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 Replies: 16 / Views: 3,000 |
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New Member
United States
6 Posts |
Edited by TexChic
03/10/2018 4:26 pm
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
Hasmonian or later Dynasty 1 Prutah? Not enough to tell from pix, this may give a direction. I seem to get the anchor impression from yours. This is the period of the Judean Maccabean Priest/Prince rulership pre-Christ. Their coins depicted no human images, just symbolism and Hebrew characters. Coming from the correct area is a major suspect! https://en.numista.com/catalogue/in...&p=1&x=8&y=6Edited by Crazyb0
03/10/2018 8:19 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Possibly too far gone to i.d. While my first thought too was Judaean, I'm now leaning toward a Fals.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
 to the community Can't tell what they are from your pictures. You might be able to clean them up a bit by washing them in warm water with mild soap. You can also soak them in distilled water or olive oil for a few weeks. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Sometimes, genuine coins with an honest provenance can be sold to tourists for a tidy profit, but also at a reasonable price for the tourist.
Such is a coin like this one.
I would prefer to buy such a coin to a tourist fake, as a memento of my visit.
Just be careful that you have permission to take it out of the country where it was found.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Just to share my 2 cents. Hopefully the coin cleans up a bit so that i.d.'ing may be possible...but I fear that may be a bit much too hope for. I thought Judaean initially but I don't think I see any of the usual Judaean motifs (anchor, double cornucopias, etc.) - but it's hard to tell for sure. I think the curved shape may be a full circle rather than a crescent, struck off-center. There may (or may not) be a pentagram/star in it - again hard to tell with the wear and encrustations. I don't think it's the rayed-stars of Hasmonean prutahs. I agree with Butch (Crazyb0) that "Coming from the correct area is a major suspect!" But that could just as easily point to a regional mint for a Fals, such as Iliya (Jerusalem) or Al-ramla (Central Israel). Below is a comparison, for what it's worth (not much). Unless the coin cleans up I don't think we can do better than guess.  Similar, but a hexagram/Seal of Solomon in this one:  Edited by Kamnaskires
03/10/2018 9:44 pm
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New Member
 United States
6 Posts |
Thank you everyone for your help! You're the best!
Bob L. thank you for your photos! The third orange colored coin in both of your shared group photos looks just like my top coin image under 30x magnification. I can see the star shape. What is the bump on part of the side of the star? So it is a FALs? What does that mean and is it rare? Is it also copper then instead of bronze?
Also didn't know you had to get permission before taking out of country. How do you do that? Two different Israeli tour guides during 3 trips there said if found laying on ground, you can pick up but no digging for them. I found this coin myself and showed it to our guide who was happy for me. We thought it was a widows mite before some cleaning but definitely no anchors, sunburst, or cornucopia.
Based on information I gleaned online, I have soaked the coin in olive oil for few weeks and then in distilled water which have helped a lot. Will continue to keep doing that to see if it cleans up more. Any other cleaning solutions I can use or tips for cleaning? Is there something I shouldn't do to clean it and is there something I should do to protect it after cleaning?
Even if this coin doesn't clean up more, or not rare, it is a nice momento of the trip. Sorry for so many questions but I really want to be informed and learn. Thanks again.
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Moderator
United States
188770 Posts |
to the Community! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
I wouldn't worry too much about "permission" for this one. It is always possible to run into an extraordinarily picayune customs inspector at an airport but seeing the experts here can't figure it so well I doubt they will either !
I once kicked some gravel as a teenager walking by the famous ancient toilets of Corinth. Picked up a pebble and dropped it into my change pocket. It was a marble pinky toe. Complete with well groomed nail.
My history as a looter of antiquities !
If anyone does ask
Be honest !
"I found it laying beside the road"
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Point taken about legal permission, but I do know of an Australian lawyer tourist trying to leave India with 20 Victorian era silver rupees. They were confiscated, and he was jailed for 6 months.
Some Indian customs officials are rather officious, and try to earn Brownie point in the face of their superiors, over sometimes petty situations.
That sort of story makes me rather wary when I am traveling.
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New Member
United States
6 Posts |
A few more questions please. In the coin photos that Bob L posted, does that top coin have a specific name it is called other than FALs? what is the orange-colored star shaped coin in each grouping and why is it different than the coin right next to it that has a different star shape on it? Is this just two different minting possibilities? Which side is called the obverse of this coin; the star or the legend?
I'm very sure that orange-colored coin has the same markings as my coin but it isn't that orange color. Will have to wait to see if other side cleans up more to see if I can make it out but believe it is the legend. Are there links to other photos of this coin in a book or online? Also, I don't understand the abbreviations under the photos; is there a place in this forum that explains them?
Thank you for the welcome JBuck!
Edited by TexChic
03/11/2018 5:00 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
TexChic, welcome. Just to clarify, the coin on the right in my post is indeed your coin, lightened (in Photoshop) to make it somewhat easier to see for the comparisons. Fals is a coin denomination; AE in the description means bronze; Solomon's Seal (or Seal of Solomon) is the term sometimes used for the hexagram as applied to Islamic coinage, although I believe it applies to the pentagram as well.
Edited by Kamnaskires
03/11/2018 10:40 am
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New Member
United States
6 Posts |
Bob L, thank you for your quick reply and info. (I was just editing my post when you replied.). Is there a book or online link that shows more picture samples of this coin or explains the engravings and writing on the legend? Which side is considered the obverse side of this coin and does it have a name it is called other than a FALs?
Thanks Bob! Grateful to know what my coin is and not have it be a mystery.
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New Member
United States
6 Posts |
Thank you to everyone who welcomed me and gave your helpful observations and tips. I searched and searched online trying to find a photo that even slightly resembled my coin without any success. One post on this website, and you gave me my answer! That's fantastic!!
FVRIVS RVFVS, that is a funny story about the pinky toe! I bet you were surprised to see what it really was.
I also appreciate the suggestions about checking with authorities before taking something out of a country to protect myself. I literally did find it by the path where we walked. They had had some heavy rains that exposed it on top of the ground and its roundness caught my eye.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
TexChic, I hope you'll expand your interest in ancients and stick around here. The more the merrier.
Just to clarify: I am in no way certain about the attribution, but simply offered a best guess based on the images. There is still the possibility the coin may be Judaean or any of a number of other things from the past two millennia. But I do think that an Umayyad fals is a strong contender. Fyi, the images I provided are from ACSearch.info.
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New Member
United States
6 Posts |
Oh, I see. That orange colored coin is MY coin edited to show the details more and it is slightly rotated also. I thought it was a different coin! It doesn't really match those two star images on the two you posted. I still see a person facing left superimposed over the right side of the star on my coin. But I will continue letting it clean in distilled water and keep searching. If I get a clearer image in the future, I will post an updated photo.
If anyone comes across my coin in your searches, please let me know. Thanks again for your suggestions.
Edited by TexChic
03/12/2018 12:06 am
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Replies: 16 / Views: 3,000 |
Posted 03/10/2018 7:47 pm
