I have started to get interested in crusader coins so I bought one of Florent of Hainaut. From Wikipedia: "Florent of Hainaut (also Floris or Florence; Hainaut, also spelled "Hainault") (c. 1255 – 23 January 1297) was Prince of Achaea from 1289 to his death, in right of his wife, Isabella of Villehardouin. He was the son of John I of Avesnes and Adelaide of Holland. From his father he received the stadholdership (government) of Zeeland. After he left Zeeland, he took up service with Charles II of Naples, who made him constable of the Kingdom of Naples. After his marriage with Isabella (16 September 1289), he had one daughter: Matilda. She would succeed him and her mother as princess. Florent settled with his wife in Morea. He negotiated the Treaty of Glarentsa with the Byzantine Empire in 1290. The situation for the Franks in Greecewas hopeless by this time, however. The fall of the Angevins in Sicily meant that they were preoccupied with recouping territory there and few Western governments would send troops to defend Morea. Florent thus made peace and maintained it until 1293, when the Greeks retook Kalamata. Florent did not despair and did not reopen the war which had been ongoing until his succession: he instead sent an embassy in protest to Andronikos II Palaiologos, and the emperor returned Kalamata. In 1296, the Greeks retook the castle of Saint George in Arcadia. Florent besieged the castle, but died before it could be taken." In part Florent is interesting because of his wife Isabella. From wikipedia: "On 28 May 1271 Isabella married Philip of Sicily, son of Charles I of Sicily. This marriage had been pre-determined by the Treaty of Viterbo in May 1267 between Charles, the exiled Baldwin II of Constantinople and Isabella's father. Taking advantage of the precarious situation of the remains of the Latin Empire in the face of renascent Greek power, Charles gained suzerain rights over Achaea; furthermore, the heirs of Baldwin and William were to marry children of Charles, and Charles was to have the reversion of both the Empire and the Principality should the couples have no heirs. Philip became titular King of Thessalonica in 1274, but he died on 1 January 1277, predeceasing his father. In line with the Treaty, on the death of Isabella's father William, in 1278, it was her father-in-law Charles who succeeded as Prince of Achaea. Charles died in 1285, to be succeeded by his son Charles II. In 1289, however, on Isabella's marriage to Florent of Hainaut and on Charles II's accession as King of Sicily, he conferred on the couple the titles of Prince and Princess of Achaea, on condition that, if she survived her husband, she would not remarry without Charles II's consent. Florent and Isabella had one daughter, Matilda. As Prince, Florent negotiated the Treaty of Glarentsa with the Byzantine Empire in 1290. The peace lasted until 1293, when the Greeks retook Kalamata; Florent's emissaries, however, persuaded Andronikos II Palaiologos to return it. In 1296, the Greeks retook the castle of Saint George in Arcadia. Florent laid siege to it, but died in 1298 before it could be taken. Isabella was married again in Rome on 12 February 1301. Her third husband was Philip of Savoy, Lord of Piedmont, who now became Prince of Achaea in his turn. Philip aimed to reconquer the whole of Lacedaemonia from the Greeks. He was an authoritarian ruler and this put him at odds with the barons of his realm. He tried to placate the barons of Morea, but was forced to accept a parliament in 1304. The Greek peasantry, crushed by taxes, then revolted in turn. In 1306 Philip and Isabella were summoned to Charles II's court at Naples. Philip was accused of disloyalty and failure to support Charles in a campaign against Epirus, and Isabella of failing to seek her suzerain's consent before marrying Philip. Charles deprived the two of Achaea and on 5 May 1306 bestowed it directly upon his son Philip I of Taranto (who thus became Philip II of Achaea). Philip of Savoy eventually relinquished his claim to Achaea on 11 May 1307 in exchange for the County of Alba. Isabella, separated herself from him and went to live in Hainaut, continuing to assert her right to the Principality. Isabella died on 23 January 1312, after which Philip of Savoy remarried. On Philip of Taranto's death in 1313, Isabella's daughter by Florent, Matilda of Hainaut, became Princess of Achaea." Photos are the copyright of Holding History Coins Please post your medieval coins
Man, I don't have jack in the crusader coin category (on the list), but here's a contemporary coin. Bela III - Bela IV of Hungary, 1172-1270 AD, AR Bracteate Head right, reverse incuse of obverse. Unger 122. 16 mm, 0.4 g
My crusader coin from Greece: Crusader Greece - Epirus John II Orsini, r. 1323-1335 (1325) Arta Mint, AE Denier, 18.53mm x 1 gram Obv.: +IOhS DESPOTVS, cross within inner circle Rev.: (+D)E ART(A C)ASTRV, around castle Ref.: Roberts 5338
Very nice coin @Orfew I have nothing from the Crusader States of Outremer or the Latin East, though I would love to expand my collection in that direction. I did pick up a coin from one of the military orders that goes largely ignored: the Livonian Branch of the Teutonic Order. AR Schilling (Szelag or Ortug or Artig) 19mm. 1.20g. Reval / Tallinn mint Obv: Shield. Retrograde 'N' for 'M' in 'MAGISTRI'. +NAGISTRI LIVONIE. Rev: Cross pattée; pellet trefoils in quadrants. 'N' for 'M' in 'MONETA.' +NONETA REVALIE.
Hi, Orfew. Your coin is not minted for Florent, but rather for Isabella as a widow princess 1297-cca.1300/1. Curiously enough Isabella's deniers tournois seem more common than the ones minted in the name of Florent, although it is presumed that the mint at Glarentza spent more time minting coins in his name than in the name of his widowed wife later on.
Thanks @seth77 I appreciate the correction. I originally wanted a coin of Isabella, so I do not mind that this turned out to be her and not Florent.
Nice coin, @Orfew ! To contribute, here are some of my coins. Since these were not minted in the Crusader States, they don't count as crusader coins per se, yet they were struck for some rulers who played important roles during the crusades: William II "the Good" of Sicily (1153–1189), the last (legitimate) Norman king of Sicily, led an unsuccessful campaign against Saladin in 1174, and afterwards feuded against the Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos. Arabic and Latin influences mixed in Norman Sicily, which explains the Kufic script on this follaro: William II "the Good", Kingdom of Sicily, AE follaro, 1166–1189 AD, struck at Messina or Palermo. Obv: Lion's head left. Rev: Kufic script: "al-malik Ghulyalim al-thani" ('King William the second'). 14mm, 1.87g. Ref: Spahr 118, MEC XIV 437. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (1195–1250), King of Sicily, Germany and Italy as well as Holy Roman Emperor, was regent of Jerusalem for his son Conrad (see below). In 1229, during the Sixth Crusade, Frederick made a deal with Sultan al-Kamil which lead to the temporary return of Jerusalem to the Crusaders. Here is a denaro of Frederick struck at Pavia: Frederick II, Pavia (Imperial Italy), AR denaro, 1220–1250 AD, struck at Pavia. Obv: FE–RIC-N in center, legend +[AVC]VS[TVS]CF. Rev: PA-PIA in center, legend +INP[E]PATOP. 14mm, 0.58g. Ref: Biaggi: Monete e Zecche (1992), no. 1838. Conrad IV of Hohenstaufen (1228–1254), King of Germany, Jerusalem (as Conrad II), Sicily (as Conrad I), inherited the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother Isabella II in 1228. Here is a billon denaro giving his title as King of Jerusalem and Sicily: Conrad II, Kingdom of Sicily, BI denaro, 1250–1254 AD, struck at Messina. Obv: + CON[R]ADVS, cross with two diamonds in fields. Rev: + IER[L E]T SICI, RX with omega-stroke above. 15mm, 0.68g. Ref: Spahr 155, MEC XIV, p. 133, no. 3.
Great coins @Orielensis thanks for posting them. I am envious of that Conrad IV, I have been looking for one of him.
