Need help indetifying coins from Jerusalem Temple Mount

Hello All,

This is my first post here. I heard very good things about this forum. I'm working on sifting debris from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. We've already found more than 1000 coins!

here are some challenges for the members of this forum:

 

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Shalom Aleikum,Zachiz.Welcome aboard.I can tell you that the first piece is one that was issued by one of the Crusader States in the Middle East.The second piece is a religious medal.The 4th piece is an Arabic coin that was issued during the reign of one of the Caliphs.As to which one,I don't know,as I can't read Arabic.

Aidan.

 

need more details

Shalom Aidan,

thanks for trying to help, but all what you wrote we already know. we need more specific details on these coins.

thanks,
Zachi

 

here are some more coins

here are some more coins. maybe these ones will be more identificable.

 

Shalom,Zachiz,the first one in this group looks like a Roman coins,whereas,the other 3 are copper Judean Prutahs.One of them looks like the 'Widow's Mite' that is mentioned in the Bible.

Aidan.

 

The second coin in the second group looks like a prutah of Pontius Pilate Procurator 29ce. Example attached.

http://www.jerusalemcoins.com/

 

I think the third coin in the second set is a pentanummium of Justin II (565-578AD), Constantinople. The obverse shape I thought might be a Selucid anchor motif is really a cresent. Example attached, note that reverse is upside-down.

There are a number of examples on the following page:

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/byz/justin_II/t.html

The fourth 'coin' has a spoked wheel motif that is similar to some Crusader tokens from Jerusalem (second attachment)

 

I'm going to take a big guess that the first coin in the second group is Roman from Constantius II (337-361AD). Attached is an example, taken from the following page which pictures many varieties of this coin:

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/constantius_II/t.html

 

Of the first coin in the first group, you've shown only the reverse side but if I have ID'd it correctly the other side should have a stylized angel. The legend reads: SAPOLLI NARS (St. Apollinaris). It is from feudal France, from the Bishops of Valence (1157-1276AD). Example attached below and referencing page (example is quite a ways down):

http://home.eckerd.edu/~oberhot/ffeud.htm

 

Acanthite...I'm staying out of this one but DAMN you're good!:bow:

 

Acanthite,that Prutah is historically significant,especially for religiously devout Christians such as myself.I wonder how translators manage to date this coin to 29 A.D..I actually have one,but not as good as the one in the photo.

Aidan.

 

I don't know either, safer to say it was minted between 26-36AD.


Another ID: The one islamic coin of the first group is a fals (falus) from the Umayyad dynasty, fits closely with coins minted in about 80AH at the Tabariya mint (near sea of Galilee). Attached example and web page with varieties of this coin. The writing in the central parts of the obverse and reverse of this coin is the kalima. The name of the mint should appear at about 7 o'clock in the reverse writing that circles around the kalima, the date appears at about 2-3 o'clock. A native arabic speaker should be able to make out the characters better than I can.


http://medievalcoins.ancients.info/cgi-bin/webdata_coinbase.pl?Dynasty=Umayyad&Realm=Urdunn&cgifunction=Search

 

Easy...just read this. http://www.numismalink.com/fontanille1.html Greatest link ever concerning Pilate's coins with an explanation of the dates and all of the design elements on the three issues.The dates that are on the coins LIS,LIZ and LIH are related to the date Tiberius took the throne in 14 AD and course,since the date of Jesus' birth is not known for sure (the majority of modern biblical scholars say 4-5 BC) pairing them to specific years 29-31 AD is speculative to say the least.
Here's my LIZ=year 29 or whatever

 

Thanks, Mikjo0, that's great information. In the case of the coin asked about above, I can't make out whether it is LIS, LIZ, or LIH. Oh well...

I want to speculate on one further coin from the second group, that being the last one. I ran across one that has similar patterns by chance in eBay, but the seller was not certain of its origin, only that he thought it was Mamluk. Example below, should have a diameter of 17mm. Hope this information can help further diagnostics.

 

I'd say it's an LIS.You can see the three barley stalks on the obv. and the simpulum on the rev.

 

I see what you mean now. The barley leaves and simpulum are distinct to 29ce. If it were 30 or 31ce it would have a littus cane and a wreath. I don't need to see the date to know.

 

first = crusaders coin , fourth = Islamic Fils

The crusaders ciuns are very rare. An Islamic Fils is very common. The 4th coin is from the Umayyid period ,
661 - 750 AD.

 

thanks for all the help, especially with giving and exact ID to coin: 5241 and 9351. Acanthite: 8691 is an ottoman coin. I wouldn't rely on Ebay dates. otherwise, you're IDs are great!

I'm still waiting for more information on the Christian medal (the second on the first group), the third and the fifth coins on the first group.

thanks for all the help,
zachi

 

Zachi,there is an Islamic date converterr in another area of the forum,which you can find by typing in 'Islamic Date Converter'.There's also a Jewish date converter as well.

Aidan.

 

Glad to be of help, if you find out the exact ID on 8691 make sure you let us know here. I will look further at #3 and #5 in the first group, but #5 is really far gone, probably Roman.