Today, a coin came in the mail that I admittedly know very little about. I tossed a low bid on it because it was interesting and I wanted to see where it went. I didn't expect to win. $14 later, I now own a dirham of Qutb al-Din Muhammad who was the Emir of Zinjar from 1197-1219. The Zangid dynasty ruled parts of the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia on behalf of the Seljuks. I know almost nothing about this region but I do know a bit about some other empires around the world who were in power at that time. I wanted to share my new coin along with 2 other coins that were contemporaries of Qutb al-Din Muhammad. Qutb al-Din Muhammad Zangid Atabegs of Sinjar 1197-1219 AD Dirham Obverse: Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed Roman-style bust left, holding spear or sceptre over shoulder and shield; mint name and date around Reverse: Names and titles of Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir and Qutb al-Din Muhammad bin Zengi in five lines across field; name continued to right and left; Zengid tamgha in exergue Alexius III angelus-Comnenus AE Trachy 1195-1203 AD Obverse: KE ROHQEI around, IC-XC to left and right of nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, holding scroll in left ReverseL ALEZIW DECP O KWNTANTI, Alexius, crowned, and St Constantine, nimbate, each wearing divitision and loros, both standing facing, each holding a labarum and the two holding a cross on globe (sometimes a patriarchal cross on globe) between them Queen Lilavati 1 Massa 1197-1210 AD Obverse: King, standing upon a lotus stalk, holding a lamp in his left hand and a flower in his right, a large lotus flower in field to right, all heavily stylized Reverse: Seated king facing right, left arm raised upward, holding a shell, all heavily stylized. Nagari legend (‘Sri Ra ja Li la va ti’) to right If anyone has coins from anywhere around the world around this time, please share them!
From around this time I have a John II Comnenus. Alexius Comnenus became emperor in 1081; he fixed the military with a system called “Pronoia” and he also initiated a new monetary system where the Hyperpyron replaced the Histamenon. John II, also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (Kaloïōannēs), was the eldest son of Emperor Alexius I Comnenus, and he succeeded Alexius on the throne of Byzantium on August 15, 1118.After twenty-five years of reign, he died in a hunting accident on April 8, 1143 after naming his fourth son, Manuel Comnenus, as his successor. AU Hyperpyron, Constantinople, first coinage, ca. 1118 - 1122 30.6 mm, about 4.23 g (it is mounted on a pin, but can be easily removed without damaging the coin) Nomisma DOC IV-1 1a; CLBC I 3.1.1; Morrisson BnF 1 ff; Wroth BMC 10; Ratto 2094; Grierson 1064; Sommer 60.1; Sear 1938; SB 1947 Ob.: Christ seated facing on backless throne with 3 pellets on each arm, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium and colobium, raising r. hand in benediction, book of Gospels with five pellets on cover cradled on l. arm; IC-XC-barred, flanking head; double border Rev.: half-length figures of Virgin on right and John II Comnenus with beard on left, together holding a patriarchal cross. Virgin nimbate with pallium and maphorium, and John wearing crown, loros and akakia, manus Dei above emerging from cloud; around +IΩ ∆EXΠOTH − Θς -barred - at right MHP barred
Interesting time period, lots going on. A EF version of the Alexius III trachy. A really beautiful example of a Large Latin Trachy. The small version or clipped version of a Latin Trachy.
Some relevant coins, Seljuks of Rum, Kaykhusraw I ibn Qilij Arslan 1192–1196 AD Manuel I Komnenos 1143-1180 AD Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I 1251-1268 AD Obv-Standing king with pellets and their royal symbol fish to the top right. Rev- Sundara Pandya in Tamil, with a crescent above and a conch below. 1.4g