ISLAMIC/Palembang; Mahmud Badruddin II 1804-1821

Tin Piti, 0.73 g, 18 mm, undated, Robinson #11.1 (R1)

Blundered legend should read:

ضرب في بلد فلمبغ دار الاسلام

ISLAMIC/Palembang; Muhammad Badruddin II 1776-1804

Tin Piti, 0.73 g, 18mm. AH 1203/CE 1789, Robinson #9 (R1)

Inscription reads:
السلطان في بلد فلمبنغ سنة ١٢٠٣

GREEK/Seleucid; Antiochos IX Kyzicenos BCE 114/113-95

AR Drachm, 4.02 g 16.5 mm 12h, Uncertain Mint (Spaer thought Northern Syria)

SNG Von Post 603 (this coin)

SNG Spaer 2720 

(from plate for SC 2400 which used Spaer 2720 as the example depicted)

Naville X 15-18 June 1925, lot 1483

 

SC 2400

HGC 1239d (R3) 

O: diad. Hd rt. Dotted border

R: Nike adv left holding out wreath, [BA]ΣIΛEΩΣ/[A]NTIOXOY on right  and [Φ]IΛ-OΠATOPOΣ on inner left with controls on outer left AΩ monogram above Δ 

From the three examples that have been identified, it appears that all of the three coins were produced from the same obverse and reverse dies, meaning a single die produced all three examples.  Without additional examples I think it may be premature to jump to any conclusions on the basis of just this observation at this time. If you are aware of other examples of this coin, please email me.

It may be that Von Post acquired this coin while he was Swedish Ambassador in Turkey from 1946-1951.  Though we can only surmise through this information that the possible find spot was somewhere in that region, perhaps even Cilicia where it is possible that it was minted.  Though no certain conclusions can be reached with our circumstantial evidence being stretched to such ends. Without the original information on the provenance of the coin we are left poorer and our theories on origin all the weaker.

Eric von Post

 

Ex: Sotheby’s (UK); Coins Medals & Banknotes Auction, "The Collection of Greek Coins formed by Eric Von Post (1899-1990)", 9 October 1995, sold as a portion of lot 228.

it appears that the write ups for the coins were taken literally from SNG Von Post. The information about the mint being Antioch and that the drachm is a variety of SMA 404 are wholly incorrect as we now know and likely an example of expediency rather than scholarship on the cataloger's part.

 

The winning bid of £638 for the lot exceeded the original estimates. In 1995 USD, that was equivalent to $1,006.70 or approximately $201.34 for each of the five coins in the lot.  With inflation, that winning bid would be approximately $1,623.58 or $324.72 for each coin in 2017 USD. (thanks to Ella Hall of Sothebys (NY) Coin Dept for price realized).

Resources consulted:

Sotheby's Auction Catalogue 9 October 1995

Houghton etal, Seleucid Coins Part II (Vol 1 & 2)

Newell, SMA

SNG Spaer

SNG Von Post

Naville X 1925

Hoover, HGC Handbook of Syrian Coins Vol. 9

Thanks are extended to ANS Librarian David Hill who provided copies of the pertinent portions of Naville X and the Sotheby's auction catalogues.

ISLAMIC/Palembang; Mahmud Badruddin II 1804-1821

Tin Piti, 19 mm, 1.29 g, undated, Robinson #14 (R1)

Inscription reads:
ضرب في بلد فلمبغ دار الاسلام

ISLAMIC/Palembang; Mahmud Badruddin II 1804-1821

Tin Piti, 17 mm, 0.80 g, AH 1219/CE 1804, Robinson #10 (R1)

Inscription reads from bottom left around to bottom right:
مصروف في بلد فلمبغ ١٢١٩

ISLAMIC/Palembang; Muhammad Badruddin II 1776-1804, Three Pitis

Left: 13 mm, 0.44 g  Robinson # 5.5 (R1) AH 1193 (though appears to be 1183 due to poorly executed numeral) /CE 1779

Center: 14 mm, 0.57 g Robinson #5 (R1) same date.

Right: 14 mm, 0.41 g, Robinson #5.9 (R2) date is poorly executed as 113 rather than 1193

The general inscription reads:
 السلطان
في بلد فلمبغ
سنة ١١٩٣

ISLAMIC/Palembang Tin Piti 18th Century CE



Tin Piti, undated though source appear to agree c. AH 1163/CE 1750
1.19 g/21 mm
"Alamat bilad Palembang"
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin I CE 1724-1757

Milies 200
Robinson 4 (R1)

Great Britain/Hanover; Victoria 1837-1901

AR 1 1/2 d., 0.69 g, 11 mm, minted for use in Ceylon & Jamaica, 1839, mintage 760,000

KM# 728
SCBC 3915


ex: Stephen Album

DDR 50 pf 1950-A

Aluminum/Bronze, 3.38g, East Berlin mint 1950, 67,703,000 mintage

KM # 4

O: denomination above date and below Deutschland
R: plow in front of factory with tall smokestacks.

ROMAN/Maximianus CE 286-310

AE Antoninianus (----mm, 3.69 g) Tripolis mint, c. 286-290 CE

RIC V 626 var.
RCV 13144 var.

O: IMP C M AVR VAL MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, rad, cuir., bust right.
R: IOVI CONSERVATOR--I AVGG/TR in field and palm branch on left XXI in exergue.
Emperor on left receiving Victory from Jupiter

ROMAN/Gordian III CE 238-244---A footnote to the Holocaust

AR Antoninianus, 4.1 g, 23 x 20 mm, 12h, Roma mint, CE 239

RSC 194

O: rad, cuir., bust r IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG
R: Virtus stg l holding shield and spear, PM TRP II COS PP


This coin was part of a lot from Triskeles Auctions 322 lot 518 that closed 12/13/2016. The entire lot including this coin was identified as former stock of Robert Ball Nachfolger a Berlin, Germany coin dealer who was active from 1887 until his death in 1904 according to the write up accompanying the lot description.

In 1904, the Ball enterprise continued under Hugo Grünthal who ran the firm under the Ball name until he was forced to close the business in 1934 when anti-Jewish laws began to impact business enterprises who were no longer able to advertise or have other access to markets. This compelling information was not included in the auction write up for some reason. It was noted that the remaining inventory was sold in two sales by Grabow of Rostock in 1939 and 1940. It is surmised that the coins in this lot probably came from the stock sold at that time. 

    Original Envelope that accompanied the coin. Envelope is 35 x 35 mm.

What is not mentioned is that Hugo Grünthal (1869-1943) died in Berlin in 1943. It is not known if this was due to natural causes or not, though considering the conditions that Jews were compelled to live under, all deaths were unnecessarily premature.  A medal depicting Grünthal  (and his relationship to the Ball company is noted on the reverse) was issued in 1929 and is depicted below:

Grünthal's son Henry (1905-2001) left Germany in 1938 and came to the USA and went on to work in Numismatics and was a long time curator at the ANS in NYC.  

This just goes to prove that preserving the provenance of even the most pedestrian coin provides invaluable information not only about the coin but the people who owned it and the times in which they lived.

 

Two DDR (1949-1990) Commemoratives

1972-A Buchenwald 10 Mark KM#38 (31mm, mintage 2.5 million, CuNi)

1971-A Thälmann 20 Mark KM#34 (33mm, mintage 2.5 million, CuNi)

JORDAN; Abdullah II (1999-); Half Dinar 2006/1427 AH

KM# 79
28 mm, 9.43 g.

OBS:  عبدالله الثاني ابن الحسين ملك المملكة الاردنية الهاشمية

“Abdullah ath-Thani Ibnal-Husayn Malik al-Mamlakah al-Urdaniyyah al-Hashimiyyah”

REV: THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN/HALF DINAR/نصف دينار ١٤٢٧ه ٢٠٠٦م

With large ١/٢ in center.

FRANCE; François Mitterand; President 1981-1995; Centennial

Coin Specifications:  (this example is BU)

Country:	France    (LU-G1002 Leuchtturm 2018 Catalogue Euro number)
Year Of Issue:	2016
Denomination:	2 Euro
Mint Mark:	cornucopia
Mintage:	Circulation: 9,980,000; Brilliant Uncirculated: 10,000; Proof: 10,000
Alloy:	Cupronickel Outer Ring: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel Clad; Nickel Brass Inner Core: 70% Copper, 24.5% Zinc, 5.5% Nickel
Weight:	8.5 grams
Diameter:	25.75 mm
Edge:	Lettering (2** 2** 2** 2** 2** 2**)
OBV Designer
REV Designer	Luc Luycx
Quality:	Circulation, Brilliant Uncirculated, Proof

For more info click here.

ROMAN/Severus Alexander CE 222-235

AR Denarius, 3.28g 19 mm, 6h, Rome mint c. CE 231

RSC 76

O: IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laur., draped cuirassed bust r.

R: IOVI PROPVGNATORI, Jupiter adv left looking right and reading to throw a fulmen from his right hand.

 

INDO-PARTHIAN/Gondopharid; Pakores c. late 1st Century CE

AE Tetradrachm 8.31g 25 mm, 11h, Arachosia ? mint
Senior 269.8T

O: diad bust left

R: Nike adv right

ISLAMIC/'Abbasid Governors of Tabaristan; Jarir جرير CE 786-788

AR Hemidrachm, 23mm, 2.04 g, 3h, PYE 135

Album 64 (R)

Malek 95

Wilkes 110 (Islamic Coins & their Values Vol. I)

O: name in outer margin of obs Q3 جرير , “Afzut” in place of name before bust.

R: “Tabaristan” on right, “135” on left of attendants and fire altar.

GREECE/Seleucid; Antiochus I Soter BCE 281-261

AR Tetradrachm, 25.5 mm, 16.61 g, 6h, Aϊ Khanoum mint

SC 438.1a

O: diad hd r

R: Apollo Delphios std l on omphalos testing arrow in his right hand and holding bow in his left, monogram Δ in a circle to inner left. BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right ANTIOXOY on left.

Ex: CNG 367:252 (27 Jan 2016)