Can you help identify? : AE Fals Bahri Mamluk, al-Ashraf Sha'ban II, Tarablus

[Zobidizob]

Hello,

I have been given this coin a few days ago by someone who couldn't identify it. After some research, I found a few photos of "Mamluk coins" that look quite similar to this one. Can anyone confirm? Do you have any ideas about its provenance, year, etc.?

Diameter: about 18 mm
Weight: 2.6 g

I'm new to numismatics so let me know if you need any additional information 

[JMP]

Zobidizob, zukidizob  .

[THCoins]

Yes, this looks Mamluk. Can not give you specific ruler from memory. But the reverse shows a "fleur de lis", that may help ypu in searching.

[Zobidizob]

Yes, this looks Mamluk.

Thanks a lot for confirming 

the reverse shows a "fleur de lis", that may help ypu in searching.

Yes, I noticed the fleur de lys -- actually I think that's why the person who gave it to me couldn't identify it: I live in France, and there are fleur de lys everywhere here (churches, tapestry, old coins, heraldry, etc.). He must have thought it was an old French coin.

[Figleaf]

In lists and catalogues, the symbol is often described as a heraldic lily, so search on that term. In reality, this being a fleur-de-lis is as likely as Greece putting a moon and star (the Turkish state symbols) on one of its coins.

The heraldic lily is a well-known Frankish symbol (Charlemagne already used it). Arab texts still call crusaders "Franks". That word still has a negative connotation and it is still used in this sense in propaganda of religious extremists.

In reality, it is a pomegranate, symbol of fertility in Arabic countries, because it contains many seeds.

Peter

[aws22]

Thank you Anthony for the coin ID:
Dear Zobidizob, your coin details:
Mamluk, Bahri dynasty, al-Ashraf Nasir al-Din Sha'ban II, Date?, AE Fals, Tarablus mint (AH 764-778/1363-1377 AD)
Obverse (Left photo): border, circular line:
ضرب   , darb
السلطان الملك  , al-Sultan al-Malik
الاشرف شعبان  , al-Ashraf Sha'ban
بطرابلس  , bi-Tarablus
Reverse (Right photo):
Border of dots, in which double linear octolobe. In it, fleur-de-lis with wide transverse band.
al-Ashraf Sha'ban (السلطان شعبان): al-Ashraf Zayn ad-Din Abu al-Ma'ali Sha'ban ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( الأشرف زين الدين شعبان , lit. 'The Most Noble, Grace of the Faith, Father of Excellence, Sha'ban son of Husayn, son of Muhammad, son of Qalawun', better known as al-Ashraf Sha'ban (السلطان شعبان  or Sha'ban II, was a Mamluk sultan of the Bahri dynasty in 1363–1377. He was a grandson of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad. He had two sons (out of a total of eight) who succeeded him: al-Mansur Ali and al-Salih Hajji.

Maythem

[Zobidizob]

In lists and catalogues, the symbol is often described as a heraldic lily, so search on that term. In reality, this being a fleur-de-lis is as likely as Greece putting a moon and star (the Turkish state symbols) on one of its coins.

The heraldic lily is a well-known Frankish symbol (Charlemagne already used it). Arab texts still call crusaders "Franks". That word still has a negative connotation and it is still used in this sense in propaganda of religious extremists.

In reality, it is a pomegranate, symbol of fertility in Arabic countries, because it contains many seeds.

Peter

Thank you so much for all these precisions Peter! This is really interesting. I was wondering why this kind of symbol would appear on a Mamluk coin. The pomegranate explanation makes much more sense!

Mamluk, Bahri dynasty, al-Ashraf Nasir al-Din Sha'ban II, Date?, AE Fals, Tarablus mint (AH 764-778/1363-1377 AD)
Obverse (Left photo): border, circular line:
ضرب   , darb
السلطان الملك  , al-Sultan al-Malik
الاشرف شعبان  , al-Ashraf Sha'ban
بطرابلس  , bi-Tarablus
Reverse (Right photo):
Border of dots, in which double linear octolobe. In it, fleur-de-lis with wide transverse band.
al-Ashraf Sha'ban (السلطان شعبان): al-Ashraf Zayn ad-Din Abu al-Ma'ali Sha'ban ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun ( الأشرف زين الدين شعبان , lit. 'The Most Noble, Grace of the Faith, Father of Excellence, Sha'ban son of Husayn, son of Muhammad, son of Qalawun', better known as al-Ashraf Sha'ban (السلطان شعبان  or Sha'ban II, was a Mamluk sultan of the Bahri dynasty in 1363–1377. He was a grandson of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad. He had two sons (out of a total of eight) who succeeded him: al-Mansur Ali and al-Salih Hajji.

WOW  I didn't expect so much details! I don't know how you did it because I could barely recognise a single Arabic letter on this coin. This is perfect, thank you soooo much!

[aws22]

Thank you Zobidizob; both mint and date are not visible but from the style the Mamluk coin it is struck in Tarablus. The date is still unknown.

Maythem

[Zobidizob]

from the style the Mamluk coin it is struck in Tarablus.

Tarablus in Lebanon or in Libya? I'm guessing you're talking about Lebanon (it would make more sense from a geographical point of view) but it doesn't hurt to ask.

The date is still unknown.

It's perfectly fine! I mean, it would be interesting to know but truth be told, I wasn't expecting anyone to guess the century. Knowing that it's from the Bahri dynasty is already way more than I'd hoped for! Thanks again 

[aws22]

Dear Zobidizob, Tarabulus, Tripoli (طرابلس), in Lebanon; the city has the second highest concentration of Mamluk architecture after Cairo.
Tripoli is the largest and most important city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 81 km north of the capital Beirut, it is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Tripoli overlooks the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and it is the northernmost seaport in Lebanon. It was called Athar by the Phoenicians, and later Tripolis by the Greek settlers, whence the modern Arabic name Ṭarabulus derives. In the Arab world, Tripoli has been historically known as Tarabulus al-Sham (طرابلس الشام), or Levantine Tripoli, to distinguish it from its Libyan counterpart, known as Ṭarabulus al-Gharb (طرابلس الغرب‎ 'Tripoli of the West').

Maythem