Interesting civic copper / Marv mint

[maudry]

Not sure about what it is on this one, but it makes me think of a crab.
Size: 22mm
Weight: 5.12gr

[saro]

Not at all a common coin    I see an elephant charging down upon somebody  (the mint master may be...  )
the mintname is a challenge !

[maudry]

Thank you for your comment.
You see an elefant, I see a crab and the seller announced a rabbit...

I forgot to mention that it is a very thin folded flan. This could point to Afghanistan?
It has been folded two times.

[saro]

It's well a rabbit indeed ! and not an elephant...
As you say, this shape with a thin and folded flan suggests an afghan origin, however it's difficult to  find an agreement for a mintname with the remaining parts of letters 

[saro]

From the isolated "wav" at 11 o'clock and the "mim" at 12 , I think that this could be a civic copper of the city of Marv (or Merv) " مرو  ", a safavid city located N-E of Mashhad and today in Turkmenistan.
Which, if I am correct ( ) hasn't been yet reported . 

[maudry]

Great attribution! I would never have recognized the rabbit.
Thank you very much.

[andyg]

I meant to post something on this being likely from Merv but I never got around to checking on Zeno (sorry)

I think this rabbit might be from Merv rather than an open hand -
http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php/topic,24073.msg159428.html#msg159428
suggestions welcome...

[saro]

Yes Andyg, I agree, it's a rabbit and not an open hand. Wether it is Merv is a question it is possible to detect :" zarb falus.." but, I'm afraid, nothing else.

[saro]

I am please to confirm mint & transcription : this coin is listed by S. Album under n°1411in the Vol.9 of the "Sylloge of Islamic Coins in the Ashmolean".
" ND, Hare to left /late 13th C- early 14thC "

[aws22]

Great finding, thank you Saro; the Hijri date on the coin listed by S. Album (first photo) reads " 813 ۸۱۳ " which is equivalent to 1411 AD. Therefore on your original post, the date at same position (first photo) looks like " 816 ۸۱۶ " which is equivalent to 1414 AD.

Maythem

[saro]

Thank you Maythem.
I don't see any date or part of it    , this coin is listed as "ND" (undated).

[aws22]

Thank you Saro, you are right there is no date, only the rabbit standing long ears.

Maythem

[maudry]

Perfect match.
Thank you again.
The Ashmolean coin has also been struck on a folded flan whith apparently around 2.75 layers as mine.

[Figleaf]

Great co-operation once again, with magical results. I am so impressed that saro got the rabbit right already in reply #2 as well as a complete id for what is a really difficult coin.

Peter

[saro]

Thank you Peter.

Looking at Marv history, we learn that the city, located on silk road, was the capital of Seljuk sultans and probably the biggest in the world in years 1200 AD with a population of 1 million it has been invaded by Gengis Khan in 1221 AD and never recovered after it has been destroyed by mongols (who are said to have put to death 700000 persons...). The city became a khanate and even in the very early XIVth century AD was ruled by a christian archbishopric of the Eastern Church under Kartids control (rulers of Herat), themselves vassals of Ilkhanids.
Later, in 1505 AD (911 AH) the Uzbeks occupied Marv and wereexpelled in 916 AH by the safavid Isma'il Shah; except for short periods, it remains in persian hands till 1785 AD.

The circular ornaments of this coin make me think of a christian influence with crosses around the hare and others on the other face which look very like chrisms, a symbol very common on eastern christian coins) .
 I wonder if this coin couldn't belong to issues of these archbishops ? the hare itself could fit with a christian symbolism.