Hello. The obverse of this bronze coin shows clearly the face of a man in incuse. It weighs 5.16 g. The reverse in bad condition figures Arabic letters which are mostly identifiable. Could you help me find the name of this leader and the era in which he ruled? Thank you .. Charles
Nice find, these Arab figural bronzes in good condition are quite sought after ! The arabic legend is difficult to read and looks overstruck. Likely it also does not name the ruler, but seems in the name of the caliph al-mustansir (who was the titular religious leader, but not a wordly leader around that time) Luckily these figural bronzes are often quite reckognizable on the picture side. I think this is Lu'lu'id, issued by Badr al-Din Lu’lu from Mosul. Around 1230 AD.
Great. So that was during the reign of Abbasid Caliph Al - Mustansir Billah. I can read this on the reverse. Are figural bronzes considered as coins? Do they have a denomination such as Dinar or Fils? Charles
I thought pictures were banned from Islamic coins after the 7th or 8th century AD which is why Islamic coins typically only have writing or geometric designs on them. The coin pictured above dates to circa 1230 AD so how is it possible for it to have a picture of a person on it?
I noticed that if I turn the coin upside down, then I can read on top " Salman" or " "Musliman". Watch this scan..
I think so (mosiman )- hier is another link http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/art/search?field_artist_search=Lu‘lu
Thanks a lot. I did not know this coin is saved in famous museums. How much could its value be approximately estimated? Charles
