Islamic coins in archaeological context: coin finds, coin circulation

In recent years, Islamic numismatics has known a renewed vitality, due to the publication of corpora, collection catalogues, essays on the chronology of mint-output and mint activity (see the Survey of Numismatic Research presented in Taormina at the occasion of the XV International Numismatic Congress, but also the review by Arianna D’Ottone Rambach that has appeared in Comunicazione). However, we believe that coin finds and hoards from archaeological contexts are one of the aspects least studied in the field of Islamic numismatics. Whilst it is a well-established trend of research in Ancient and Medieval numismatics, the study and the analysis of the function of Islamic coins in archaeological contexts deserve more attention.

Themes of research:

1) Islamic coins in archaeological excavations

2) Coin use and coin circulation

3) Mint production and coin circulation

4) Coin hoards

5) Mints and monetary areas.

A draft of a letter in Arabic written by Simone Assemani (1752-1821) destined to O. G. Tychsen (1734-1815)
As usual, a special panel will be devoted to new researches about Assemani. This panel is entitled Assemani and his cultural environment: contacts, correspondents and letters. Moreover since the interest of letters between numismatists, as a valuable source for the history of the discipline, has been highlighted by the project Fontes Inediti Numismaticae Antiquae (FINA) – devoted to Classical numismatics until 1800, there is the need to develop a parallel project: Fontes Inediti Numismaticae Orientalis (FINO). Therefore a special session of the 5th Simone Assemani Symposium will welcome contributions dedicated to manuscripts (letters and codices), to the reception of printed book, to networks of collectors, to the history of Oriental collections in European coin cabinets, and to the perception of Oriental coins in Europe.

Friday, 29 September 2017
Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Massimo
Largo di Villa Peretti 1, 00185 Rome
1st session: 9-16
16-17.30: FINO
(Fontes Inediti Numismaticae Orientalis)
18-19.30: Presentazione progetto
Medagliere – Bollettino di Numismatica

Saturday, 30 September 2017
Sapienza Università di Roma – Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali
Circonvallazione Tiburtina 4, 00185 Rome
2nd session: 9-14