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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 25369791, member: 81887&quot;][ATTACH=full]1623657[/ATTACH] </p><p>Zengids of Mosul.&nbsp; Mint of &quot;al-Jazira&quot;.&nbsp; AE dirham (30 mm, 13.94 g).&nbsp; &#039;Izz al-Din Mas&#039;ud I (1180-1193 CE/576-589 AH), dated 577 AH (1181 CE).&nbsp; Obverse: Helmeted classical male head left, Arabic inscription around of the kalima &quot;la ilaha illa Allah Muhammad rasul Allah&quot; (There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God).&nbsp; Reverse: Inscription in four lines naming the Abbasid Caliph and the Zengid ruler &quot;Amir al-mu&#039;minin/ al-Nasir li-din Allah/ &#039;Izz al-Dunya wa al-D/-in Mas&#039;ud&quot; (Commander of the Faithful al-Nasir li-Din Allah, &#039;Izz al-Dunya wa al-Din Mas&#039;ud), inscription around edge giving mint and date &quot;bismillah duriba bi&#039;l-Jazira sana sab&#039; wa sab&#039;in wa khamsami&#039;a&quot; (in the Name of God [this coin] was struck at al-Jazira, year seven and seventy and five hundred). Spengler and Sayles 62, version 1. Album 1863.1.&nbsp; This coin: Marc R. Breitsprecher, May 2024.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Zengids were one of the several Turkish-derived Islamic dynasties beloved by modern collectors for their habit of issuing bronze coins with human figures, unusual in the pre-modern Islamic world.&nbsp; There were several branches of the Zengids, with the issuer of this coin being based in Mosul.&nbsp; Saif al-Din Ghazi II died in 1180, leaving his expected successor his 12-year old son Mu&#039;izz al-Din Sanjar Shah.&nbsp; But the Zengids were being threatened at the time by the powerful Ayyubid ruler Saladin, so Ghazi left instructions that his younger brother &#039;Izz al-Din Mas&#039;ud should take the throne at Mosul, and the young Sanjar Shah was given territory around the small city of Jazirat ibn &#039;Umar instead.&nbsp; Saladin besieged Mosul twice, in 1182 and 1185, but failed to capture the city.&nbsp; Nonetheless, Mas&#039;ud was forced to acknowledge Saladin as his overlord.&nbsp; Mas&#039;ud died in 1193 of illness, coincidentally about the same time that Saladin died.</p><p><br /></p><p>The design of this coin type is believed to be copied from a silver tetradrachm struck at Side in Pamphylia (southern Turkey) in the second century BCE.&nbsp; This type is the earliest type issued in the name of Mas&#039;ud, and is only known for the one year 577 AH (1181 CE) and the mint of &quot;al-Jazira&quot;.&nbsp; The name &quot;al-Jazira&quot; literally means &quot;the island&quot;, and the term is sometimes used as a name for northern Mesopotamia, as the position of the land between two rivers is similar to an island.&nbsp; However, in this case it is thought to refer more specifically to the small city of Jazirat ibn &#039;Umar.&nbsp; Spengler and Sayles argue that the issuance of this coin by Mas&#039;ud at the start of his reign may mean that he stayed there with his army for a time to consolidate his rule, before withdrawing and letting his nephew Sanjar Shah take over the city.&nbsp; They also point out his reference to the Abbasid Caliph, an attempt to claim support that he would need against the powerful Saladin.</p><p><br /></p><p>One last note: The same obverse design of a helmeted head left was also used on coins of Saif al-Din Ghazi II (Mas&#039;ud&#039;s father), Spengler and Sayles type 61.&nbsp; This coin was sold as Saif al-Din Ghazi II, S/S 61, but close examination of the reverse legend showed it is in fact type 62, of &#039;Izz al-Din Mas&#039;ud I.&nbsp; This is why it&#039;s important to always check the attribution of coins you buy, even from reputable and knowledgeable sellers, as they can make mistakes.&nbsp; Please post whatever related coins you have.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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