Ancient languages/scripts on coins

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Dajo, Jun 16, 2020.

  1. Dajo

    Dajo Member

    No idea whether this has been done before, but it might be fun to make a list of different ancient languages (and their scripts) as we have it on coins in our collection. Let’s define ‘ancients’ here as any coin before 1000 AD. Please show a picture of the coin and tell a bit of the language on it, if you know about it. There were many old languages around, some of which made it on coins. Some even with scripts which are not yet fully deciphered.

    Let’s start with the old Hebrew script on this Prutah of John Hyrcanus I, who was a Maccabean leader and Jewish high priest in the 2nd century BCE. He reigned Judea from 134 BCE until his death in 104 BCE.

    Prutah_John Hyrcanus I a.jpg
    The script on this coin says:

    ‘Yehochanan, the high priest, and council of the Jews’.

    David Jacobson shows in his book Antioch and Jerusalem – The Seleucids and Maccabees in Coins shows that the script on this prutah resembles the paleo-Hebrew script of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Quite interesting to find it back on coins… Script on John Hyrcanus Prutah.jpg
     

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  3. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Great topic, and that's a lovely prutah!

    Sogdian:
    Screen Shot 2020-06-16 at 1.15.13 PM.jpg
    Sogdian coin legends are still quite mysterious. The alphabet is derived from Aramaic. The legend on this particular "bust / archer" type coin from Samarqand has been given a number of different transliterations:

    Zeimal: sprwrzh or nprwrnh
    Alram: gpkw ML'
    Mitchiner: TaVR'AKa​

    I once had a go at the legend by looking at pieces on Zeno where it was clear. There are a few different versions, some with alternate letterforms, but they do seem closely related:
    Screen Shot 2020-06-16 at 3.16.44 PM.jpg

    Here's an example with just the legend on the obverse (Zeno #140949, not my coin):
    Screen Shot 2020-06-16 at 6.59.06 PM.jpg

    Based on the work of Sims-Williams (an expert on ancient Sogdian) my own best guess for a transliteration was this:
    yzkwkpk​
    When I wrote to him, Sims-Williams said that interpreting the coin legends is very difficult because they're so short... there are a number of possibilities. He wouldn't hazard a guess.

    That's as far as I got. No idea what it means... and nor does anyone else, it seems! Mysteries are fun.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2020
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  4. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Welcome to CT Ancients, @Dajo

    OSCAN

    upload_2020-6-16_17-50-9.png
    Campania CAPUA
    AE 14-5mm 216-211 Second Punic War - revolt from Rome
    Hera
    Oscan Grain ear
    Hannibal's capital of Italia
    SNG Fr 517 SNG ANS 219 HN Italy 500
    Ex: EE Clain Stefanelli


    upload_2020-6-16_17-52-34.png
    Marsic Confederation
    Denarius
    89 BCE
    Italia Left - Oscan for ITALIA
    Bovianum-
    Minted Asernia-Samnia
    HN Italy 407 Sear 230
    SCARCE


    RASENNA (ETRURIAN) upload_2020-6-16_21-1-27.png

    upload_2020-6-16_17-55-12.png
    Rasenna, Fufluna (Etruria Populonia) upload_2020-6-16_21-0-3.png
    AR 2-1/2 As
    3rd C BCE
    Radiate Female Hd CII (Retrograde in Rasna)
    Blank
    EC 104 HN Italy 179
    RARE 2 exist
    Ex: EE Clain Stefanelli
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2020
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  5. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    upload_2020-6-16_18-16-33.png
    Mongols-Ghazna
    mnt Khwarezm
    Genghis Khan 1206-1227 CE
    AE Jital
    Islamic
    R - only The Just Kahn in title
    Album 1969 Tye 329


    SOGDIAN
    upload_2020-6-16_18-21-23.png
    Sogdiana
    silk road
    700-800 CE
    AE Cash
    Tamga Samitan R

    upload_2020-6-16_18-22-3.png
    Sogdiana - Hyrcodes
    3rd-4th C CE
    AR Scyphate Obol or Reduced Drachm
    12mm 0.56g
    Bukhara mint
    Male-Deity
    BMC Baktria p118
     
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  6. Spaniard

    Spaniard Well-Known Member

    Here's an Iberic coin..I'm pretty sure the first Iberian scripts are dated around the 4th century BC..
    normal_1-20190803_1-3Nxiz9nYojC87KpJg6Sd4sqLCoQ5Db_(1).jpg
    Spain, Bolskan (Osca). Circa 150-100 BC. AE Unit (10.35 gm, 24mm).
    Obverse: Bearded head right; dolphin behind.
    Reverse: "BOLSKAN" in Celt-Iberian in exergue, rider on horse right, holding spear; star behind.
    CNH 8; SNG BM Spain 734; SNG Copenhagen 325. VF.
     
  7. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    QIN - Consolidation of China

    upload_2020-6-16_18-25-57.png
    China
    Qin
    220-180 BCE
    AE 12 Zhu
    Ban Liang
    Blank
    H7.7
     
  8. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    CARTHAGE - Punic / Phoenician

    upload_2020-6-16_18-36-2.png
    Carthage
    AE 31mm
    Trishekel 220-215 BCE
    2nd Punic War
    Tanit
    Horse Palm Punic "th"
    SNG COP 342
     
  9. Spaniard

    Spaniard Well-Known Member

    Here's anotherin Brahmi script first seen being used in India around 270BC..
    normal_nag.jpg
    Nagas of Padmavati 335-340AD 1/4 Kakini with quite nice detail for this type of coin and reasonably central.
    9mm dia and 0.69gr.
    Obverse - Humped bull standing left.
    Reverse- Maharaja sri ga (Ganendra) in Brahmi script.
     
  10. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    I have a few of these, and always thought the script / lettering was so cool from Celtiberia.
     
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  11. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    SKYTHIAN

    Ancient Indian Script used in Gandahara (Karosthi)
    upload_2020-6-16_18-41-38.png
    INDIA, Indo-Scythian Kings. Azes I. Ca 57-30 BC.
    AR Drachm, 2.3g, 15mm, 11h.
    Obv.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN MEΓAΛOY / AZOY; Emperor on horseback right, holding whip and raising right hand, bow on his back. Karosthi letter in right field.
    Rev.: MAHARAJASA RAJARAJASA MAHATASA AYASA; Zeus standing left, holding long scepter and Nike, monograms in right and left fields.
    Reference: Senior - ,Whitehead -
    Ex: @John Anthony
     
  12. Ignoramus Maximus

    Ignoramus Maximus Nomen non est omen.

    Nice idea!I love a Babylonian Confusion of Tongues!

    I have only this one to add. To be honest, it's not even a proper language. But since it frequently appears on ancient coins I think it has earned its place in the thread.
    Sorry if I've posted the coin before, but it is my only example of the type.

    I mean of course the garbled legend. I propose to call it 'Blunder' for the occasion or 'Blunderic', that has a nice Celtic ring to it. 'Garbleric', sounds nice as well.

    I hope it's acceptable as a language in this thread, even if only as the language of the illiterate.

    Celtic Lower Danube.jpg
    Eastern Europe, Lower Danube, 1st cent.BC.
    Tetradrachm imitating Thasos. 33 mm. 16,25 gr.
    Obv: wreathed head of Dionysos
    Rev: Herakles, club, amphora.
    Blundered legend/contolmark.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2020
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  13. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad I AM SPARTACUS

    I've been working on a project called Ancient Coin Visual Keyboard for the past couple of years. It's purpose is to type out the characters based on what you see on the coin, copy and paste online like Facebook and any website that accepts Unicode. Also to display in text programs like Notepad and more, also to print pages and attribution cards for coins.

    Here is what's supported so far. It's best to use on a PC or Laptop. Some fonts are supported by Windows Vista to 10, the others you have to find. The links are there to go directly to the website to download the fonts.

    http://www.forumancientcoins.com/ancientwhitesheet/font-support-test.html

    Here is the keyboard page to check out. The first page is the Greek page, the links are at the bottom for other scripts.

    http://www.forumancientcoins.com/ancientwhitesheet/AC-VK-Greek-Latin.html

    Last but not least here is a page using the Symbol font to type Greek on images.

    http://www.forumancientcoins.com/ancientwhitesheet/ascii-pre-unicode-font.html

    Here are a few images I made for posting on Facebook, showing how to read some coins.

    chinese-tang-alphabet.png

    judaea-revolt-two-alphabet-1.png

    greek-lysimachos-alphabet.png

    capua-campania-oscan.png

    nabataean-aretas-shaqylat-alphabet.png

    I'm going to make a second post with a few more photos. There are five here so far.
     
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  14. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad I AM SPARTACUS

    102934082_10218370813763461_7397811041756724877_n.jpg

    102719354_10218370591237898_625407849324276123_n.jpg

    102691618_10218370371352401_9192064372302871767_n.jpg

    101984001_10218361218283580_2622919691395399680_n.jpg

    102340272_10218352496785548_2927907457978073088_n.jpg

    That's all for now.
     
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  15. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    Okay... hear me out on this one:

    Anglo-Saxon:
    Med-09a-Eng-997-Aethelred II-D-LC-Canterbury-Leofric-1151.jpg England
    Athelred II, r. 978-1016 (997-1003)
    Canterbury Mint, AR Long Cross Penny, 19.65 mm x 1.8 grams
    Obv.: +ÆÐELRED REX ANGLO[rum]. Bare-headed bust left
    Rev.: +LEO FRIC MΩO CENT. Voided long cross, each end terminating in three crescents
    Ref.: North 774, SCBC 1151
    Note: Peck marked and holed, likely by the Vikings

    While the Latin script is predominantly used, there are both Germanic letters contained on this coin (such as Æ and Ð), there is also the manuscript abbreviation for ‘rum’ which is often used on the plural genitive. It looks like this (at the end - sorry it’s small):
    EBC3F92D-E7F4-4490-A56F-5F4CC0835CB8.jpeg
     
  16. Ignoramus Maximus

    Ignoramus Maximus Nomen non est omen.

    Thanks! Nice project and truly a great help. I've been struggling to get Greek fonts on my laptop for awhile now, but for some reason everything I have downloaded so far turns to Roman when I type. This works like a dream:).
    I'm looking forward to exploring the possibilities.
     
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  17. Gil-galad

    Gil-galad I AM SPARTACUS

    Times New Roman is the font that has Greek for Unicode which is standard now days and is viewable by default. The Symbol font and others default back to Latin letters when the font is switched.
     
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  18. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Phagspa (Mongolian script) on a Yuan dynasty coin of Wu Zong (Khaishan) (1308-1311):
    Screen Shot 2020-06-16 at 1.17.16 PM.jpg

    The reverse of this Ghaznavid coin of Mahmud (998-1030) is in Sanskrit, with (for the first time) semi-positional Aryabhata numerals indicating the date, which is AH 418 = 1027-28.
    Screen Shot 2020-06-16 at 7.09.56 PM.jpg
     
  19. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Ahh yes, my old friends Ash and eth. Too bad it did not have a thorn as well.
     
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  20. Carl Wilmont

    Carl Wilmont Well-Known Member

    Nice topic on ancient scripts, @Dajo, and good posts above of various languages! @Gil-galad, the Ancient Coin Visual Keyboard looks like a useful tool!

    Paleo-Hebrew was featured in the original post, and below are: two additional examples of this script on prutot of John Hyrcanus (Yehohanan), the second one bearing the title of "head of the council of the Jews" along with "High Priest;" one with the Paleo-Hebrew script on a prutah of his oldest son, Judah Aristobulus I (Yehudah); and finally, three examples of "bilingual" coins which feature Paleo-Hebrew on the obverse and Greek on the reverse - two prutot of Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), and one 4-prutot of Mattathias Antigonus (Mattatayah), the last Hasmonean King.


    Hendin 1133 var.jpg

    John Hyrcanus I (135-104 BC). AE Prutah. 12.6 mm, 2.11 g. Paleo-Hebrew (Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews) within wreath. / Double cornucopia adorned with ribbons, pomegranate between horns, border of dots. Hendin 1133 var.



    John Hyrcanus I Paleo-Hebrew.jpg

    John Hyrcanus I (135-104 BC). AE Prutah. 1.49 g. Double cornucopia adorned with ribbons, pomegranate between horns, border of dots. / Paleo-Hebrew (Yehohanan the High Priest and Head of the Council of the Jews) within wreath. Hendin 1141.
    upload_2020-6-16_20-29-23.png
    Judah Aristobulus I (104 BC). AE Prutah. 14.4 mm, 2.14 g. Paleo-Hebrew (Yehudah the High Priest and the Council of the Jews) within wreath. / Double cornucopia adorned with ribbons, pomegranate between horns, border of dots. Hendin 1143.




    Hendin 1150 Obverse of Two.jpg
    Hendin 1150 Reverse of Two.jpg

    Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BC). AE Prutot. Left coin: 15.6 mm, 1.50 g; right coin 15.4 mm, 3.31 g. Paleo-Hebrew (Yehonatan the King) between the rays of star with eight rays within diadem. / Greek (of King Alexander) around inverted anchor. Hendin 1150.

    Mattatayah Obv Prutah.jpg
    upload_2020-6-16_21-0-52.png
    Mattathias Antigonos (40-37 BC). AE 4-Prutot. 6.93 g. Jerusalem. Paleo-Hebrew (Mattatayah the High Priest) around cornucopia tied with ribbons, decorated with vine-leaf and grapes. / Greek (abbreviated - of King Antigonus) in two lines within wreath, border of dots. Hendin 1163.
     

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    Last edited: Jun 16, 2020
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