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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Hrefn, post: 7813461, member: 115171&quot;]There are many medieval coins either issued by the Crusaders or tied more or less directly to them.&nbsp; And the coins of their opponents, and the coins the Crusaders struck imitating their opponents’ coins, are all available.&nbsp; The bounds of a Crusader coin collection are wherever you chose to set them.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Here are a few coins with Crusader ties.&nbsp; &nbsp; [ATTACH=full]1342672[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1342673[/ATTACH]</p><p>#1is a Grosso of Venice of the Doge Iacopo Tiepolo 1229-1249. Papadapoli-4803.&nbsp; Prior to being elected Doge, he served as Podestà of Constantinople, newly conquered by the forces of the Fourth Crusade.&nbsp;&nbsp; Obv:&nbsp; Christ enthroned.&nbsp; Rev: Tiepolo and St. Mark.&nbsp; Purchased from Ed Waddell in 1988.</p><p><br /></p><p>#2 is a small bronze of the Norman kingdom of Sicily, a 1/6 follaro of the King Willam II the Good 1166-89 AD.&nbsp; Obv: Lion Mask.&nbsp; Rev.&nbsp; Al-Malik Ghulyalim al-Thani.&nbsp; MEC14 434, better than the plate coin.&nbsp; Purchase price and date unrecorded. </p><p><br /></p><p>#3 Champagne- Provins et Sens:&nbsp;&nbsp; silver denier of Thibault III, Comte de Champagne 1197-1201.&nbsp; Obv: Thibalt Comes&nbsp; Rev:&nbsp; Castri Pravins.&nbsp;&nbsp; The City of Provins was site of one of the Champagne fairs during the Middle Ages. The device is a wool comb.&nbsp; The quadrants of the cross feature two bezants, an alpha and omega. Thibault III came from a crusading family and was the driving influence behind the organization of the Fourth Crusade.&nbsp; His untimely death started the chain of events which resulted in the Crusaders being in debt to Venice, and ultimately the conquest of Constantinople. Purchased in 1988</p><p><br /></p><p>The firm SOLIDUS&nbsp; lists this coin as either from Thibault III or IV.&nbsp; (Frankreich - Champagne. Thibaut III. (1197 - 1201) oder Thibaut IV. (1201 - 1253).)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#4 is a Crusader denier from the Duchy of Athens, Guy II de la Roche during his majority 1294-1308 AD.&nbsp; He was the son of Guillame de la Roche and a Byzantine noblewoman, Helena Angelina Comnena.&nbsp; Obv: GUI DUX ATENES&nbsp; Rev: THEBANI CIVIS.&nbsp; Frankish Greece #93.&nbsp;&nbsp; Purchased 2013</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#5 Cyprus siege coinage of the Venetians at the siege of Famagusta 1570 AD.&nbsp; Obv: PRO REGNO CYPRI PRESSIDIO.&nbsp; Rev:&nbsp; VENETORŪ FIDES INVIOLABILIS . BISANTE.&nbsp; The Turks’ slaughter of the garrison following their surrender on terms precipitated the Battle of Lepanto.&nbsp;&nbsp; This coin was pierced and worn as a talisman.</p><p><br /></p><p>The gros tournois is an innovation with strong ties to Crusading history and a focus on these coins would make a fine collection. [ATTACH=full]1342674[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1342675[/ATTACH]</p><p>#6 Saint Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270 AD.)&nbsp;&nbsp; Europe’s first gros tournois circa 1266-1270 AD. Some luster remaining.&nbsp; Ciani 181. </p><p>Obv:&nbsp; cross, légende intérieure : + LVDOVICVS. REX</p><p>légende extérieure : + BNDICTV: SIT: NOmE: DHI: nRI: DEI: IhV. XPI, (ponctuation par trois besants superposés).</p><p>Traduction: (Louis roi ; Que le nom de notre seigneur Jésus-Christ soit béni). </p><p><br /></p><p>Rev:&nbsp; TURONIS CIVIS. </p><p>Purchased from Alex Malloy 6/1989 </p><p><br /></p><p>#7 Bohemund VI of Tripoli&nbsp;&nbsp; 1251-75 AD.&nbsp;&nbsp; He was knighted in Acre by St. Louis IX, married Sybilla of Armenia, daughter of King Hetoum, bringing peace between Armenia and Tripoli, and assisted the Armenians and the Mongols in the capture of Aleppo and Damascus in 1260 AD.&nbsp; Antioch was lost to Baybars during his reign, in 1268AD. </p><p><br /></p><p>Obv:&nbsp; Cross.&nbsp; BOEMVNDVS COMES. Rev:&nbsp; Star. CIVITAS TRIPOLI.&nbsp; Purchased 3/1993 from Andy Singer</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#8 Bohemund VII of Tripoli 1275-87 AD.&nbsp;&nbsp; OBV:&nbsp; Cross. SEPTIMVS BOEMVNDVS COMES. Rev:&nbsp; CIVITAS TRIPOLIS SYRIE.&nbsp; Bohemond VII spent much of his reign at war with the Templars and the Genoese.&nbsp; He left no known legitimate children.&nbsp; This gros was the same weight as the French gros tournois.&nbsp; It was the last Crusader coin struck in the Holy Land.&nbsp; Tripoli was lost to the Mamluks in 1289, two years after his death.</p><p>Purchased from Stephen Huston</p><p><br /></p><p>#9 Robert d’Anjou, Kingdom of Naples and Jerusalem&nbsp; Also called a gigliato.&nbsp; 1309-1343 AD.&nbsp;&nbsp; Obv: HONOR REGIS IUDICIUM DILIGIT&nbsp; &nbsp; Rev: ROBERT DEI GRA IERL ET SICIL REX. The honor of the king delights in justice.&nbsp; Psalm 98:4 Vulgate.&nbsp; Purchased from Stephen Huston</p><p><br /></p><p>#10 Kingdom of Cyprus, Peter I. 1359-1369 AD.&nbsp; Purchased from Andy Singer 8/1989.&nbsp;&nbsp; His reign was the acme of military power of the Cypriot Kingdom.&nbsp; His coins show the king holding a sword in lieu of a scepter.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Then there are the Crusader opponents.&nbsp; Here is one of the Turkish mounted archers who gave Crusader armies so much trouble.[ATTACH=full]1342679[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1342680[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>#11. Dirham of Seljuk Qilij Arslan IV.&nbsp; Album 1226.&nbsp; What I find fascinating about this coin is the crescentic arrowheads, and the archer holding two more arrows in his&nbsp; right hand for extremely rapid shooting.&nbsp; The YouTube clip below illustrates what the Crusader armies were fighting.&nbsp; [MEDIA=youtube]y8uxXknNDTU[/MEDIA]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1342682[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>#12. And here is a fals of Saladin to conclude our tour.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>My advice to you is let your collection grow organically, as you explore the history of the period.&nbsp; It can be a lifelong study.&nbsp; And buy the books![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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