancient coins, the most famous example of month dated coins is probably the Parthian tetradrachms. Due to the way the legend was centered, 1st century coins with identifiable month dates are very rare; here is a 2nd century example.

The most famous month dated coin series overall is of course gun money, which are just a bit too late for this forum, being 17th century.
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Kamnaskires's Avatar
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 Posted 11/20/2016  10:24 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kamnaskires to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
For ancient coins, the most famous example of month dated coins is probably the Parthian tetradrachms.


Well, I certainly can't pass up a segue like that. I've got a handful of tets with readable months. Here are two.

Phraates IV
tetradrachm, 38 - 2 BC
(struck July 37 BC, Seleucia on the Tigris mint)
Sellwood 50.3

The year, expressed in the Seleucid era, is in tiny Greek letters between the legs of the throne on the reverse. The month, in an abbreviated Greek form for July, is in exergue.


Forget-Years,-Try-Collecting-Medieval-Coins-By-The-Month!



And a Phraataces
tetradrachm, 2 BC - 4 AD
(stuck November, 2 BC, Seleucia on the Tigris mint)
Sellwood 57.11v.

The year is below the archer's bow, month in exergue.

Forget-Years,-Try-Collecting-Medieval-Coins-By-The-Month!


Sorry, Dave, to have knocked more than a millenium off the thread's theme. But, then, it's really january1may's fault. I mean, come on, like I'm gonna pass on an opening like the one he gave me?
Edited by Kamnaskires
11/20/2016 10:52 pm
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Spence's Avatar
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 Posted 11/21/2016  06:20 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Great discussion and fantastic additions to the post!
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb

"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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