TuckHard

I have this super tough captive coin which miraculously still has enough detail in the right spots to ID it well. Roman Empire367-375 ADValentinian ISiscia MintAE | 1.68 gramsObv: Emperor facing rightRev: Emperor dragging captive, Q to left, K over P right, BSISCV belowRef: RIC IX 14a type xxvii(a) Next: a captive treated better than this

This isn't exactly ancient, but it falls on that side in the ancient-modern schism in my collection. Kingdom of England1250-1256 AD Issued under Henry III by the moneyer Davi London Mint (Type 5)AR penny (half-cut) | 0.58 grams | 9x19mm wideObv: King with sceptre, unrealistic hairRev: LVN - DEN, long crossRef: Spink#1367 Next: another intentionally disformed coin

A few months back I sat down with Hartill's book Early Japanese Coins and finally carefully attributed all of my Japanese cash. The minute calligraphy differences between different types are incredibly deliberate and delicate, and can be used to attribute to specific mints and time ranges where it is otherwise not possible. Here's my earliest Japanese coin, dating from 1636 to 1640 AD. Japan1636-1640 ADAE 1 mon (Shiba-sen) | 3.68 grams | 24.5mm wideShiba Mint Obv: Kanei TsuhoRev: BlankRef: Hartill #4.10, Zeno#293123 Next: same theme

Here is my earliest French coin, discounting a Roman coin from Arles. Kingdom of France 1285-1314 AD Issued under Philip IVBI double tournois | 0.75 grams | 19mm wide Next: same theme

Fun topic! The earliest Vietnamese cash was minted in the 900's AD but remained relatively rare for several centuries until production numbers increased. Here is my earliest Vietnamese cash, but earlier ones aren't too hard to come by. Vietnam1443-1453 ADAE cash | 3.15 grams | 24.5mm wideObv: Thai Hoa Thong BaoRev: BlankRef: Barker#32.4, Zeno#294866 Next: same theme

Edit: Beat by a second, how about this. I am convinced these are the absolute smallest coins of the ancient world. They are standardized to 0.03 grams- a group of 10 pieces weighs exactly 0.29 grams. I think some bracteate Nepal coins from the 1700s/1800s come close, as well as some South Indian gold fanams of the 1600s/1800s maybe, but this is truly from an older period. Mon city-states of the Gulf of Martaban, Myanmar/BurmaIssued anonymouslyc. 600 to 850 ADAR bracteate | 0.03 grams | 7mm wideObv: Simplified srivatsa appearing as a four-petaled flower with stem and dimple Rev: Repousse of the front Next: more tiny tiny coins

6 hours Kingdom of Hungary 1172-1196 AD Issued under Bela IIIAE imitation | 1.34 grams | 22.5mm wideObv: Blundered text imitating contemporary Arabic coinageRev: Blundered text imitating contemporary Arabic coinage See this coin on Zeno, Z#278858 Next: blundered text

Byzantine Empire610-641 ADIssued under Emperor HeracliusAE 40 Nummi | 6.08 grams | 27mm wideObv: Three emperors standing forwardRev: Large M center, cross above Next: more Byzantine

Mine is a bit more simplified than yours it seems. Next: more anonymous coinage

Pyu city-state of Sriksetra, Myanmar/BurmaCirca 600-700 AD Contemporary counterfeit?AR full unit | 9.87 grams | 30mm wideObv: Bhadrapitha with five lamps above in a beaded borderRev: Srivatsa center with sun and moon above, nine dots within, to the left a vajra, to the right a conchRef: Mahlo #14a.1 Next: a coin with a design element of dots

Ming Dynasty of China1628 to 1644 ADIssued under Emperor Chongzhen at the Guizhou MintAE cash | 2.65 grams | 24.5mm wideObv: Chong Zhen Tong Bao (top-bottom-right-left)Rev: Gui (for Guizhou)Ref: Hartill #20.296, see it on Zeno.ru, Z#295561 Next: a coin bearing two or six characters/letters

Here is a failed kingdom-state from a failed rebel leader. He was a military general during the Ming Dynasty who allowed and assisted the neighboring Manchu people of Manchuria to invade and capture parts of China, eventually leading to the complete collapse of the Ming Court and the start of a quarter millennium of Manchu rule over China by the Qing Dynasty. He later tried to rebel against the Qing Court, making him a double-traitor. The San Fan Rebellion (Ming Rebels) of ChinaIssued under Wu Sangui1674-1678 ADAE cash | 4.28 grams | 24mm wideObv: Li Yong Tong Bao (top-bottom-right-left)Rev: BlankRef: H#21.85var, see this coin on Zeno, Z#295565Ex: Scott Semans Next: another coin bearing exactly four characters/letters/glyphs

6 hours, here is a coin that I (barely) identified earlier today. it's actually pretty rare but the condition makes it pretty moot. This is definitely one of the worst condition coins I have ever ID'd. Private mint of Palembang, Sumatra c. 1635 to 1750 AD Issued anonymously and privately during the rule of the Palembang SultanateTin cash imitation | 0.68 grams | 19.5x20mm wideObv: Zhi Dao Yuan Bao clockwiseRev: BlankRef: Hartill A Guide to Cash Coins #3.61var, cf. Zeno #204884 Note: This coin copies its Chinese legend from the Zhi Dao Yuan Bao coins issued from 995-997 AD during the Northern Song Dynasty of China. These Chinese coins circulated for centuries in the region where they influenced imitations such as this coin Next: a hard to identify coin

Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt Issued under Ptolemy VI180-145 BCAE Chalkon | 8.22 grams | 22mm wide | 3mm thickObv: Zeus rightRev: Two eagles standing leftRef: Svoronos #1426 Next: another thick coin (3mm or more)

This coin was mislabeled as a Japanese cash coin but that hexagon center hole says otherwise... Banten Sultanate of Java c. 1546-1596 AD Jayakarta Mint ?AE cash | 2.28 grams | 24mm wideObv: Pangeran Ratu in Jawi scriptRev: Ja character in Jawi above Next: same theme

6 hours Kingdom of HarikelaCirca 700-900 ADIssued anonymouslyAR full unit (damaged or clipped) | 3.84 grams | 24x28mm wideObv: Brahmi script Harikela above a seated bullRev: Srivatsa in trident-form, above a round sun left and crescent moon right, surrounded by dots Next: a kingdom known for trading

Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt180-145 BCIssued under Ptolemy VIAE Chalkon | 8.67 grams | 20mm wide | 4mm thickObv: Zeus rightRev: Two eagles standing leftRef: Svoronos #1426 Next: another coin from the second century BCE

Here's another Japanese Kanei Tsuho coin, this one is from a century later. The calligraphy differences in the script are small but meaningful, Hartill does an excellent job of making these easy to understand and attribute in his book Early Japanese Coins. Japan 1736-1739 AD Jumantsubo-sen (Jumantsubo Mint)AE 1 mon (cash) | 2.20 grams | 23mm wideObv: Kanei Tsuho (Kan-Ei-Tsu-Ho from top-bottom-right-left)Rev: BlankRef: Hartill #4.144, see this coin on Zeno, Z#293129 Next: more island coinage

6 hours Japan1636-1640 AD Shiba-sen (Shiba Mint)AE 1 mon (cash) | 3.25 grams | 24mm wideObv: Kanei Tsuho (Kan-Ei-Tsu-Ho from top-bottom-right-left)Rev: BlankRef: Hartill #4.12var, see this coin on Zeno, Z#293124 Next: another island coin

This Javanese silver coin has its obverse double struck, the square pattern is now messy. Buddhist/Hindu Kingdoms of East Java (Mataram, Janggala, Kediri, Singhasari, or Majapahit)c. 930 to 1300 ADAR atak | 1.04 gramsObv: Sandalwood flower motif double-struckRev: Nagari script Ma Next: more silver from around the turn of the millennium 1000 AD

Celtic imitation copying coin of Parionc. 480 BCE (?)Obv: Crude gorgon forwardRev: Incused pattern with raised center dotRef: Dewing 2349, see The Gorgons of Parion which displays these Celtic imitations Next: more Celtic

Srivijaya of Sumatrac. 800-1300 ADIssued anonymouslyTin 2 massa piloncitoObv: Sea turtleRev: Anku (elephant goad) facing left, crescent moon to rightRecovered from the Musi River of Palembang Next: another tin/lead/potin coin

6 hours Kingdom of SpainIssued under Felipe IIBurgos Mint1556-1598 ADAE Blanca | 0.86 grams | 15mm wide Next: another 16th century coin

Wow, this one is definitely cool. I've never seen one with one with this sideways recumbent bull like this! Small but deliberate design choices like this are my favorite.

Sultanate of Rum Issued during the Three Brothers period 650 AH (1252-1253 AD)AR Dirham | 2.76 grams | 23mm wide Siwas (Sivas) Mint See this coin on Zeno, Z#293157 Next: another Islamic coin