Numismatic and History Discussion Forums > Medieval, Islamic and Crusader Coins Discussion Forum

Mameluk Coinage

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lv88:
Hi Everyone,

Could you provide me with common books that are used as reference to Mameluk coins? What catalogues ? Any internet sites that deal with Mameluk history and coinage ?

Levon

Istinpolin:
Hi Levon

The common reference for Mamluk coins is called "The coinage of the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt and Syria" by Balog. The book is extremly rare and very expensive.

There are some cheaper reprints available but the image quality is of course very bad. I bought an original at Spink in London for about 700 Dollars. Way too much but it was probably the only one around here in the UK.

For the History on the Mamluk Empire go here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamluk

For some coins go here
http://www.zeno.ru/showgallery.php?cat=880
and here
http://icg.hotchili.info/ (click Link and Resources, then Islamic Coins Collection, then scroll down to Coins of the Mamluk Empire or something)

I hope this helps

Best wishes,
Burak

lv88:
Thanks, helps a bit.

I might actually be writing an article on a small hoard of Mameluk and Armenian coins. So, I needed to know what was standart book on Mameluk coins. Hope I might ask your help on catalogue identification of certain coins. The Hoard is posted on Zeno.

Best,
Levon

Istinpolin:
Can you provide a link. I couldnt find it there. I looked for Special Project but I couldnt see it there.

Are mainly looking at Pseudo Armenian issues by the Mamluks?

Burak

lv88:
Hi Burak,

The Hoard is not listed in the Special Projects. I actually found out about the hoard through a correspondance with hmk (Haroon).

The interesting thing was the location of the find, Pakistan, and is interesting to find coins that far from their origin. It contained 12 Mameluk and 4 Armenian coins( 2 later takvorins, and 2 takvorins bearing Arabic surcharge)

I was going to ask about identification a bit later( If you have time), but, here are the links:
 
1. http://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=2103&cat=1240&page=1
2. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3953
3. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3965
4. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3952
5. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3958
6. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3959
7. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3957
8. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3954
9. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3956
10. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3961
11. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3963
12. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3955
13. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3962
14. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3964
15. http://zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=3960
16. http://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=2364&cat=1240&page=1

I lost you here Burak:

 

--- Quote from: Istinpolin on June 06, 2005, 05:45:31 pm ---Can you provide a link. I couldnt find it there. I looked for Special Project but I couldnt see it there.

Are mainly looking at Pseudo Armenian issues by the Mamluks?

Burak

--- End quote ---

If you are referring to Post Roupenian coins, with pseudo-Armenian legends, no these werent in the hoard, but these have not been attributed to anyone, though it is unlikely that it was struck my Mamelukes, and here is my reasoning and theory regarding them:

When examined, these coins bear resemblance to the coppers of Gosdantin IV, but their grammatical errors, and other minute details make them distinct. Compare the inscriptions of coins of Gosdantin IV to these coins in Bedoukian's CCA. One has to wonder why would the imitations after the fall of the kingdom resemble coins of a ruler previous to the last king, Levon V. Perhaps lack of skilled die makers or popularity with style of equestrian and lion design and unpopularity of King Levon V and similarity of his coins to Cypriot and Latin style issues was the reason Gosdantin IV's design was chosen.
          As for the coins, it can be certain to have been issued by Armenians after the fall of Sis, because none of the neighbors had reason to imitate coins of a kingdom that was overrun, or all but overrun. One theory might be that it was issued by a certain Prince Gosdantin who ruled in mountaneous Cilicia after the fall of Sis, I believe starting 1376. ( I saw an online source on this somwhere) This would agree with the the reason why the name Gosdantin was attempted to be copied.
 

Also, the Emir of Aleppo, who invaded Armenia in 1360, struck coins with all arabic design and script from Tarsus, in Armenia in the name of the sultan of Egypt, so that might be scrapped.

Best,
Levon

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