Here is a remarkable "Turkoman bronze": Nasr al-Din Artuq Arslan, 597-637 AH, AD 1201-1239. Large. 29-28 mm. 11.15 grams. Turkish male head facing, stars either side in field, his name in Arabic around. 4-line legend (2 large, 2 tiny) in six-pointed star (with two solid lines and continuous beading between them) and six further bits of legend (the date) outside the angles of the star. Spengler/Sayles 37.1, the two-big-line unpictured variety instead of the usual three-big-line variety. CNG XXVIII (Dec. 8, 1993) lot 738 was one of this variety. I have a web page with references to Turkoman "figural" bronzes. http://augustuscoins.com/ed/catalogs/Turkoman.html (If you have suggestions for other references, please let me know.) The page mentions and comments on the usual book references. In addition, it includes many sale catalogs because catalogs can show you what a collection might look like and give you real prices realized, as well as show you what quality is available. This one is a scarcer variety, deeply struck and well-centered with all the legends legible, and little wear. Not bad for a pickup in a group lot!
Truly a scarcer type and much better preserved than normal. Congratulations on the score. I love these coins, but admit only have like 8-10 types so far. So many other collecting interests take time away.
I have a budget coin from this fellow, I love the style of these! Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan (1201 - 1239 AD) AE Dirham AH 618 (1221/1222 AD) Obverse: Male bust (Helios?) facing slightly right. Reverse: Kufic legend
@Valentinian - reviving this thread which clearly fell too quickly from view. Your coin is quite enviable. Spengler-Sayles Vol. I, is the only reference I have. My secondary collection lately seems to be growing in "obscure coins no one else is competing to buy". I couldn't resist this coin - my second of the Artuqids of Mardin: Nasir al-Din Artuq Arslan, AE 1/2 Dirham, AH 597-637 (AD 1201-1239) Obv: Male head facing slightly left, hair disheveled, garment fastened with a clasp at neckline to the right, surrounded by circular legends in angular transitional Kufic, ﺮﻜﺑﺭﺎﻳﺩ ﻚﻠﻣ ﻥﻼﺳﺭﺍ ﻖﺗﺭﺍ ﻦﻳﺪﻟﺍﻭ ﺎﻴﻧﺪﻟﺮﺻﺎﻧ Translation: "Nasır al-Dunya wa al-din Artuk Arslan Malik Diyarbekr" Rev: Script in five lines ﺏﻮﻳﺍ ﻦﺑ ﺮﻜﺑﻮﺑﺍ ﻝﺩﺎﻌﻟﺍ ﻚﻠﻤﻟﺍﻦﻴﻨﻣﺆﻤﻟﺍﺮﻴﻣﺍﻪﻠﻟﺍ ﻦﻳﺪﻟﺮﺻﺎﻨﻟﺍ ﺪﻤﺣﺍ ﺱﺎﺒﻌﻟﺍﻮﺑﺍ Translation: "Abu 'l-'Abbas Ahmad al-Nasır li-din Allah Amir al-mu'minin al-Malik al-'Adil abu Bakr bin Ayyub" Size: 22mm, 6.24g Ref: Spengler-Sayles Type 40 p132 Spengler-Sayles suggest (and stop well short of concluding) that the obverse could be a representation of the sun personified, as the rulers of Mardin had an affinity for solar representations on their coins. Whatever the image represents - this particular seems to me to be well executed, good style, excellent condition with an even dark brown/green patina.
This is a wonderful coin: excellent design and condition and a big and heavy piece too. I was often tempted to venture into this field, because it includes so many very unsusual coins. So far I manged to resist this temptation.
