At first look, I knew the obverse of this coin shows something totally new to me. The Arabic legend on reverse should identify it as Islamic. It could be of the Seljuk type. But still, the image on obverse is somewhat unusual, especially for these coins. Hope someone has a similar one. Thank you.
The Artuqids of Mardin issued some very interesting coins. I think that's who issued your coin. Similar examples: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6116776 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3363399
Wow, that's an awesome type, if just a tad violent! *Knock knock* Who's there? Artuqids! Artuqids who? Our two kids want some ice cream, please!
You don't have to guess. You can look up comparisons in CNG's archives, ACsearch, Vcoins, MA-shops, and eBay .
Surprising because of the strictures against graven images in Islam, including the human figure. As I recall they also struck coins with the ruler helmeted holding spear and shield. Very reminiscent of the coins of Probus and also some obvious ones that echo back to old Byzantium.
I believe the logic was that these were not PM, but token value, so they did not fall within the prohibition of graven images on coinage. Sayles and Spengler wrote the best references on these. Unfortunately only 2 of the planned 3 books were published
CNG describes the obverse in the catalogs as "Seated Turk holding sword and severed head (Mars); name of Nur al-Din replaced with floret in left field / Four line legend within double marginal legend, citing the Abbasid caliph al-Nasir and two Ayyubid overlords." Sayles and Spengler explain that it is not the god Mars, but "an astrological representation of the planet Mars." This idea of an astrological representations on these coins was first suggested in 1875 by Lane-Poole. The floret described as a "rose spray" may be something else (poppies?)
It's not that Islam prohibits graven images on coins but that graven images are prohibited altogether in fundamentalist Islam. Some have suggested that since the Turks were relatively recently arrived from the east, they were not yet fully Islamicized. Others attribute these figural coins to the influence of Nestorian Christians among the Turks. The variety is fascinating, ranging from classical prototypes to the completely novel.
Maybe. I was just saying a theory I heard. If you go back to other Islamic issues, usually the first coins to depict an image were the base metal coins, and the PM ones the last. I love how S&S matches each issue up with the ancient prototype.
@Alegandron obviously prefers a higher level of deft, sophisticated wit, which is sadly lacking from this particular purveyor of numismatic knock-knock jokes. Daughter groans at my "dad jokes" all the time, but I submit to you: if they weren't properly groan-inducing, would they even be "dad jokes" in the first place? I expect not.
Yes, while minting of gold and silver was reserved for caliphs and kings alone (known as the "right of sikka"), the bronze coinage was mostly civic in nature and local authorities must have felt freer to experiment with diverse types. I did not mean to imply that the metal was not a factor, only that the ban on graven images is not limited to coins.
LOL, 6 daughters. I git it. My jokes delivered to them were always droll and dry. And not as a formal joke, rather as an observation or interjection. Usually followed by their “oh, GAWD, Dad!”. My response was “you can just call me Dad. That will do.”
Sorry. We can now resume discussion of the coins in question. (I will say, however, that my corny knock-knock joke ensures that I will remember the term Artuqid, for they are on my radar now.)
