"I am curious as to why the holes on the medievals are not located so that the image on the coin is oriented properly as a hanging pendant. Perhaps the holes are made for purposes other than as pendants. Stkp"
I might be able to suggest at least one possible explanation. I spent quite a while working in the Middle East, including some contacts with the Bedouin. It was
still very common for the women to wear necklaces and the like made of silver (and more rarely)
gold coins; in many ways they wore the family wealth. I didn't stare too closely at the women to examine the coins (decidedly not a
good idea). Seeing some of these
types of necklaces and the coins that were used for them in bazaars, however, there seemed little rhyme or reason for where the coins were holed. It seemed as though the main point was the silver itself rather than a pleasing
portrait. I would guess that a
fair number of
medieval coins also would have circulated in the
area at one time or another; if the more current holing pattern existed during that period, then it could be a similar situation.