Lion and sun Jani Beg copper

[Pellinore]

This pul somehow found its way in my collection. A civic copper? But then probably an early one, if you look at the reverse. Is that a date under the lion, maybe 871?

-- Paul

[Figleaf]

The lion and sun symbol is older than the Afghan/Iranian civic issues and your coin looks much better struck, so I suspect it is older. The knots on the corners of the square suggest that it is much older. I agree on the 8 below the lion but can't figure out what the other numbers are. I suspect the tulip in front of the 8 could be a 5 or perhaps a 7 and to the right of the 8 might be a 1 or a 4 as third digit?

Peter

[aws22]

Dear Peter, the date for such coins is normally in words and not as digits. On the bottom side of the square the date should be upside-down and what looks like an " 8 ۸ " is probably the letter " R  ر ". Still the date is not clear to me unless we know the period of minting this coin.

Maythem

[saro]

It looks like an Ilkhan fals 
I am just able to detect the word "Khan / خان" at 7 o'clock, may be followed by the ruler's name  ?

[Pellinore]

Well, the lobed form on the reverse looks a little Ilkhanidistic, and it reminds me of the broad AE dirhams of the thirteenth century.
I looked through the comprehensive Ilkhan book by Ömer Diler, and there were many AE coins with lions, suns and lobed frames, but this type, no.

-- Paul

[saro]

Looking attentively at  your coin, I think that it could be better an Aq Quyunlu fals.
Around the lion, we ca clearly see "fi sanah " (in year) at left, and so we may expect a following date... which is well at bottom as noticed by Peter, and inversed as said by Maythem (written in the same way as "fi sanah") and then may be read with some confidence as "750".

My best guess is that it could be a fals of Uzun Hasan Khan, a great mongol ruler in N-W of today Persia an Anatolia.
I am not very familiar with these coins but I think that letters  " ا  , ذ ,  ن  " are present over "Khan", and could fit with the rulers' name.

[aws22]

Thank you Saro, you are right the date is " 750 ٧٥٠ ".

Maythem

[Pellinore]

Thank you very much, Saro & Maythem. So it is not an 8 but a 7? Here's a detail photo.
So glad you helped me with this difficult coin.

-- Paul

[saro]

Thank you Paul, the date is to read after a 180° rotation

[Pellinore]

Upside down! The Egg of Columbus. Thank you!

-- Paul

[Pellinore]

Looking again into this. If we state that the date is 750H, that is 1349 AD, a century before Uzun Hasan Khan. The middle eighth=fourteenth century lands us in the troubled aftermath of the Ilkhanids and the start of the Jalayrids - but also in the time of the Golden Horde. We'll continue our quest for the sun and lion!

-- Paul

[saro]

Well spotted paul ! there is something wrong with this ruler 

However, the date "750" is correct and I think that's a coin of Jani Beg Khan (Golden Horde), very close to this one  with a lion facing opposite but with the same legend.
Ref : S.A Yanina - "Coins of the Golden Horde"/ coin n° 73

[Pellinore]

Thanks, that's great! The text of S.A. Yanina, Coins of the Golden Horde turns out to be online. The description says:
'Obverse: Righteous Sultan Jani Beg Khan. Reverse: Center: Lion walking right, on his back a rising sun. Outside the square: Mint Khorezm, 754 (1353).
1 example, Measures 26mm. Not published. On the example published by P. S. Saveliev (Sav. No. 519), lion walks left.'

And now I found this coin also on the website of Nyamaa Badarch, mongoliancoins.com with description:
JANIBEG KHAN AE pul. Khwarizm mint. ND. Lion and Sun type. The name of Khan Janibeg is written as Jani Khan. A-???. 27mm 5.0g009JAN0050.

So: it is Album 2030.3, Zeno 65645. Found!

Compliments to Nyamaa Badarch, and to Saro, whose intervention enabled this identification!

-- Paul

[saro]

it's like in a labyrinth, the question is to take the right starting path...
I am pleased to see that you obtained the accurate identification of your nice and scarce coin : the key word is perseverance 

[Pellinore]

Quite right, thanks! I just put the coin on Zeno as #248916, hoping this went well.
And here's the description for my system (now including weight and diameter).

AE Golden Horde tassuj, 750 (= 1349). Obv. Lion walking right, on his back a rising sun. Outside the square: Khorezm. Under the lion, upside down, the year 750. Rev. Lobed circle with 'Righteous Sultan Jani Beg Khan'. 26 mm, 6.05 gr. Album 2030.3, Zeno 248916 and 65645. Yanina 73 (>Saveliev 519). Mongoliancoins.com Jan0050.

-- Paul