This is a question for @tibor and others. I have just acquired two medieval coins for just 11 Euros, the auction house only listed them as Hungarian from the 12th century. Some attribution guidance would be appreciated. One coin is 2.77g and 27mm, the other is 2.34g and 27mm. One coin is very dark. Auction house photos. Thanks in advance
These seem to be the same as a coin I identified as Bela III (1172-1196): https://www.cointalk.com/threads/coin-id.287536/#post-2585841
@expat The above information is spot on. To learn a little moreabout the coin go to "acsearch.info" and Google "Bela III". This search will bring up 100's coins that have been auctioned. Some have description of just the coin, others may give a little history. ie.: Description World HUNGARY. Béla III, 1172-1196. Rézpénz (Bronze, 27 mm, 3.26 g, 8 h). +SANCTA ARIA The Virgin Mary, nimbate, seated facing on throne, holding scepter in her right hand and Child Jesus in her left. Rev. RЄX BЄLA RЄX STS Bela III and Stephen III enthroned facing within Gothic niche, wearing crowns surmounted by crosses, each holding long scepter in right hand and globus cruciger in left; above, cross. Huszár 72. Réthy 98. A very attractive and sharply struck example. Extremely fine. Style and fabric of this type closely resemble the famous Byzantine Trachy coinage, attesting the deep cultural influence the empire exerted over southeastern Europe. It is worth noting that Bela himself was sent to Constantinopolis by his older brother Stephen at the age of 15 years, where he grew up at the court of Manuel I Comnenus. Like so many foreign princes before him, the young Bela must have been deeply impressed by the magnificent and highly cultivated capital of the venerable Empire. He eventually got engaged with Maria, Manuel's daughter, and adopted the name Alexios when he became the Byzantine crown prince in 1165. However, when a son was born to Manuel I in 1169, Bela lost his rank and his engagement with Maria was dissolved, laying the foundation for his return to Hungary in 1172 when his brother Stephan was poisoned. Description World HUNGARY. Béla III, 1172-1196. Rézpénz (Bronze, 23 mm, 1.40 g, 10 h). Pseudo-Kufic legend in inner field and outer margin. Rev. Pseudo-Kufic legend in inner field and outer margin. Huszár 73. Réthy 101-103. Minor areas of weakness and with four minor cracks along the edge, otherwise, good very fine. When the body of Bela III and his wife Agnes of Antiocha were found in 1848, among the artifacts discovered in their grave was a beautiful ring with the Kufic inscription 'Abdallah ibn Muhammad' ('Abdallah son of Muhammad' in Kufic). This fascinating personal jewelry attests the King's fondness for Islamic art, as do his coins with Pseudo-Kufic legends. The prototype for the present issue was first identified by P. T. Nagy. It is a dinar struck by the ruler of Murcia in al-Andalus, 'Abdallah ibn 'Iyad (AH 540-543 = AD 1145-1147) (Cf. P. T. Nagy: 'Islamic” Artifacts in Hungary from the Reign of Bela III (1172-1196): Two Case Studies', in: Annual of Medieval Studies at CEU 22 (2016), p. 55).
Glad I was able to help. Last month I bought a collection that had a piece in it. Do you have any of the Hungarian denars?
No, unfortunately I have very few Medieval coins. It is something that I should rectify, but I am fixated on Ancient Rome Imperial and Republic.
