Lot 241 QARMATID: al-Hasan b. Ahmad, 972-975, AV dinar (3.15g), Filastin, AH361, A-684, also citing the leader as al-sadat al-ru'asa, very lightly creased, choice VF, RRR. Another example, about the same grade but somewhat nicer strike, same dies, was in Islamic Coin Auction 20, May 2012, lot 374, sold for just over $23,260. Estimate $18,000-22,000

Lot 1037 AWADH: temp. Nasir-ud-Din Haidar, 1827-1837, AV medal (23.17g), unknown mint, AH1251, Rabino-41, a Shi'ite religious medal, without mention of ruler or administration, weight of 5 mithqal or 2 Indian, AH1251 extended from 29 April 1835 until 16 April 1836, VF. The obverse bears the text in the center, ana hajjat Allah wa khassatahu, "I have performed the Hajj for God and honored Him (by doing so)," with the names of the Shi'ite Imams in the margin, the reverse bears a couplet praising the coins of the Master of Time (saheb oz-zaman). Although there is no clear evidence that this medal was ordered by the nawab of Awadh, it was the state of Awadh that had a significant Shi'ite population, both within the region ruled by the nawad and in several subordinate states. The manufacturing style does not resemble anything that was possible in Iran, perhaps not at Lucknow (the capital of Awadh), but the style and calligraphy is virtually identical to that of the contemporary Mughal nazarana rupees, such as KM-779.1 of Muhammad Akbar II struck until AH1249, as well as earlier examples dating back to the late nazarana issues of Shah Alam II. These were struck at the mint of Delhi (Shahjahanabad). This it is likely that this medal was struck for whoever requested its preduction, either at the Delhi mint, or at one of the British Indian mints, public or private. What might be the purpose of a heavy gold medal for those who completed the hajj? It would seem most likely that it was presented either to a ruler who had himself performed the hajj, or to any important person after completing the hajj, whether in India or elsewhere. My personal feeling is that this piece was privately made, and sold to whoever wished to have one and could afford it, or to any ruler, in India or elsewhere, who intended to present to an important Shi'ite citizen who had accomplished the hajj. This same piece was sold at the Islamic Coin Auction 13, lot 626, on 30 October 2007, where it fetched £7500, then equivalent to just over $15,000. It was listed there as a Qajar medal of Muhammad Shah (1834-1848), as it had been published by Rabino. Neither Rabino nor the ICA catalog presented any further information about the origin and purpose of the medal. According to S. Bhandare, a few pieces have appeared in the Indian coin market over the past several decades. According to Rabino, the specimen he published has been in a Geldining auction in either 1936 or 1937, when the king of England was still the Mughal emperor of most of India. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Obverse: The central medallion says: an? hujjat-ull?hu wa kh?ssatuh? This translates to: I am Proof of God and (among) His Chosen This probably refers to Imam 'Ali ibn Abi T?lib, one of whose honorifics is "hujjat-ullah" - Proof of God. This has also been used generically for prophets in Islam, and especially for the Prophet Muhammad, but in this context probably refers to Imam 'Ali. The term "kh?ssa", which means "specially chosen" or "elite" also has a technical usage in Islam. In particular, all believing Muslims are regarded as "awliy?-al '?mma" of Allah, i.e., "His friends in general". However, Sufis of extreme distinction are called "awliy? -al kh?ssa". Since Imam 'Ali is regarded (by virtually all Sufi orders, including Sunnis) as the First Sufi or the greatest of Sufis, he is the premiere among the "awliy? -al kh?ssa". It should also be noted that one of Imam 'Ali's honorifics is "wal?-ull?h" ("Friend of God", or "Viceroy of God"), and "wal?" is the singular of "awliy?". The phrases: ash-hadu anna 'aliyyun hujjatull?h (I bear witness that indeed 'Ali is the Proof of God) and a ash-hadu nna 'aliyyun wal?-ull?h (I bear witness that indeed, 'Ali is the Viceroy/Friend of God) are used in the Shi'a liturgy on special occasions. The inscription around the margin reads: mustafa-o seh muhammad murtaza-o seh ali ja'far-o musa-o zehra yek husayn-o doo hasan (Mustafa and three Muhammads, Murtaza and three 'Alis Ja'far, and Musa, and Zehra, one Husayn and two Hasans) This refers to the following people: Mustafa = the Prophet Muhammad, who is also known as "Mustafa" Three Muhammads = Three Shi'a imams: The fifth imam, Muhammad ibn 'Ali (Baqir-ul-'ulum) - 677-732 CE The ninth imam, Muhammad ibn 'Ali (at-Taqi) - 810-835 CE The twelfth (hidden) imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (al-Mahdi) - b. 868 CE Murtaza = The first imam 'Ali ibn Abi-Talib, who is known as al-Murtaza Three 'Alis = Three Shi'a imams: The fourth imam, 'Ali ibn Husayn (Zain-al Abidin) - 658-712 CE The eighth imam, 'Ali ibn Musa (ar-Rida) - 765-817 CE The tenth imam, 'Ali ibn Muhammad (an-Naqi) - 827-868 CE Ja'far = The sixth imam, Ja'far ibn Muhammad (as-Sadiq) - 702-765 CE Musa = The seventh imam, Musa ibn Ja'far (al-Kazim) 744-799 CE Zehra = Fatimah az-Zehra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, wife of Imam 'Ali and mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn One Husayn = The third imam, Husayn ibn 'Ali, the martyr of Karbala - 626-680 CE Two Hasans = Two Shi'a Imams: The second imam, Hasan ibn 'Ali - 624-670 The eleventh imam, Hasan ibn 'Ali (al-'Askari) - 846-874 Thus, the text refers to the Prophet, his daughter, and all twelve Shi'a imams. Reverse: The text is a couplet that reads: lotf-e haq taa-ke dar jahan baaqeest sikkey-e sahib-uz-zaman baaqeest As long as the favor of God remains upon the Earth, The coin of the Lord of Time endures There are two specific points here: 1. The term "sahib-uz-zaman" literally means "the Lord of Time", but in Shi'a theology, it refers specifically to the twelfth Hidden Imam, al-Mahdi, who is predicted to return at the End of Time. It can also refer to the current Imam, but he is the current Imam for the rest of time. 2. The term "coin", in Persian usage, means not just coinage but also "rule", so that the phrase "The coin of King X prevails in the realm" means that King X holds power. Thus, taken together, the two lines of the couplet refer to the Shi'a belief that all time since the vanishing of the Hidden Imam is under his rule, that his "coin" endures throughout the world. Of course, the dual meaning that the rule of the current king should endure (and that he is Lord of Time) is almost certainly implied as well. This type of double entendre was standard practice in the court poetry of the time. Estimate $15,000-20,000

Lot 1292 BRITISH INDIA: William IV, 1830-1837, AV mohur, 1835(b), KM-451.1, proof restrike, NGC graded Proof 64. Estimate $10,000-12,000

Lot 1278 BRITISH INDIA: William IV, 1830-1837, AR rupee, 1834, Prid-174, pattern in silver, NGC graded Proof 63. A similar example was sold in the Baldwin auction #74, lot 1340, in May 2012 for just over $11,600. Estimate $9,000-10,000

Lot 918 MADURA: Ahsan Shah, 1334-1339, AV tanka (11.01g), Hadrat Madura, AH736, G-MD—, superb strike, style similar to the gold tanka of his successor Ghiyath al-Din Damghan Shah, fabulous strike, choice About Unc, RRRR. This appears to be the first reported gold tanka of Ahsan Shah, with remarkable lengthy inscriptions. The obverse center bears the test afdal al / yasir khilafat / rabb al-'alamin / jalal al-dunya wa'l-din, surrounded by the standard mint/date formula, the reverse abu'l-du'afa / wa'l-masakin ahsan / shah al-sultan / khulidat khilafatuhu. The text reveals that Ahsan Shah was claiming the caliphate! Estimate $8,000-10,000

Lot 1352 BRITISH INDIA: Victoria, Queen, 1837-1876, AV mohur, 1870(c), KM-482, proof restrike, NGC graded Proof 62. Estimate $8,000-10,000

Lot 1351 BRITISH INDIA: Victoria, Queen, 1837-1876, AV 10 rupees, 1870(c), KM-481, Y-15a, proof restrike, NGC graded Proof 63, ex. John Page Collection. Estimate $7,000-9,000

Lot 2105 AUSTRALIA: George V, 1910-1936, AE penny, 1920, KM-23, dot below bottom scroll variety, NGC graded MS65 RB. A superb example with bright lovely original luster. This is the finest known example graded by NGC and a lovely example. Estimate $7,000-9,000

Lot 1428 BRITISH INDIA: Victoria, Empress, 1876-1901, AV 5 rupees, 1879(b), KM-494, Y-A25, proof restrike, NGC graded Proof 62, ex. John Page Collection. Estimate $7,000-9,000

Lot 1267 TONK: Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, 1868-1930, AR nazarana rupee (11.92g), Dar al-Nusrat Tonk, 1880/AH1297, Y-20A, struck on broad flan, believed to be unique, VF to EF, RRRR, ex. William F. Spengler. A set of nazarana coins were struck in 1880/AH1297, the silver single rupee and double rupee, plus a gold double mohur (there is also a double rupee dated 1881/AH1298). The single rupee seems to be unique, the double rupee extremely rare, and the double mohur possibly also unique. Estimate $6,500-7,500

Lot 27 SASANIAN KINGDOM: Shahpur II, 309-379, AV stater (7.28g), Sind district, SNS type C1, crowned bust right, Brahmi SRI to right (without parallel line) / fire altar with ribbons, bold strike, choice VF. Estimate $5,200-6,000

Lot 485 GREAT MONGOLS: Chingiz Khan, 1206-1227, AV dinar (4.02g), Ghazna, AH618, A-1964, with full name of Chingiz Khan (Genghis Khan), boldly clear mint & date, apparently overstruck on some sort of earlier Islamic dinar, excellent grade, one of the finest I've seen, trace of weakness as always, EF, R. From the 1996 hoard, as are virtually all known dinars of Ghazna 618. The hoard allegedly contained between 150 and 200 examples, all from the same dies. Estimate $4,000-5,000

Lot 819 TIBET: AR tangka (5.37g), ND, Cr-15, WCM 254-6, "Suchakra Vijaya" type probably struck by the Regent, the Demo Tulku, in 1763-4 (C.15, but wrongly dated by Krause), superb strike, EF, RR. This remarkable piece is the only Tibetan coin that uses the Phags-pa or Seal script, and has the same type on both sides. The legend reads "Suchakra Vijaya", in Sanskrit, meaning "The noble wheel (of the Dharma), victorious". It was struck from a debased alloy, similar to that used in the Nepalese coins that were circulating widely in Tibet at the time. Presumably the Regent decided to strike these coins as a result of public demand, because the supply of new Nepalese coins had been stopped in about 1750. The coin is normally found in worn condition, and this is one of the finest examples in existence. A lower quality specimen sold for $6000 in the Hong Kong Coin Auction 52. Estimate $4,000-5,000

Lot 28 SASANIAN KINGDOM: Shahpur III, 383-388, AV stater (7.27g), Sind district, SNS type —, crowned bust right, without Brahmi SRI / fire altar with head right within the flames, with two attendants, VF to EF. Crown consists of 3 scallops, lacking the straight line above. Exact crown type not listed in SNS. Obverse similar to type C8 of SNS, reverse to C7. Estimate $3,800-4,200

Lot 815 SZECHUAN-SHENSI SOVIET: AR dollar, 1934, Y-513.6, L&M-891, hammer and sickle over globe with map of China, NGC graded EF45. A pleasing example of this ever popular type. Estimate $3,000-4,000

Lot 626 SAFAVID: Sultan Husayn, 1694-1722, AR 5 shahi (9.11g), Isfahan, AH1114, A-2673, magnificent presentation strike for award, decoration or jewelry, struck on unusually broad flan, very light traces of mount (as virtually required for these coins, given their purpose) at top and bottom of obverse, EF, RRR, ex. Richard Accola collection. Estimate $3,250-4,000

Lot 693 QAJAR: Fath 'Ali Shah, 1797-1834, AV ½ toman (3.06g), Dar al-Saltana Tehran, AH1212, A-2858, coronation type, nice strike, VF to EF, RRR. Obverse text amadeh az Fath-i 'Ali sekke be-zar-e shahi ("From Fath 'Ali came the royal coins of gold"), mint & date on reverse. Estimate $600-800

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