Islamic Coins and Their Values, volume 1

I just got this book in the mail. I ordered from Kolbe and Fanning when a previous thread mentioned they were having a sale. It is more beautiful than I expected, with about four color photographs per page on each of 268 pages (there are another 20 index and preface pages). The Arab-Byzantine series is covered (not in depth, only 18 types) and the Arab-Sasanian (more deeply, 120 types) and, important for me, the Turkoman figural bronze. It seems to list (but with no discussion) all the types in Spengler and Sayles (you will still want their book for its extensive commentary) and it lists other types they did not get to in their two volumes (Spengler took ill and died before the series could be completed).

Even if you don't have much interest in Islamic coins, you might like this book just because it is so beautiful and illustrates so many coins.

 

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Very nice volume. I just received my order as well. I ordered the most recent editions of RSC I and RSC II. I have just spent the last hour or so checking and crosschecking references for my coins-lots of fun.

 

Looks like a lot of fun! Good purchase!

 

Quite! I have this book also, with excellent photos and an idea of rarity, although you shouldn't think these prices represent the exact value. They are in any case rather high.

 

Wow. That's a treasure.

 

Not my area of interest, but it looks like a nice book!

 

That book looks lovely. Last year I read Michael Cook's The Koran, A Very Short Introduction, and he had a very brief but interesting discussion of the religious dilemma pious Muslims faced when Quranic text began to appear on coinage. Would it be disrespectful for non-Muslims to handle such coinage? If so, how might that hamper trade? Unfortunately, Cook doesn't go into how that dilemma was resolved. Perhaps simple pragmatics won the day. At any rate, the brief discussion inspired me to get a pre-Muslim Khusro drachm; I'm still hoping to acquire one with the brief bismallah ("In the Name of God...") on it, but these command a slight premium.

 

Interesting discussions about beautiful coins. I'm neutral in this, to me islamic coins are just pieces of history, and pieces of art. Good to realize that they are also sacred to some, not to be soiled or trifled with. To me, that makes them only more deeply felt witnesses of the past.

 

Yeah, sorry, I don't care much for Sassanian or Arab coins. I most definitely do not collect them at all.

They are just not interesting, which is why you wont find a single one in my....



well, how did those coins get into my collection? How embarrassing! I guess I like them after all.

As a matter of fact, I've been trying to hunt down a copy of that book. Thanks for reminding me I still don't have it. I better get to work on remedying that.

 

Hmmm.... I realize that first part was sarcasm, Sallent, but I think I agree more with that part of your post. Those are nice coins, for what they are, but they really don't excite me.... I like some of the Islamic coins that have intricate geometric designs, but the ones that are just Arabic text (which I can't read) really don't interest me.

 

I am not an expert on Islamic coinage. However, I do have a book, Sylloge of Islamic Coins in the Ashmolean Museum, which has 123 pieces, all AE, and 4 pages of discussion of the standing caliph type. The discussion suggests there are somewhat similar very rare gold pieces, but does not mention silver at all. I infer there were no silver standing caliph coins.

 

Does this book also include information on reading the coins? Would it be possible for you to share an image of the table of contents?

 

I like the book as it complements Steve Album's Checklist, but alas it does not have legends on them. A full attribution, with legends, will take up several volumes.
Personally, I see more benefit in publishing wikis so that attributions are always up-to-date with translations/transcriptions. Just need to find a way to compensate the contributors...

 

Nice! Question, I have Steve Albums book with data/ no photos. How many volumes will there be/ prices/ thanks.
John
Will the Mughal Empire coins be covered?

 

I own two volumes in the Ashmolean Museum series, volumes 1 and 9, so there will be at least 9 volumes. #1 is :The Pre-Reform Coinage of the Early Islamic Period." 504 Arab-Sasanian and 238 Arab-Byzantine coins photographed (in black and white). #9 is "Iran after the Mongol Invasion" with 1797 coins. Both have very much discussion and many photos.

I don't know much about the series.

 

If you were asking about "Islamic Coins and Their Values, volume 1" I can say that the subtitle is "The Mediaeval Period" and the preface says it covers from "the the 1st C AH/7th C AD, 10th C AH/16th C AD. I have no information about any other volume or volumes.

 

Th

 

There are, I have one

 

Are our Islamic experts comfortable with calling all of Sallent's coins 'Islamic'?

While the matter of non-believers handling the sacred text was covered, I find more interest in the number of coins that allowed the depiction of humans or animals which most considered against the teachings. My favorite is the compromise of Suleiman of Tabaristan (784-788 AD) who copiedthe Sasanian original but replaced the king's face with a diamond shaped lozenge.

 

That’s very interesting. The reverse of that coin clearly depicts the Zoroastrian Fire altar and attendants. I wonder if by this time those images just resembled various geometric shapes and not persons engaging in a Zoroastrian ritual. If the reverse still retains its original Sassanid religious representation, it seems it would invalidate the obverse attempt at Islamic orthodoxy.