Tamar -Daviti Coins from a Hoard with Unspecified Find Location in Armenia

Abstract

Our goal is to study and publish the regularly struck copper coins of Queen Tamari and Davit Soslani from the hoard discovered in Armenia in an unspecified location, within the framework of researching the monetary circulation in the 12^th-13^th cc. Georgia. The hoard was discovered and dispersed in 2010. It was deposited in a clay jar, and comprised several tens of copper coins, including both Georgian and Islamic (Ildegizid) ones. We succeeded in obtaining the images and metrology information of 17 specimens: 16 coins of Tamari-Daviti and 1 Islamic one – the 11^th c. (?) Byzantine follis or imitation thereof with Inalid c/m (Jamal ad-Din Mahmud of Amid, tpqn 1183 CE) restruck into an Ildegizid issue of Qizil-Arslan and Sanjar Sulaymanshah (1184-1187). These 17 coins were not selected randomly, unfortunately, and cannot by analyzed quantitatively. According to the 2018 classification of the author, this hoard pertains to II group (being the 5^th hoard thereof). 2 sub-groups are distinguished: IIa (hoards comprising exclusively Tamari-Daviti coins, and deposited on the territory of the inner provinces of the Georgian Kingdom), and IIb (hoards deposited on the territory of the southern, north-Armenian provinces of the Georgian Kingdom, and comprising mainly Islamic regularly struck coins along with regularly struck coins of Tamari and Daviti). The hoard was deposited in 1200-1227. 1 coin out of 16 bears no date. The author argues that all Tamari-Daviti coins with or without the date had equal value. However, it remains unclear, why some of the coins were issued without the date. Two particular coins with legends of anomalous calligraphy are discussed. They can constitute 1) the unskillful produce of the official Georgian mint; 2) contemporary forgeries; 3) contemporary imitations (issued in the region influenced economically by the Georgian Kingdom). There is no evidence, that a separate Georgian mint operated in north-Armenian provinces of the realm, issuing Tamari-Daviti coins.