ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY

General Secretary Regional Secretaries Mr. - - Broome UK. and Eire: Mr. K. W. Wiggins

Newsletter Editor Europe: Dr. A. Gorter Dr. M. B. Mitchiner North America: Mr. P. D. Hogan Annual Subscription:

£2-00; H.Fl. 12-00;5-00 dollars General Section: Mr. C. M. Webdale Newsletter number 43 June 1976

Members news. James Silver (5S) will be returning from Israel to the USA in June. Mr. Les Riches (162) is still looking for

details of Kotavala coins. Mr. Stuart Munro-Hay of the School of Oriental and African Studies (London

University) is preparing a thesis on the History of Aksum and would like to contact anyone possessing a collection of Axumite coins. Mr. Husch (125), whose death was noted in the last Newsletter, was an engineer who had been collecting coins for 49 years. His study of Turkish coins, commenced while working for some

years in Anatolia and augmented by studies of Ottoman coins in the Istanbul, Munich, London and Paris

Museums, will be published under the title ‘Munzpragungen des Osmanischen Reiches under der Turkischen’. A group of members interested in Indian coinage spent an enjoyable afternoon at Mr. D. Chandaria’s (8)

home in London on May 15 th. and met Dr. P.L. Gupta (507), before his returm to India. The Indian Numismatic Dealers Association.

19, Golaghat, KANPUR 208004 (phone 62766) This is a new association with an annual membership subscription of 25 rupees (+ admission 15 Rs). For

further details contact the Secretary, B.S. Sengar, at the above address.

ONS Accounts. Our Treasurer, Vic Brown, reports another satisfactory financial year. Accounts to the 31st. March 1976 are

available from him (Sp + SAE or Intemational Reply coupon). Occasional Papers.

Richard Wright’s paper, cited in the last NL., is now on its way to members. A paper by Nicholas Rhodes on ‘The Coinage of Bhutan’ will be ready in July.

International Numismatic Commission. Compte Rendu 22 (1975) is now available and includes details of Numismatic Research in progress and of Numismatic teaching in Universities. Details from the Secretary, Otto Morkholm, Cabinet Royale des Médailles, Musée National, Frederiksholms Kanal 12, DK - 1220, Copenhagen K, Denmark.

What is it? Information is sought on the following coins by Mr. K. Wiggins (4). AE. 253 - 256 grains (16.4 - 16.6 gms). Obverse inscription appears to be:- Ara fi

Date may be AH 1244 = 1828/29 AD or Fasli era \(= 1834 AD\) Aq WW dave

Coin 3 has a different inscription ALT 6 2 No date. A Ta

Perhaps our Indian members may be able to assist? — “Lost”’

Pat Hogan has ‘lost’ the following US members, mainly military personnel, who have changed address. Anyone knowing their whereabouts please contact Pat Hogan (or ask them to do so):- Louis A. Demers, W. David Cogan, Owen T. Merwin, Ronald A. Stout, David L. Hagen, George J. Drake. Recent Publications. - Album, Coins of Abu Sa’id, NI Bulletin Feb. 1976

Lachman, The silver 20 Para coin of Abdul Mejid, Spink’s NC. May 1976, 185
H. Lacy, Coinage of the Mughals, Indian Native States and East India Company, J. of OIN, X no. 1, 1976, 5-6. - LeLacheur, Ancient Coinage of Siam, NI Bulletin Feb. 1976. - E. Lenker, The Besa story, Emperor Haile Selassie’s emergency coin, California Coin News, XXX, Spring 1976, 4042.
M. Lowick, A forgery of the Hetum/Kaikhusru Tram, Spink’s NC. June 1976, 233.
M. MacKenzie, Akches of Muhammed II (Second reign), a hoard of the first issue dated 855, Spink’s NC. June 1976, 231-3.

Numismatic Literature no. 95 was published by the ANS in March 1976 and contains a number of references to publications of Oriental interest.

Paruck, F. D. J., Sassanian Coins. A 1976 reprint is available from K. P. Bagchi and Co., 286 8. B. Ganguli St.,

Calcutta 700 012. - Snartt, The rarity of East India Company coins (continued), Seaby’s C & M Bull., June 1976, 197-200. - Du Quesne-Bird, The Turkish Coinage of the Caucasus 1723-1735, Spink’s NC. May 1976, 192-193.

O. West, Coins of the Shogun’s Chamberlain, California Coin news XXX, no. 2, Spring 1976, 36-7.

(the Go momme gin of 1765-72.) - Wright, The Szechuan rupee, Coins and Medals, April 1976. California Coin News is a quarterly of the California State Numismatic Association. Contact Charles G. Colver (Secretary), 611 No. Banna Ave., Covina, CA 91724.

IRANIAN NUMISMATICS

(A survey of books recently published in Iran) C.S. Barron

All the books except one are in Persian. The exception is Rabino de Borgomale’s work which is a reprint of

the 1951 edition with a biography of Rabino, corrections and an index in Persian. Most of the books men-

tioned below are in print; those which have gone out of print are indicated (this information is correct as of June 1975). Considerable difficulty may be experienced in obtaining these books; the best method is by

personal contacts in Iran who can find out whether any book is still in print or not. However, the relatively low prices make them good buys in these days of high prices (NB. £ 1-00 = approx. 120 rials)

Malikzade BAYANI, خيرات

سكه از نيرتميدق هنمزا تا دورة نايناكشا‎ (A History of coins from the earliest times to the Parthian period), Vol. 1; second edition, Tehran University Press publication no. 627, 1346 AHS.; pp. iv + 213; illustrations in text; 5 maps; paper covers Price 88 rials. A history of the early Iranian coinage up to the end of the Parthian period. The first volume goes up to the

end of the Achaemenid Period and includes a bibliography of both Persian and European works. The illustra-

tions are fair. I have not seen a second volume.

Shirin BAYAN, خيرات

آل جللاير‎ (History of the Jalayirids), Tehran University Press, publication no. 1093, 1345 AHS;; pp. 474; illustrations in text; 1 map; paper Price 145 rials (out of print). A detailed, if pedantic, treatment of the Jalayirids. Pages 233-262 give a detailed coverage of the coins, including illustrations of many of the coins described. 29 coins are described but there are mistakes, the most noteable of which is the reading of MS الله‎ ws دنه‎ all coins whereas many only have &L خلد‎. The illustrations are generally good.

Sayyid Jamal Torabi Tabataha’i, ىناكروكو‎ lst! 4,2 اسلامى‎ ag, (Islamic Coins: the Ilkhanid and Timurid Periods), Azerbaijan Museum, Tabriz, publication no. 3, 1347 AHS.; pp. 47 + 74; illustrations in text; card covers. Price 100 rials (out of print). The most noteable feature of this book (and the others by the same author) is the fact that every coin described is illustrated. The book is not exhaustive but it does describe a number of coins not mentioned elsewhere. The long introduction contains potted histories of both dynasties. The illustrations vary from good to poor.

Hushang and Feridun NOVIN FARAH BAKHSH,

=! در يكصد سال‎ ole! al Glod (Coins of Iran of the last 100 years), no comment can be made on this book as no copies have been seen by the author.

Sayyid MortazaSARMADI, ياد

ناهاش اشكانى‎ yleS-~ (Coins of the Parthian rulers) Governor-General’s Office for Culture and Arts, Hamadan, 1349 AHS.; pp. 67; illustrations in text;

paper covers. Price 50 rials. This book lists and illustrates about 130 Parthian coins from public and private collections in Iran. The illustrations vary from good to poor.

Sayyid Jamal TORABI 7 ايسران‎ pu! ىاهكس ناهاش‎ (Coins of the Islamic Shahs of Iran), Azerbaijan Museum, Tabriz, publication no. 5, 1350 AHS. pp. lvi + 402; illustrations in text; card covers. Price 350 rials. A useful work by the Director of the Azerbaijan Museum in Tabriz which lists and illustrates the coins of the various dynasties which ruled in Iran, starting with the Samanids and ending with Nasir ed-din Shah Qajar. There is also an appendix of the coins of the first four Caliphs, the Umayyads, the Abbasids and the Ayyubids. The long introduction contains lists of rulers, their mints and their epithets. The book does not list all the known coin types, based as it is on public and private coin collections in Iran, but all the coins described are illustrated. There are many mistakes, particularly in the later IIkhanid period where the coins of the Jalayrids,

the Sarbedarids and the later IlIkhans tend to get confused. However, many of the coins are unpublished else- where. The book is divided up as follows:-

In all cases the first page of each dynasty is a list of the rulers of the particular dynasty. to be continued.

Dynasty Pages Samanids 1-8 Sarbadarids 103-104 Buwayhids of Fars 9-12 Muzaffarids 105-106 Buwayhids of “Iraq, Ahvaz and Kerman 13-16 Jalayrids 107-124

Buwayhids of Rayy, Hamadan & Isfahan 17-21 Timurids 125-143 Kakwayhids 22-23 Kara Koyunlu 144-157 Ghaznavids 24-29 Ak Koyunlu 158-168 Great 5 30-38 Safavids 169-239 Seljugs of Kerman 39-41 Afghans 240-244 Seljuqs of “Iraq and Kurdistan 42-44 Afsharids 245-269. Seljugs of Rum 45-52 Zands 270-287 Atabegs of Azarbaijan 53-62 Qajars 288-311 Atabegs of Fars 63-64 Caliphs 313-317 Atabegs of Thousand tails 65-68 Umayyads 318-347 Khwarizmshahs 69-73 Abbasids 348-393 Mongols and Ilkhanids 74-102 Ayyubids 394-400