Germany; DDR 1949-1990 (25h Mauerfall)

German Democratic Republic 1969, 5 mark Commemorative for 20th anniv of the DDR
29 mm, mintage 50,222,000, Nickel Bronze (10% Ni 90% Cu)
KM#22.1

ISLAMIC/’Abbasid Governors; al-‘Abbas b. Muhammad c. AH 130's-140's

AE Fals 20 mm, 5.19 g, 3h, al-Jazira (modern Iraq) mint, c.AH 143 (c. CE 760-761) undated

Album 304

O: Within circle, la ilah / illa Allah / wahdahu(“There is no god but Allah alone”); in margin, amara al-amir al-‘Abbas bin Muhammad ‘azz Allah nasrahu(“Ordered by the amir al-‘Abbas bin Muhammad, may his victories be the glory of Allah”); outer circle.

R: Within circle, Muhammad / rasul / Allah (“Muhammad is the apostle of Allah”); pellet above first line; in margin, bismillah duriba hadhal-fils bi’l-Jazira (“In the name of Allah was struck this fals of al-Jazira”).

al-'Abbas b. Muhammad was appointed Governor of al-Jazira by Caliph al-Mansur

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus VII BCE 138-129

AE 20 mm, 5.6 g, 12h, Sidon mint, SE 180/BCE 133-132

SC 2105.1 v

O: diad and draped bust of Antiochus VII r., diad ends falling straight behind, dotted border.

R: [ΣΙΔΩΝΟΣ]/ΘEA[Σ] in two lines on l., L’Sidonim in Phoenician curving on r., Astarte stg l., on prow, l., holding aphlaston and naval trophy, dotted border.

Date on r., ΠΡ

Obv. Controls behind head not visible on this example. 

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius II (First Reign) BCE 146-138

AE 18 mm, 5.33 g, 10h, Tyre mint, SE 

SC 1968.4

O: diad hd of Demetrius II r, diad ends falling straight behind, dotted border.

R: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY in two lines in upper field, TYPIΩΝ L’Tsur (Of Tyre in Phoenician) in two lines in ex., stern of galley l., date LOP above, No controls.

Greece/Seleucid; Demetrius II (First Reign) BCE 146-138

AE 20 mm, 5.91 g, 12h, Tyre mint, SE 168/BCE 145-144

SC 1968.2

Newell Tyre, 100

O: diad hd of Demetrius II r, diad ends falling straight behind, dotted border.

R: BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY in two lines in upper field, TYPIΩΝ L’Tsur (Of Tyre in Phoenician) in two lines in ex., stern of galley l., date LHΞP above, No controls.

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus III BCE 223-187

AE 13 mm, 3,86 g, 12h, Sardes mint possibly after BCE 197

SC 983.6

WSM 1438, plt. lix, 15

O: laur hd of Apollo r, with corkscrew curls. 

R: [BΑ]ΣΙΛΕΩΣ on r and [A]NTIOXOY on l., Apollo stg l., testing arrow and resting elbow on tall tripod.

No controls. 

Ex: "D.Alighieri" Collection

Greece/Seleucid; Antiochus III BCE 223-187

AE 12 x 14 mm, 2.15 g, 12h, ΔΕ/Λ mint associated with Antioch, possibly before BCE 211

SC 1064B

WSM 1195

O: laur hd of Apollo r, dotted border.

R: [BΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ] on r and ANTIOXOY on l., Apollo stg l., testing arrow and resting l. hand on grounded bow. ΔΕ/Λ Primary control outer l., above.

Ι(long serifs) secondary control outer l., below.

Islamic/Ayyubid; Salah ad-Din al-Ayyubi "Saladin" CE 1169-1193

AE Fals, 4.27g, Damascus mint AH 587/CE 1191-1192

Balog 147

O: al-Malik/an-Nasir with fleur de lis above al-Malik and a crescent above an-Nasir
around the date of which only "500" can be clearly read.

based on the ornaments, this is clearly Balog 147

R: Yusuf/bin Ayyub in center and around duriba bi-Dimashq "struck at Damascus" 

England/Plantagenet; John Lackland CE 1199-1216

AR Cut Short Cross Penny c. CE 1207-1216

O: [HEN]RICVS RE[X]  5b type

R: short cross ILGER O[N LVNDE]

SCBC 1351

North 976/1 var.

The long awaited last volume of RCV will be available from mid-December 2014

Roman Coins & Their Values Vol. 5

The eagerly and long anticipated fifth volume in David Sear’s Roman Coins and their Values series will be available from mid December 2014.

This fifth volume contains a comprehensive listing of the Roman coinage of the period CE 337—491 together with background information on the history of each reign and the principal characteristic of its coinage. The catalogue is organised primarily by ruler with the issues then subdivided by denomination and by reverse legend and type.
Contains clear black and white photographs and up to date values for VF and EF coins, in both UK sterling and US dollars. An excellent addition to the series, and a valuable reference for any collector of this period.

Please click on the link to be taken to the source of this text and a recommended dealer who is selling the text pre-publication.

Online Addenda to SELEUCID COINS Vol I & II Now Available.

SCADS: Seleucid Coins Addenda System

This new format permits scholars, collectors and archaeologists among others, to access updates to the corpus digitally with no difficulty and with photos and text available on the same page. Something the corpus in it's present hardcover format does not easily provide.

ISLAMIC/Ghaznavid; Mahmud CE 998-1030

AV Dinar, 5.02 g, 25 mm, Nishapur (Iran) mint, AH 390/CE 999-1000

A-1606

O: inner circle of inscription Bismillah duriba hadha dinar bi-Nishapur sanah tis'ayin wa thalathami'ah
(In the name of Allah, this dinar was struck at Nishapur in the year 390). Naming Abbasid Caliph al-Qadir billahi AH 381/CE 991-AH 422/CE 1031.

R: usual inscriptions and titles among them Wali Amir al-Mu'minin (viceroy of the Commander of the Faithful).

ISLAMIC/Umayyad Governors; Anonymous c. AH 90's/CE 710s Jund Filastin

AE fals (16mm, 2.21gm, 2h), Filastin (naming the jund or military 

district Filastin [Palestine] rather than the city Iliya [Jerusalem]), undated. 

O: Within circle, la ilah / illa Allah / wahdahu ("There is no god but Allah alone"); in 

margin, lillah al-mulk falsan waf("To Allah [belongs] the kingdom, [one] falsan, full 

[value]"). 

R: Within circle, Muhammad / rasul / Allah("Muhammad is the apostle of Allah"); in 

margin, darb bi-Filastin ("was struck in Filastin") and palm branch. 

SNAT-IVa, 22 (Jerusalem); Bone Iliya 5d; cf. Walker 911; Album 175 (R).  

ISLAMIC/Umayyad Governors c AH 120+/CE 738+ Tabariyya

AE Fals (2.38 g, 18 mm, 10h), Tabariyya (Tverya, Israel mint) 

O: stylized Ram's head inside circle of dots, surrounded by the Shahada
R: Tabar/iyyah inside circle surrounded by Muhammad Rasulillahi.

SNAT IVa 360-363
Walker  p. 267 P137
Album 188 variety, but of the two examples listed by Album on his website both are listed as Rare despite the Common rating for the majority of A-188 varieties. It appears to be a generic description.

references: Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger Auktion 407/8 lot 1336 (7 Nov 2012) estimate € 150 realized € 480

Excavation of Herodian Jericho Cat of Islamic Coins by Geo. Miles (1951)
p. 37 #44 and plate 62 #8.

also cf. zeno.ru #95839, 95840 and 42902

Egypt; Ptolemaic Dynasty in the name of Alexander III; Ptolemy I Soter as Satrap BCE 323-305

AR Obol, 9 mm 0.67 g, 10h, Arados mint c. BCE 320/19-305

cf. Price 3424 (Tetradrachm)

mint mark monogram in left field AP

All other inscriptions are not visible or off flan.

Tsarist Russia; Romanov Dyn 1613-1917

Nicholas II 1894-1917
AV 5 Rubles, St Petersburg mint, moneyer AG, 1898
4.3 g 18 mm

Y. 62

ISRAEL 1970/5730 1/2 IL.

Israel CN Half Lira 1970 dated 5730 uncirculated with very attractive irridescent blue toning in hand

KM #36.1  6.8 g, 24.5 mm  1,000,999 minted (this example is uncirculated and was part of a tourist packet from 1970 that had remained unopened for 44 years).

SAMARIA, c. BCE 375-333

AR Obol (8 mm, 0.70 g)

Meshorer & Qedar, Samaria 27 var.

O: Bridled horse right; Aramaic inscription not legible but usually “RY” (cleaning scratches)

R: Winged sphinx with hd of Persian King, Aramaic “R” (barely legible) all within dotted incuse square.