Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Severus Alexander, post: 5750746, member: 84744&quot;]I really like the OP coin!&nbsp; From around the same time, here&#039;s (Zengid) Nur ad-Din&#039;s first copper issue which copies the design of an issue of Constantine X and Eudocia form the 1060s:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1243156[/ATTACH]</p><p>Obv: al-Adil (العادل, The Just) Nur al-Din (نردين)</p><p>Rev: Downwards on right: mahmud (محمود‎‎) downwards on left: malik al-umara’ (مالك الأمراء); “Mahmud, King of the Princes”</p><p>Saladin began his rise as a general under Nur ad-Din.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s a lion from Saladin himself, probably representing the zodiac sign/constellation of Leo:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1243166[/ATTACH] </p><p>AE dirham, Mayyafariqin, AH 582-589 = AD1186/7-1193 AD. Lion seated left surrounded by four stars within beaded circle; around circle, name and title of al-Nasir I Salah al-Din Yusuf. Rev. Name and titles of the Abbasid caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s another Zengid coin with a bust derived from 4th century Roman coins:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1243165[/ATTACH]</p><p>al-Malik al-Salih Isma&#039;il (AH 569-577/AD 1173-1181) AE fals. Rev: &#039;Lillah / al-Mustadi bi-Amr- / Amir al-Mu&#039;minin / al-Malik al-Salih / Ismai&#039;il</p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s an Artuqid issue of Husam al-Din Yuluq Arslan ibn Il-Ghazi:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1243160[/ATTACH]</p><p>Minted in Mardin in 1189, it&#039;s thought to depict the 1186 conjunction of the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn under the sign of Virgo, allegedly foretelling a calamitous event.&nbsp; The death of Saladin fits the bill.&nbsp; (So the original speculation that the scene depicted &quot;the mourning of Saladin&quot; wasn&#039;t too far off.)</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, here&#039;s a dirham of Badr al-Din Lu&#039;lu (1233-1259) with a bust apparently derived from second century BC tetradrachms of Side:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1243164[/ATTACH]</p><p>Lu&#039;lu wasn&#039;t much of a military guy, but he was an astute diplomat, always picking the winning side.&nbsp; Thus the Mongols (Hulagu) let him keep his position.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in