Leu Numismatik AG
Web Auction 8 29-30 Jun 2019
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ISLAMIC, Mongols. Ilkhanids. Abu Sa'id Bahadur (?), AH 716-736 / AD 1316-1335. Fals (Bronze, 18 mm, 1.42 g, 12 h), uncertain mint. Lion advancing right; personification of sun above; above, date; in fields, pellets. Rev. Kalima within pentafoil. Apparently unpublished, a mysterious and very interesting issue. Minor areas of weakness, otherwise, very fine.
This is a mysterious issue: while the reverses of Abu Sa'id's sun face and lion coins usually name the ruler, our example not only cites the Kalima, but it also replaces the inscription above the sun face (usually the mint name 'zuriba bin Mardin' = 'Struck in Mardin' in Arabic), with a sadly incomplete date. The possible readings are year 724, 719 or even 714, the latter of which would actually place our coin to the reign of Uljaltu (706-716).
This is a mysterious issue: while the reverses of Abu Sa'id's sun face and lion coins usually name the ruler, our example not only cites the Kalima, but it also replaces the inscription above the sun face (usually the mint name 'zuriba bin Mardin' = 'Struck in Mardin' in Arabic), with a sadly incomplete date. The possible readings are year 724, 719 or even 714, the latter of which would actually place our coin to the reign of Uljaltu (706-716).