In the last FSR sale, I bid on a coin that went for several times my bid (no surprize there). Frank on occasion has several of a coin but only lists the best on in the sale. The others are offered to people who he believes might like them at a price less than they bid on first coin. I know some here have been upset when he did this but the coin is clearly marked as returnable (as are all his lots) and, over the years, I have got some decent coins at a price I could live with. This sale was no exception. I bid on a coin nicer than this one which someone else bought. I was offered and accepted this second rate example which is good enough for me at $4 less than I had bid ($60 less than hammer and $99 less than the high bid). My style of collecting allows this sort of thing; many here would not want this one which has less than a full strike on an obverse right lion and both lion rears on the reverse. I am not known for being picky. This was good enough for me especially considering I am not a serious collector of modern coins. Levon I - Armenia 1198-1219 AD AR Tram 22mm 2.96g Armenian legends: Levon King of the Armenians / By the will of God (I trust here since I do not read Armenian.) I know Frank will not send such lots if you ask him not to but I probably would have bought this coin at a show for the price. Did anyone else get a backup coin from him? Did you keep it? Were you upset? In the 30+ years I have been buying from these sales, i have received a half dozen or so back-up coins. I can't remember how many went back but it was not many. If you have one of these trams, please post a photo and tell me how bad this one is compared to most.
That's a great example, better than mine. LEVON I (1198-1219 A.D.) AR TRAM ARMENIA O: +ԼԵՒՈՆ ԹԱԳԱԵՈՐ ՀԱՅՈ: King enthroned, right foot turned sideways, holding globus cruciger in right hand and lys in left. R: +ԿԱՐՈՂՈՒԹՆ ԱՍՏՈՒԾՈՅ: 0L long cross, dot in an angle at centre, three dots at base, rampant lions either side, head reverted. Mint: uncertain, 1198-1219 AD 21 mm 2.9 gm Bedoukian 498
Congrats. I like it a lot, although I know nothing about Armenian coins. It definitely has eye appeal to me.
I have only one Armenian coin, but it happens to be this type. Lanz was selling many dozens of these, five years ago, and I waited a bit and pounced on this - it being a far cousin of Crusader and the fringe islamic types that I'm collecting. I'm a sucker for shiny medieval silver. Your coin is a bit better, but mine (21.82 mm, 3.02 gr.) shines even in the dark. It cost $30.
That is a lovely coin Doug. You would have to be very picky to turn this one away because of condition issues.
Great win, @dougsmit . Yup, I have won similar opportunities with Frank, where he offered me a backup coin. Clear winner to me when I accepted. I do not have a Levon, but I can offer this:
That's amazing. As an Armenian descendant I really like to see Armenian Coins. My great grandfather fled here during the Turkish Genocide. Fun fact, my father runs the Armenian Immigration Project where we help find people's Armenian heritage
You consider a coin dating from 1198-1219 AD to be a modern coin? I guess it all depends on one's perspective!
Very nice medieval Armenian coins in this thread. My only medieval Armenian is a silver, but the denomination is apparently a takvorin, and it was struck by Gosdantin (Constantine) III (1344-1362):
I have so far kept all of my FSR* backup coins and your Levon I looks nicer than mine (which appears to be some sort of double strike, or die clash + a little clipping) : Cilician Armenia, Royal, Levon I, 1198-1219, AR Tram Obv: Levon seated facing on throne decorated with lions, holding cross and lis, with feet resting upon footstool Rev: Two lions rampant back-to-back, each with heads reverted; patriarchal cross between
...hehe...Brian, we reach, bro!..that song comes to my mind every time i see a Levon coin...nice dirham Doug...and here's mine..i ain't really for sure which Levon it is, but it was part of a payment by Levon lV to the conquering Mamluks, most likely Sultan Nasir, who overstruck them...thanks to the members here who recognized it for what it was.
There were a lot of high-grade Levon trams at the ANA in Baltimore in 2018. Heritage sold about 100 NGC slabbed examples in MS 60 through 64. I got a nice one in Baltimore but it was hard to photograph. Here is my surprise FSR auction win, not from this auction but from 106: Ex: Frank Robinson, auction 106, October 2018, lot 445*C (alternate) Hopefully this is the correct way to catalog an alternate. I expect to confuse someone in 100 years. Seljuks of Rum, Ar Dirhem, joint rule of the three brothers (Kay Ka'us II, Qilich Arslan IV & Kay Qubadh II) joint rule 647-655 H (1249-57 AD), Qunya/Konya mint, AH 653=1255 AD, 21 mm, 2.95g Obv: لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱلله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱلله la ilah illa allah / muhammad rasul allah al-imam / al-musta’sim billah amir al-mu / ’minin duriba sana (in diwani script) arba’ wa khamsin / sittmi’a bi-qunya (=“no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, the Imam al-Musta‘sim billah Commander of the Faithful, struck the year three and fifty and six hundred in Qunya”) Rev: al-salatin al-a’azim / ’izz al-dunya wa’l-din kayka’us / wa rukn al-dunya wa’l-din qilij arslan / wa ’ala al-dunya wa’l-din kayqubad / ibn kaykhusraw barahin amir al-mu’minin (=“the Supreme Sultans, Glory of the World and the Faith Kayka’us and Pillar of the World and the Faith Qilij Arslan and Exalted of the World and the Faith Kayqubad ibn Kaykhusraw, Proofs of the Commander of the Faithful”) Ref: Album 1227; cf. Seljuq of Rum » Three brothers together » AR dirham » Konya If you still want to catch the tram: Levon I (The Great) 1199-1219 AD. AR Tram. Obv: +ԼԵՒՈՆ ԹԱԳԱՒՈՐ ՀՍՅՈՑ "Levon king of the Armenians"; King enthroned holding globus cruciger in right hand and lys in left, three dots right field. Rev: +ԿԱՐՈՆՈՐԹԲՆ ԱՍՏՈՒԾ "By the will of God"; long jeweled cross, between two rampant lions revealing claws, head reverted. Ref: numista Neither the obverse nor reverse above looks like the coin. I liked this coin a lot when I bought it. Yours has a better strike. I looked at many of the slabbed ones sold by Heritage and I liked the MS 62 ones better than the MS 64 ones -- go figure.
Excellent coin, Doug. I’ve some hammered medievals I’m waiting on from the last timeline auction. As for Frank’s last auction, I wish he’d send me secondary coins of the ones I bid on. yet again I was smoked like a cheap cigar. all bids defeated. Anyway, here’s some o my Lavon funny enough, from the same auction house Levon I Medieval Armenian Kingdom, Cilician Armenia. 1198-1219. AR tram (23.03 mm, 3.01 g, 2 h). King Levon seated facing on lion throne holding globus cruciger in right hand and lis-tipped scepter in left / Heraldic lions, baack-to-back, flanking patriarchal cross. Cf. CCA 241-249. Good VF, natural, medium-dark toning - well struck and centered for type. Ex: Timeline Auction Levon I Cilician Armenia. 1198-1219. AE tank (28.2 mm, 5,34 g, 11 h). Sis mint. Crowned lion ?? s head facing slightly right / Patriarchal cross with two stars. Nerc308; Bedoukian 718. VF. Ex: Savoca
..huh...i have a similar(but different) coin, much like yours(lions head & cross), but i bought it thinking it was a 'quart'(quarter denar silver coin) minted by Sigismund of Luxembourg, altho i wouldn't & couldn't swear to it..
This was, astonishingly, a backup coin from FSR he offered after I lost a bid on a Macrinus. Struck with a worn reverse die but still ...
I am in the same camp as @dougsmit ... Donna, most of my collection focus are coins and objects dated BCE. When I see coins and items CE, my mind wants to think they are too new... that they are Modern to my Historical interests. I understand it is all perspective, but the Ancient Roman Empire, Islam, etc. continue today in many of our present laws, governments, and institutions. To me, many of the Historical aspects of entities PRIOR to Rome, etc. are fascinating. Although components of their cultures may have survived into modern times, much of their cultures are gone today. Cool stuff to chase. PTOLOMY I Egypt Ptolemy I Soter Tet Delta bankers marks Stone Scarab from "Nebmaatre Amenhotep III The Magnificent King. Father of Akhenaten and Grandfather of Tutankhamun. Ruled Egypt at the height of its power. Built many temples and monuments, including his enormous Mortuary Temple. Was the son of Thutmose IV." ---Wikipedia List of Pharaohs. Egypt Amenhotep III Scarab 1390-1352 BCE cartouch Neb Maat Ra 43.37g 45mm ex Gustave Mustake Egypt Neolithic Arrowhead 8000 BCE
