Artistically refined coins of the Middle Ages - Show yours!

This is arguably the last direct descendant of classical Greek numismatics:

Central Asia, Khwarezm
King Sawashfan, fl. 750s
AR Tetradrachm / Drachm / Dirham (27mm 3.17g)
Bust of king right in ornate crown, Sogdian SWSPRN before
King on horseback, raising whip, Chorasmian legend around MR'Y MLK S'YWRSPN (Sawashfan, King)


This same formula was in use from the late 2nd century BC until the Afrighid Dynasty fell to the Arabs in the 10th century, even surviving the conversion of their leaders and most of the populace to Islam around 800. Although the lineage started as a tetradrachm, the weight was reduced from Attic weight until it matched whatever was in common circulation at the time, e.g. first Sassanian drachms, then Abbasid dirhems.

 

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I love early English coins of the Anglo-Saxon period, though admittedly they are of very poor artistic quality. The poor quality really lasted quite a while, and I’m not sure I can think of any truly artistic English coins from before the 15th century.

Here is among the best you could find (in artistry, not condition) of Anglo-Saxon sceats:







Still no Kimon but certainly better than some of the contemporary stuff of the early 8th century.

 

I can. (*not* my coin):


Cynethryth. Wife of Offa, 757-796. AR Penny (from CNG)

Look at that stunningly elegant and stylized portrait!

While I'm on the topic of coins that I do not own, possibly my favorite coin of the middle ages is the Augustalis of Frederick II.


Frederick II. Sicily. After 1231. (image from Sincona, via acsearch)

This coin corresponds to the very first inklings of the Renaissance in Italy. The sculptor Nicolo Pisano was probably trained at and worked for a time at the court of Frederick. His sculpture is the first to incorporate classical influences in hundreds of years. This coin, too, represents the first return to classical forms of coinage. One look at it and you can understand what was Roman about the Romanesque.

 

Those are some seriously cool medieval coins! I have seen that "Augustalis" before, but had forgotten what it was called. Good stuff! I also like how Celtic culture had a very brief revival in those sceattas- I'll have to be on the lookout for one!

Also worthy of mention is the Ostrogothic king Theodahad who was a great lover of the arts and had his mint workers apparently study old first and second century bronzes until they could produce this beauty:



https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=117850

No danger of me owning one of those!

I have also been a big fan of the Artuqid coins, both with the Seleucid style portrait, and of the Constantine "eyes to heaven" portrait!

 

Some of my finest coins:

FRANCE (ANGLO-GALIC) - HENRI VI OF ENGLAND - SALUT D'OR - 1423

NETHERLANDS - LODEWIJK VAN MALLE - 1/4 GOUDEN SCHILD - 1352

TIROL - ARCHIDUKE SIGISMUD - SECHSER (1482-1490)

 

This one might qualify.

 

This one a little bit older.

 

One of my favorites when considering the OP's criteria.

 

Minted by Charlemagne in what was the capital of his domain.

 

Surely not... an image of Charlemagne perhaps.

 

Yes, it is an image of Charlemagne. The portrait coinage actually issued by him definitely qualifies for this category.

 

Agreed. Tibor and I had a private conversation - he meant to say it depicted Charlemagne, and I misread this to say it was issued by Charlemagne. It’s a gorgeous coin, and a portrait issue of Charlemagne would certainly fit the bill here too

 

In 1375

 

this is the only one in my collection from 450-1500 that I think has some style :

Kauad I
484-531 AD

 

HUNNIC TRIBES, Nezak Huns, Shri Shahi. Circa AD 560-620. BI/AE Drachm.


HUNNIC TRIBES, Nezak Huns. "Nezak Shah". Circa 500-600. Æ Drachm.
Crowned bust right, crown with three crescents, each containing a trident, ribbons on shoulder,tamgha or letters above ribbons / Fire altar, flanked by two attendants, wheels flanking flames.
Alram, Alchon 76, Göbl, Dokumente Em. 226/225.
Extremely fine example
Weight 3.26g
Diameter 27.2mm


Zengid Atabegs of Mosul: 'Izz al-Din Mas'ud I


Al-Jazira. 576/1180 - 589/1193 (AH 577), AE dirhem,

Male head facing left, wearing crested helmet / Four lined Kufic legend in circle. aVF, S/S 62 var. 1, Ex: Theselius Collection

The Turkoman coins are among my absolute favorites from the era..

Turkoman: Zengid Atabegs of Mosul - Saif al-Din Ghazi II


565/1170 - 576/1180, AE dirhem, 571 AH. Head facing 3/4 left / Kufic legend, F/VF, S/S 60.7, rare date. EX Elsen, 25, lot 1167, Ex: Theselius Collection.

SELJUQ of RUM AR DIRHAM of KAYKHUSRAW II AH 641 KONYA 2.9 GR & 22,06 MM


SELJUQ OF RUM: Kaykhusraw II, 1236-1245, AR dirham , Konya, AH 641, A-1218, lion & sunface, star left of sunface,

Others have posted it, but this coin stands out as being way ahead of its time. Could have believably been struck in the late 1800's

Hunnic Tribes, Nezak Huns, Npki Mlka, Kabul mint, AD 515-650 AD Æ Drachm.


Hunnic Tribes, Nezak Huns, Npki Mlka, Kabul mint, AD 515-650 AD, AE Drachm.
3.56gm, 26mm. Bust right with winged bulls head crown Fire altar with attendants and wheel symbols in fields above, control marks in outer field.
Gbl, Dokumente Em. 198. Extremely Fine

Cilician Armenia. King Hetoum I AR Tram


Attribution: Nerc 332; Bedoukian 842
Date: 1226-1270 AD
Obverse: Queen Zabel and King Hetoum I standing facing, long cross between them
Reverse: Lion standing right with left forepaw raised
Size: 21.04 mm
Weight: 2.94 grams
Description: VF. Interesting variety

Ok.. Ok.. the Armenian Tram probably comes up well short of 'fine art' but I've never posted it before and what it lacks in sophistication it makes up for in charm =)

 

That AV Histamenon is wonderful =)

 

Severus Alexander, Nice selection with great variety . In the spirit of "one-upmanship" here is another example of a dirham of Khusru II, AD 591-628, in FDC condition that I scored about 25 years ago