Pellinore

As for the stars, if you look up the copper coins of Yazdgard I on Zeno, you find variant numbers of stars: 7 or 9 or 11, but there's also a lead coin (283441) with nine crescents instead of stars.

Seeing this topic... the Samanids! a modest dynasty whose rulers did not present themselves as sultans or kings, but as simple emirs (lords) in Central Asia, who worshipped their caliphs far, far away to the west. Behind the horizon. The Samanid coins are, in a word, harmonic - at least those from their heyday, which is around c. 880-960. The time they traded with China as well as with the Vikings. Rich and pious! Tons of Samanid silver dirhams were found in Scandinavia - many thousands of 'em. Never tried very much, but the coppers, silvers and even one gold coin quietly rolled in somehow, when my attention was elsewhere. And whenever I looked into my Samanid files, I always was very content. AE fals Samanids, Ismail b. Ahmad (892-907), Samarqand, 280H = 893 AD. No scratching! Outstanding condition. 25 mm, 4.51 gr. Album 1444. Catalogue Arts from the Land of Timur, An Exhibition from a Scottish Private Collection (2012) picture 595 (this coin). Zeno 266708 (this coin). AR dirham Samanids, Ismail b. Ahmad (892-907), dated 291 AH = 904. Mint Balkh. 27 mm, 2.85 gr. Splendid style. Album 1443. Zeno 47057 (this coin). A plate coin of a very interesting book by Luke Treadwell, The Die-Engraver of Balkh (290/902–302/914). This book shows the admirable sophistication of the engravers of these early medieval coins.

Well, for the Greek and Roman imitation coins minted in the East, and there were many - now unearthed in Russia and Ukraine, called Celts and Goths - there is this favorite book of mine, from 2012 and happily unmarred by politics: SERGEEV, Andrei Barbarian Coins on the Territory Between the Balkans and Central Asia. Moscow, State Historical Museum, 2012. 31 x 22 cm. Cloth with dust jacket. 256 p. Richly illustrated. Printed on art paper. * Andrei Sergeev (1933-1998) amassed a large collection of mainly imitations from Greek and Roman coins, but also Parthian and Byzantine, that were found in the USSR in the second half of the 20th century. This encompasses a vast area, between the Balkans and China. Many coins one would recognize as Celtic, but also different Hellenistic and Roman imitations may be found, and coins that were inspired by Seleucian and Bactrian examples. The book also contains some essays by Sergeev, about the imitations of Macedonian and Thasos tetradrachms, imitated Roman denarii and aurei, about the Taman denarius (Crimea), the Baltic miliaresion, various imitations from the Trans-Caucasian region and the Central Asian copper imitations of Parthian drachms. A treasure of knowledge about a rare subject.

Dear @Parthicus , I bought a coin much like yours, which is not surprising because we are collecting the same 'Persian' types. It is also Gyselen 88 and it also came from Parscoins, but from an auction of 2021. It was put on Zeno, too (not by me, but straight from the auction by the moderator of these types, hfrans). But see also the eight other coins of this type on Zeno. This is the description in my system: Arab Sasanian. Æ fals. Obv.: Sasanian bust turning right with winged crown, legend in Pahlavi to the right lwbb(a)yk(?) ('Here and always present-prayer to God'), legend to the left not legible. Rev.: Figure standing in prayer, legends on right and left illegible, or according to Album auction catalogs: clear Arabic legend (supposed to be jâza hadha al-fals ("this fals is current"). 22 mm, 2.83 gr. Susa? Gyselen 88.

Wow, a misstrike in gold! Never seen such a thing. What a wonder!

Here’s the coin you meant, the spectacular misstrike I bought from Steve x6’s Menagerie of Ancient Animals & Awesomeness. This is the photo from the CNG (better than I could do it myself), where Steve bought it in March 2017. Constans. 337-350. AE centenionalis, dramatic double strike on reverse. Obv. Bust to right. DNCONSTA/ NSPFAVG. Rev. FEL TEMP REPARATIO - Soldier advancing right, head left, holding spear and leading boy from hut, doubled; SMNB in exergue (Nicomedia mint, also doubled). 348-350 AD. 20-22 mm, 2.86 gr. RIC VIII 70. Ex CNG 394 (March 29, 2017) Lot 518.

Sasanian lead coins are very interesting, but hard to decipher. Göbl thought the designs and functions were the same as those of the Sasanian coppers, but in his days (1960-1980) you very rarely saw anything other than silver and some very scarce gold dinars on the market. The last few years saw some lead coming up in little gushes, so I thought 'now or maybe nevermore'. Shapur II (309-379), lead pashiz. Obv. Head right with hairball-topped crown, korymbos to the left and a round form to the right of the head. Rev. Fire altar with assistants, both in an oblique position. Head in the fire? 18.5 mm, 4.32 gr. Zeno 266926 (this coin). Bought in September 2020.

The only Valerian II I have is an Alexandrian tetradrachm, the type that's already twice in this thread. I bought this coin from the N.M.McQ. Holmes collection that was sold in 2019 by CNG. A British collection specializing in the Valerian-Gallienus dynasty 253-268, that to me yielded many interesting but ugly coins: Beasts, not Beauties! The catalog is very useful and informative for whoever collects coins of this period, do you know it, @Nerosmyfavorite68 My coin is not very attractive, but interesting with its inexpressive obverse head and crafty, strong reverse eagle. Valerian II never had the chance to impress anyone with his military or diplomatic skills. He died in unclear circumstances in Illyria where he had been positioned as Caesar – as a lad of fifteen. It was deadly dangerous to be a member of an imperial family. Potin tetradrachm Valerian II as caesar (256-258). Alexandria year 5 = 257/8. Π Obv. ΛIK KOP OVAΛεPIANOC KAIC CεB, bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev. Eagle standing left, head right with wreath in its beak, wings closed; L Є (date) across field. 23 mm, 11.24 gr. Emmett 3764.5. Ex Classical Numismatic Auctions XIV (20 March 1991), lot 547. CNG auction 442 lot 835, N.M.McQ. Holmes collection, April 17, 2019.

I'm really interested in coins that were messed up in this or that way. Brockage coins can be very beautiful, too. And they all are unique! I always wonder what people did with them. Never saw one with a hole or an attachment. They must have been used as amulets I think. But this one is very garbled, an AE15 of the last quarter of the 4th century. First you see the picture that decided me to buy the coin - adapted by me. This shows vaguely the head of the emperor to the right with the surrounding text. Is that DNVA or VALE? The diadem binds are rather long and prominent. At the reverse the figure of Victory is discentered, but quite sharp. I read ECVRITA, the middle of Securitas. It helps if you turn the coin to see the doubles. The head on the other side is very vague, you only see the back of the emperor's head with his ear and diadem at the far right, the rest is off the coin. And there's a small but critical piece of the surrounding text: NTINI. The Victory side is equally small and critical: the beginning of the word SEC(VRITAS) plus a part of the exergue: ALE ! This can only mean Alexandria. Thus we have a small bronze of VALENTINIan with Victory and SECVRITAs minted in ALExandria. I wanted to ask you which Valentinian! My idea is, based on viewing a few coins on Wildwinds, that it's Valentinian I. Partly because of the longish diadem binds. -- Paul This is my first post on this forum, may there be more in the future. Some of you might know me from other forums. All suggestions are welcome, I'm not very good at technical things.