Recent Posts

51

Medieval, Islamic and Crusader Coins Discussion Forum / Re: Pre-Islamic goddess? Help needed

« Last post by Britannicus on April 20, 2024, 06:00:10 pm »

I think we might be getting closer...

Ishtar's famous title was "the Queen of Heaven". Her cult survived into Chjristian times, buit she also morphed into other goddesses like Astarte and Aphrodite ("Ourania", the "Heavenly One").

According to Wikipedia: "Worship of Venus deities possibly connected to Inanna/Ishtar was known in Pre-Islamic Arabia right up until the Islamic period. Isaac of Antioch (d. 406 AD) says that the Arabs worshipped 'the Star' (kawkabta), also known as Al-Uzza, which many identify with Venus. Isaac also mentions an Arabian deity named Baltis, which according to Jan Retsö most likely was another designation for Ishtar. In pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions themselves, it appears that the deity known as Allat was also a Venusian deity."

So at the moment I'm guessing that this little object was connected with a pre-Islamic Arabian sky-goddess cult. But it would be good to know whether anyone has ever seen anything similar?

52

Greek Coins Discussion Forum / Re: First Meris. Tetradrachm - Thoughts on unmounting from bezel.

« Last post by PtolemAE on April 20, 2024, 05:56:18 pm »

It is very well done. I would keep it in the bezel and if I wanted one without a bezel, sell it and get another coin.

It looks reasonably done but there are some cues that the 'bezel' could be a standard jewelry finding (mount) and not custom-made. If that's the case then destructive (to the mount) removal of the coin, e.g. by clipping the prongs, is no great loss thought it's hard to know in advance if the coin has been marked by the prongs. Nevertheless I'd also prefer to keep and wear this one and buy an unmounted coin for the collection.

PtolemAE

53

Forum numizmatyki antycznej po polsku / Re: Piękne zdobycze: od Dioklecjana do Anastazjusza I

« Last post by Dariusz M on April 20, 2024, 04:34:43 pm »

I jeszcze nummus Marcjana w dwóch ujęciach: w zestawieniu z innymi monetami (to ten najmniejszy) oraz detal monety.

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Forum numizmatyki antycznej po polsku / Re: Piękne zdobycze: od Dioklecjana do Anastazjusza I

« Last post by Dariusz M on April 20, 2024, 04:33:36 pm »

Dziś moneta z kategorii „ogryzek piękny w swojej klasie” – nummus (minimus) Marcjana.

Opis:
Follis (minimus, nummus), Kyzikos (dziś w Turcji)
Av.: Portret cesarza w diademie perełkowym, napis w otoku: (D N) MARCIANVS P F (A)
Rv.: Monogram cesarza w wieńcu laurowym. Napis w odcinku CY(Z) (oznaczenie mennicy w Kyzikos)
Kampmann 170.9; RIC X 565
10,5-11,5 mm; 1,16 g

Przy okazji podzielę się pewną wątpliwością. Czy przypadkiem nie mamy tu błędnego napisu otokowego na awersie? Zgodnie z opisami katalogowymi powinno być „D N MARCIANVS P F AVC”, ale ja widzę tam „(D N) MARCIIANVS P F (AVC)” z podwójną literą „I”. Mam w związku z tym pytanie do znawców siedzących w temacie mennictwa V stulecia. Czy rzeczywiście właściwie zinterpretowałem napis (z podwójnym „I”)? I czy błędy takie zdarzały się na tyle często, że nie jest to odnotowywane w katalogach?

55

Medieval, Islamic and Crusader Coins Discussion Forum / Re: Pre-Islamic goddess? Help needed

« Last post by Jan P on April 20, 2024, 04:23:38 pm »

Hey Britannicus,
Re-reading your start message, I now saw your friends' translation as "Asman" and I think he is 100% right.
That pellet after the "s" must be an arabic "m".
So, forget Ashera, I was wrong. But I am glad I found Ishtar .

56

Medieval, Islamic and Crusader Coins Discussion Forum / Re: Pre-Islamic goddess? Help needed

« Last post by Jan P on April 20, 2024, 04:13:15 pm »

Well . . . this is more than odd!
I saw your coin or token and thought I could read "Asherah".
I look on the www and fall on the image of this site . . .
https://godswarplan.com/bible-battles-ehud-against-the-moabites-ehud-slays-king-eglon-israel-against-moabites-ammonites-and-amalekites-judges-3/02-asherah-pt
. . . were they wrongly present Ishtar or Lilith as Asherah.
So, with my "Asherah" we came here by surprise to Ishtar, whoes image resembles that of your token in all its attributes.
Meanwhile I checked what you wrote here above and the "godswarplan-guys" are clearly mistaken, Asherah has nothing to do with Ishtar.
If this is not serendipity . . . what Is ?!

57

Coin Photography, Conservation and Storage / Re: How to Break Open NGC Slab

« Last post by Joe Sermarini on April 20, 2024, 03:40:29 pm »

Placed my order for the book. Sounds fascinating.

58

Ancient and Medieval Coin Identification Help / Re: Coins in the name of Alexander

« Last post by Michael M22 on April 20, 2024, 02:51:12 pm »

A friend has had a look, if anyone is curious

Alexander III, Amphipolis mint, lifetime issue
Nikokles of Paphos

59

Classical Numismatics Books and References Discussion Forum / Klaus Vondrovec Coins of the Iranian Huns and their Successors

« Last post by Virgil H on April 20, 2024, 02:33:23 pm »

I have been looking for this book and cannot seem to find the bookstore at the publisher's web site, Austrian Academy of Sciences, although in the past I have found that section and indeed this book. I see it available from other sellers but I worry.

My understanding is that this is a 2-volume work. Yet many on the resale sites look to only be one volume for sale and I don't want to take the chance of only one volume when I need two. And the prices all reflect what the 2-volume work usually goes for.

Does anyone know if there is a one volume version of this and, if so, how does it compare to the 2-volume set? Also, if you have a link to the university book store web site, I would appreciate it. I do not believe that this publisher would infringe on the rules of Forum. I have not seen this book(s) on offer here. If they were, I would buy them from Forum.
Thanks,
Virgil

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Medieval, Islamic and Crusader Coins Discussion Forum / Re: Pre-Islamic goddess? Help needed

« Last post by Britannicus on April 20, 2024, 02:22:14 pm »

Wow! This is interesting. If the first line reads "Asherah", this could perhaps be a devotee's token of the goddess. Asherah worship seems to have survived in Southern Arabia well into the Christian era. But the iconography of the figure doesn't obviously match the iconography of known representations of Asherah.

It does match the British Museum's Burney Relief that you illustrate, including what could be owls (my "altars") and the rod-and-ring symbols in her hands (if that is what they are). But the Burney Relief (c. 1800 B.C.) is much, much older, and the figure has been described as being Lilith, Ishtar, or Ereshkigal, but never Asherah.

Has anyone come across such little metal depictions of goddesses from pre-Islamic Arabia?