I'm too impatient for the time machine to get back to the fifteenth century! And while there was already this thread on early dated coins, it was about the general history and not cointalkers' examples--and it was also restricted to AD dates written in arabic numerals. So, what is your earliest dated coin? It can be in any dating system, using any kind of numeral. Mine is from 1494 in Roman numerals--MCCCCLXXXXIIII. I just wrote it up in another thread, but here it is again: Giovanni II Bentivoglio (1494-1506). Bologna. Pattern Testone. 1494. O/ II BONONIENSIS IOANNES BENTIVO LVS. Capped bust to the. R/ B XIMILIANI IMPERATORIS MVNV MCCCCLXXXX IIII. Chim.221. Hill 606. AE 10.96g 29.00mm Dies engraved by Francesco Raibolini called Francesco Francia. RR. Original strike. Plugged hole. XF.
This coin has the date in Roman numerals on the left image. The date is 1204 SE. The SE or Es-Safar refers to the Spanish Era a calendar system that Augustus Caesar introduced in38 BC, The coins were made in Toledo, Spain. The 1204 date translates to 1166 AD.
This Groschen was struck at the Jungheit mint. This piece is generally accepted as the first collectable Early Dated coin. It shows up at auction occasionally. This is one of my favorites.
I have many, are some examples.... Kings of the Bosphorus AV Stater dated BE (ONV)=459=162/3AD King Eupator with Roman Emperors Lucius Verus/ Marcus Aurelius AV Dinar dated AH321= 932AD Madinat-al-Salam Mint Abbasid Caliphate Al-Qahir 932-32AD
Attached is a Byzantine bronze coin that is actually dated on the reverse side, see photos below. The coin was struck at the Nicomedia Mint in the 2nd workshop (officina) in the reign of Justinian I. It's a 40 nummi coin, 40 mm, 22.47 gm. The inscription on the reverse reads ANNO XIII, meaning it was struck in the 13th year of Justinian's reign, corresponding to AD 539/540.
Nice coins! Here is one from Spain AV Morabetino Safar 1222=1184AD Toledo Mint Alfonso VIII 1158-1214 King of Castile & Leon
@panzerman Your Alfonso VIII gold dinar is beautiful. The same ruler struck my obol and dinero as struck your gold dinar. For the financially well healed they can go for a date run on those gold pieces. The earliest date known is 1212=1164AD continuing off and on thru 1251=1203AD. There are gaps between these dates, not every date had an issue. Enrique I issued two in the same style with the date being the difference 1254=1206AD and 1255=1207AD.
@Al Kowsky Your Follis or 40 Nummi coin is really nice. Not many survived this nice. Later Emperors reduced the size quite a bit in later years. One day I would like to put together a collection of all of the regnal dated Byzantine by date, ruler, officina and denomination.
This coin is not well preserved but I think it is very old: Judaea, Johannes Hyrcanus (Yehochanan), 135-104 BC struck for Antiochus VII Sidetes (Euergetes) AE - Prutah, 2.31g, 13.75mm, 0° struck in Jerusalem, 131/130 BC (year 182) obv. BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ANTIOXOV / EVEPΓETOV around anchor below BΠP (year 182) rev. lily in dot circle ref. Hendin V 1131; Hendin IV, 451; AJC p. 160, 3 about VF/G Best regards
tibor, Thanks, I looked a long time to find one this nice that I could afford . I've seen better examples in the $1,500 - 2,000 range . Your goal described in this post is a lofty one ! You might need a couple of lifetimes to achieve it . If you confined yourself to just the 40 nummi coins that would be a monumental goal . Luckily there aren't many collectors of Byzantine bronze coins yet, so get started soon.
panzerman, Your gold dinar is a handsome coin as are the other two you posted earlier. Many people forget how deeply entrenched Islam penetrated Europe, this coin is a reminder....
Jochen, Your Judaean coin is a good example, especially having a legible date. For the most part coinage from ancient Judaea is crude but possesses a certain charm in it's simplicity. I've got one dated Shekel, equally crude, that was most likely struck in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, that is also dated. See photos below.
Thanks, you are correct, the Umayyad armies were defeated at Tours by Charles Martel in 732. Then in 1529 Sulieman laid seige to Vienna, only the Winter, extended supply lines saved Vienna. Had there been no civil war between the Abbasids and Umayyads, had Suliemans first born son become Sultan instead of the useless Selim II/ things might have looked different today. John
1374 tibor, Your handsome 1 Groschen coin of 1374 has an excellent depiction of Charlemagne behind the coat of arms of AAchen. The date of 1374 has great historical significance for the city of AAchen; on June 24th of that year thousands of people began to dance hysterically in the streets ! They danced until falling to the ground from exhaustion, with many even dying from exhaustion. It was one of the most bizarre incidents in Medieval history. Today it is believed these citizens ate rye bread that was contaminated with crystalline alkaloids, giving effects similar to LDS.
