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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Parthicus, post: 26710439, member: 81887&quot;][ATTACH=full]1705226[/ATTACH] </p><p>Cilician Armenia.&nbsp; AR tram.&nbsp; Levon (Leo) I, as king (1198-1219).&nbsp; Obverse: King enthroned, Armenian legend around &quot;Levon King of the Armenians&quot;.&nbsp; Reverse: Two lions to side of cross, Armenian legend around &quot;By the Will of God&quot;.&nbsp; Holed and plugged.&nbsp; This coin: Frank S. Robinson Auction 130, lot 334 (January 18, 2026).</p><p><br /></p><p>When Armenia was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century, a number of refugees settled in the Byzantine province of Cilicia, on the southern coast of Anatolia.&nbsp; The Armenians had a reputation as fierce soldiers, and were steadfastly Christian, and thus were allowed to establish a principate within Cilicia to help guard against the Muslim states along the Byzantine border.&nbsp; Levon (Leo) I, also known as Levon Medzakardz (Levon the Magnificent), was born in 1150, the grandson of the reigning prince.&nbsp; Levon became prince himself in 1187, and almost immediately faced an invasion by the Ayyubids.&nbsp; Levon proved a skilled warrior and was able to gain some territory.&nbsp; At the same time, the Ayyubid ruler, the legendary Saladin, was conquering the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which would precipitate the Third Crusade.&nbsp; Levon provided logistical help, including supplies and local guides, to the Western European armies who passed through the region during the Crusade.&nbsp; In 1198 Levon was crowned as king, establishing the kingdom of Cilician Armenia that would last for nearly 200 years.&nbsp; Levon died in 1219 and was succeeded by Zabel (Isabella).</p><p><br /></p><p>This coin type can be seen as an assertion of Levon&#039;s sovereignty, of Christianity, and of Armenian identity.&nbsp; Levon is depicted enthroned, wearing a crown, and uses the title King in the inscriptions, all clear assertions of his independent power.&nbsp; He holds a cross in one hand, the reverse features a cross with two lions (frequent symbols of kingship), and small crosses are at the 12 o&#039;clock position of both obverse and reverse, emphasizing the importance of Christianity to Levon.&nbsp; In his other hand, he holds a fleur-de-lis; while this is most often seen as a French royal symbol, it can also be a more general Christian symbol, and turns up in various other medieval heraldry and coin designs.&nbsp; Finally, the use of Armenian for the legends, rather than the Greek used on contemporary Byzantine coins or the Latin of most other Christian states, is an assertion of Armenian culture.&nbsp; These coins of Levon I are fairly common today; this specimen, with its plugged hole, was just $30.&nbsp; Please post your coins of Levon I, or whatever else is related.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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