This denier of Bohémond III was part of a group lot that I recently acquired. It is not yet in my possession, as @AnYangMan picked it up from the office of Heritage. He photographed it yesterday: Upon studying, I noticed that the bust was (1) looking to the right, and (2) the neck was different than most deniers of Bohémond III. In fact, I did not find a similar example in Sixbid, so I transferred my search to ACsearch and then found a similar example, recently sold by CNG. CNG featured auction 115, lot 811, hammer 450$ https://www.cngcoins.com/Photos.AM/4-QVQ2W/4-QVUBE.jpg This appears to be a die match both for the obverse and reverse. CNG notes that it's 'rare'. I know little to nothing about these coins, and I was wondering whether some of our medievalists (e.g. @seth77, @Orielensis, @TheRed, @+VGO.DVCKS, @John Scholefield, @FitzNigel) could chime in and provide me, and the other readers, with some knowledge and information!
I am still working on improving my knowledge of these coins, but the right facing portraits are generally more rare than the left. Although I have seen more popping up lately... and I think you are right about the die match! Nice catch
The head right was likely the first "experimental" type issued for Bohemond III at his majority in 1163 and apart from the "irregular" types of the late 1190s and 1201-3, these early helmeted heads right are probably the rarest. You see them on the far left column here:
Greetings from the west coast! Only remotely constructive thing to add is that @seth77 is referencing Malloy p 190 (Coins of the Crusader States 1994)
Thanks all for the insights! I think the rarity is indicated by the number of die matches: I've found another one in CNG archives.
One more thing to take into account, this spec has a double-barred C (visible on the reverse particularly well (and confirming the same for the CNG specimen). Malloy et al add the double-barred C for the left-headed knight types (so post 1163) but not for the earlier right-headed types. Malloy (1994) follows Metcalf (1987) but now we know a bit better and can safely add the double-barred C to the earliest of issues in 1163 "experimental" types. I feel that this is such a good example for how private collectors and numismatists are a force for good in the world of research and preservation.
This certainly is a very attractive and rare Antioch denier! @seth77 knows much more about these than I do, so I have no further numismatic insights to add. Yet, though I agree that your coin is an obverse die match to the CNG specimen, I doubt that the reverse matches, too. The dies are certainly very similar, but if you, for example, count the beads of the inner border at the lower end of the cross, you will see significant differences. That of course doesn't make your coin any less fascinating or precious.
