Russian Wire Money

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Matthew Kruse, Feb 7, 2021.

  1. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    The coins of Vladimir the Saint were preceded by imitations of Dirhams. These may be considered the first stage of Russian coinage. Here is an example from my collection:

    Kievan Rus 9./10. century

    Dirham imitation of Abbasid Al-Mutarakkil, Baghdad AD 848/849
    Find spot: Ukraine, Sumy Oblast, Krolevetzky raion, near Mytyn at the bank of the river Seym
    3.02 gr
    27mm
    Screenshot 2021-02-10 at 07.16.42.png
     
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  3. +VGO.DVCKS

    +VGO.DVCKS Well-Known Member

    Remarkable that the prototype predates the Samanid issues of the 10th c. CE, which are so plentiful in Scandinavian hoards from Ukraine through Russia and the Baltic countries, to Scandinavia. Single finds even show up in Norse Dublin and York.
    ...I have one detector find from Warwickshire.
    COINS, SAMANID, WORCESTER 1.JPG
    COINS, SAMANID, WORCESTER 2.JPG
    It was odd that this was found so far to the southwest of any major centers of 10th-century Scandinavian settlement in England. But Cnut gave the earldom of Warwick to a Dane in the early 11th century, and encouraged first-generation Danish settlement there. Hypothetically, the level of wear could account for the chronological interval.
    Here's a 'hack-silvered' one, from a dealer in Estonia.
    COINS, VIKING, SAMANID HALF DIRHAM, 'OBV.'.jpg
    COINS, VIKING, SAMANID HALF DIRHAM, 'REV.'.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2021
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  4. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    The German word you are looking for is "Hammergeil" :)

    Anyway, books have been written about the Rurikid Tamga, which is called "Trizub" in Russian, meaning trident in English. One theory states that the Rurikid Trizub is a Scandinavian-Germanic reinterpretation of the trident that appears on Bosporan coins in southern Ukraine. However, I think the idea that it was originally a stylized bird (falcon or raven) is just as plausible.
     
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  5. moneditis

    moneditis Reales de a 8

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