With the capture of the Holy Land in AD 1099 in the First Crusade, a small occidental force ruled over the numerous Christian, Jewish and Muslim population for nearly 250 years. The history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem is divided into two distinct periods the first from AD 1099 until the destruction of the city my Saladin in AD 1187. The second kingdom was reestablished in Acre until that cities capture and destruction by the Mamlukes in AD 1291. Through out the period of the first Kingdom of Jerusalem Acre was the principle mint of coins, while Tyre and Jerusalem minted sporadically, the of give us no information of date or mint. The Christian Crusaders minted several different coins of which I now possess two of the types. A small billon dener with the Tower David, and now this rather large gold piece imitating the coinage of the Fatimid Caliphate who had ruled the Levant from Cairo in Egypt. The gold coin is referred to as a Bezant, literally meaning a gold coin of Byzantium. Crusader States Kingdom of Jerusalem Akka(?) Anonymous Second Phase Imitating Fatimid Dinars of Al-Amir AV Bezant (Dinar) (s. AD 1148-1187) 22.5 mm x 3.87 grams Obverse: Blundered Arabic Legend. Reverse: Blundered Arabic Legend. Ref: Album- 730
Great coin MasterNoob, I thought you was taking a break? Can't blame ya', it is after all a gold coin.
Nice capture Nathan! I have yet to capture any ancient / Medieval / Dark Ages gold... The ONLY Crusader coin I have is of Saladin whom CAPTURED Jerusalem Ayyubids al-Nasir Salah al Din Yusuf (Saladin) AH564-589 SALADIN,(AD1169-1193) Mint: Hamah, possibly AH 582 (AD1186) AR Silver dirham 21 mm. Weight: 2.74 gr. Obverse: The name the ruler al-Nasir Salah al-Din v Dunya inside a square. Reverse: The name and the titles of the caliph al-Nasir inside a square. Reference: Album #787.2
Wonderful coin @Ancientnoob!! Love the history and I always had a 'hankerin' for gold!! All my 'Crusader coins' are long gone
Beautifull coin! Here is one of mine....AV Zecchino ND 3.51g. 24mm. Crusader States/ Lord Giacomo Gattilusio 1376-96 Mytilene/Greece
