Iran, civic copper of Urumi, lion to left & sun

[saro]

13,55g / 24mm
mintname at top/ no date (Qajar ?)

[Figleaf]

The symbol of the lion in front of the rising sun, so common on machine-struck Pahlevi coins, obviously has a long history. Is anything known about its origins?

I don't know how you manage to find such eye-popping examples of civic coppers from Iran and Afghanistan, saro. Whenever I see them for sales, they look scruffy or worse.

Peter

[saro]

The symbol of the lion in front of the rising sun, so common on machine-struck Pahlevi coins, obviously has a long history. Is anything known about its origins?
Peter

I've found this on origins of the Lion & Sun symbol :
According to Krappe, the astrological combination of the sun above a lion has become the coat of arms of Iran. In Islamic astrology the zodiacal Lion was the 'house' of the sun. This notion has "unquestionably" an ancient Mesopotamian origin. Since ancient times there was a close connection between the sun gods and the lion in the lore of the zodiac. It is known that, the sun, at its maximum strength between July 20 and August 20 was in the 'house' of the Lion.

Krappe, Alexander H. (Jul–Sep 1945), "The Anatolian Lion God", Journal of the American Oriental Society, American Oriental Society, Vol. 65 (No. 3): 144–154

I don't know how you manage to find such eye-popping examples of civic coppers from Iran and Afghanistan, saro. Whenever I see them for sales, they look scruffy or worse.

Yes Peter, I see the same ! nowadays there is a passion for these coins and prices are following the passion... some coins are nice and ... expensive, but we can see also ugly, worn and illegible coins sold at (according to me..) unreasonable costs 
All mine are former acquisitions.