Building my Crusader collection - Edessa

[AussieCollector]

Hi folks

As per my other thread, I am building my Crusader collection this year, with the aim of 10 coins in total, with a minimum of one coin from each of the first four Crusader states (Tripoli, Jerusalem, Edessa, and Antioch). As mentioned, I will likely also include other quasi Crusader states like like Cyprus and perhaps the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.

 I'm pleased to announce that in addition to my Jerusalem 1/4 Bezant, I have acquired a coin from Edessa.

 

CRUSADERS, Edessa

Baldwin II - Second reign, 1108-1118. Æ Follis (21mm, 4.65 g, 10h). Light issue.

Obv: Baldwin standing left, wearing helmet and coat of mail, holding globus cruciger and hilt of sword

Rev: Cross fleuronnée set on tendrils

Ref: CCS 9b

I was pleased to have also individually ID'd this coin in the Coins of the Crusader States, Malloy, on p.244 9b. It matched almost perfectly to the plate - light on detail and all. 

I am doubly pleased it is Baldwin II in his second reign, after he was released from captivity and reclaimed Edessa from the regent, Tancred (which seemed to be a rather messy affair, all told).

With special thanks to @JeandAcre who has been helping me learn all about Crusader coins.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share your Crusader coins.

AC

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by AussieCollector

[John Conduitt]

Intersting coin. Not exactly common. You can go down quite a rabbit hole with Crusader coins (what even counts as 'Crusader') so you have a nice methodical approach. Many are very good value too.

Levon I the Magnificent Tank, 1198-1219

Sis, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Bronze, 28mm, 6.90g. Bearded leonine head of Levon I facing, wearing crown with dots; clockwise legend ԼԵԻՈՆ ԹԱԳԱՈՐ ՀԱՅԻՈՑ (Levon king of the Armenians). Patriarchal cross with two stars in lower fields, clockwise legend ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՍ Ի ՍԻՍ (Struck in the city of Sis) (Bedoukian 696).

Hugh IV 2nd Series Gros Petit, 1324-1359

Famagusta, Cyprus. Silver, 2.27g. King seated without cross at neck; no fieldmarks; hVGVE REI DE. Cross of Jerusalem; + IERVSAL'M E DE ChIPRE (Metcalf 572 var). Not many were struck (fewer than 40 obverse dies were used) but many survived in hoards buried during Genoese attacks in the 1370s and 1380s.

Raymond Roupen Denier, 1216-1219

Antioch. Billion, 18mm, 0.98g. Bust to left, wearing helmet with chin guard and chain mail armour; crescent to left, star to right; ✠ RVPINVS. Cross pattée, inward facing crescent in upper right quadrant; ✠ A•ITIOCHIA (cf Metcalf, Crusades 1995, class L).

[Ryro]

Nice crusade coins!

Here's some of mine:

Here's a crusader... missing his body

[seth77]

Coinage from Crusader Edessa used to be scarce indeed, but in the last 5 or so years it has become more and more available, especially Baldwin II coppers. I have noticed though a spike in the interest for those multiply overstruck specs, I think some intermediate collectors hope to catch some later issues in the mess that these overstrikes are. Almost sure they are hoping for bargain a Joscelin.

Edited February 4, 2023 by seth77

[JeandAcre]

Thanks for your generous words, @AussieCollector --and yep, I have to like the dual appeal of your follis.  Despite @seth77's insight into the present market, I've yet to get an Edessa one.

@John Conduitt's and @Ryro's are very cool, too, with an engaging range.  @Ryro, I need your Turkic one!  Your Bohemond is looking like a later example, Bohemond IV or even V --which I have to like, being more into the later phases.

Instead of reposting what I have for the seventh time, I thought it might be cool to show the relationships between some of these folks.  This is lifted directly from everyone's go-to medieval genealogy site, Charles Cawley's Medieval Lands.  https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ARMENIA.htm#ZabelQueendied1252A

 

                                  

                                                   ___________________ 

                                                   |                                     |

Bohemond III             Rupen III, Lord of the      Levon I, King of

Prince 1160/3-1201        Mountains, d. 1187      Armenia 1198-1219

               |                                                             | 

     _____|________________                             |

     |                                          |                            |

Bohemond IV, Prince      Raymond,==Alix, living 1234

1201-1216, 1219-1233      d. 1198    |

        |                                           Raymond Rupen, usurper 1216-1219     

Bohemond V, d. 1252

   

Edited February 4, 2023 by JeandAcre
(formatting....)

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I have only one Crusader coin:

rusaders, Antioch. Tancred (Regent, 1101-03, 1104-12). Æ Follis (23mm, 4.46g, 6h). Bust of Tancred facing, wearing turban and holding sword. R/ Cross pommetée; IC XC NI KA in quarters. Metcalf, Crusades 63-9; CCS 4a. Green patina ex London Ancient Coins

[ominus1]

..i bought this thinking i saw 2 riders on one horse...but it turned out to be purdy kool coin anyway  ^^

[Edessa]

I have a small Crusader collection but, despite my tag, nothing from Crusader Edessa!

Crusader States. Acre. In the name of al-Âmir al-Mansur, AD 1101-1130. AV Bezant (21mm, 3.56g, 1h), "Misr" mint, AH"495", Album notes: excellent text, but calligraphy clearly Crusader and not original Fatimid, probably struck circa AD 1148-1187. Ref: Album 730; CCS 3. Good Very Fine, Rare date. Usually based on Fatimid dinars dated AH506 or 515, but many other dates are known. The year AH495 was the first year of al-Âmir. Ex Stacks Coin Galleries December 2008 (17 Dec 2008), Lot 389. Ex Stephen Album Auction 12 (Jan 2012), Lot 354. 

 

[Hrefn]

These two bezants have reposed in my collection for many years.  The coin on the left was sold as a Crusader issue, but it may be the Islamic prototype.  It appears to be of finer gold than the coin on the right.  

Left, sold as a Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem Bezant, second phase, of fine gold, imitating a dinar of al-Amir.  Acre mint, circa 1148 AD.  From Stack’s auction 23 May 1990 lot #885. 

******update.   Expert opinion suggests this is actually a dinar of al-Amir and is not a  crusader imitation.  The next coin certainly is, though.  

 

Right, similar Crusader bezant, also of good style.  At 1o’clock on the reverse is a triangle of three pellets, possibly a reference to the Holy Trinity.  Which is totally cool.  Metcalf 66ff variant.  Purchased from Auctiones S.A. No.18 lot #352, in 9/1989 

[JeandAcre]

@Hrefn, it's hard to doubt that at this remove, you're fine with having both the imitation and the prototype!  Yes, the true imitation looks like something out of a 5th-grader's copybook.  Hoping you're right about the trefoil.  That would give an eloquently implicit rhetorical counterweight to the otherwise unapologetically Arabic legends.

[DLTcoins]

48 minutes ago, Hrefn said:

These two bezants have reposed in my collection for many years.  The coin on the left was sold as a Crusader issue, but it may be the Islamic prototype.  It appears to be of finer gold than the coin on the right.  

Left, sold as a Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem Bezant, second phase, of fine gold, imitating a dinar of al-Amir.  Acre mint, circa 1148 AD.  From Stack’s auction 23 May 1990 lot #885. 

******update.   Expert opinion suggests this is actually a dinar of al-Amir and is not a  crusader imitation.  The next coin certainly is, though.  

 

Right, similar Crusader bezant, also of good style.  At 1o’clock on the reverse is a triangle of three pellets, possibly a reference to the Holy Trinity.  Which is totally cool.  Metcalf 66ff variant.  Purchased from Auctiones S.A. No.18 lot #352, in 9/1989 

I agree. The coin at left looks official. I read Misr, AH 501. The one on the right has numerous mistakes including misspelling the ruler's name. The (faux) mint name "Misr" is clear. The date looks like an attempt at 506. A really cool pair!

[AussieCollector]

Wow, what a great response all. Learning as I go.

Thanks for sharing coins and learnings.

18 hours ago, John Conduitt said:

Intersting coin. Not exactly common. You can go down quite a rabbit hole with Crusader coins (what even counts as 'Crusader') so you have a nice methodical approach. Many are very good value too.

Levon I the Magnificent Tank, 1198-1219

Sis, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Bronze, 28mm, 6.90g. Bearded leonine head of Levon I facing, wearing crown with dots; clockwise legend ԼԵԻՈՆ ԹԱԳԱՈՐ ՀԱՅԻՈՑ (Levon king of the Armenians). Patriarchal cross with two stars in lower fields, clockwise legend ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՍ Ի ՍԻՍ (Struck in the city of Sis) (Bedoukian 696).

Hugh IV 2nd Series Gros Petit, 1324-1359

Famagusta, Cyprus. Silver, 2.27g. King seated without cross at neck; no fieldmarks; hVGVE REI DE. Cross of Jerusalem; + IERVSAL'M E DE ChIPRE (Metcalf 572 var). Not many were struck (fewer than 40 obverse dies were used) but many survived in hoards buried during Genoese attacks in the 1370s and 1380s.

Raymond Roupen Denier, 1216-1219

Antioch. Billion, 18mm, 0.98g. Bust to left, wearing helmet with chin guard and chain mail armour; crescent to left, star to right; ✠ RVPINVS. Cross pattée, inward facing crescent in upper right quadrant; ✠ A•ITIOCHIA (cf Metcalf, Crusades 1995, class L).

Thanks, I thought so too. Not exactly common, but apparently they are becoming more common.

And WOW! Look at that Antioch Billon. Almost mint state. Makes me think I should upgrade mine.

 

18 hours ago, Ryro said:

Nice crusade coins!

Here's some of mine:

Here's a crusader... missing his body

Thanks Ryro, sharing coins gives me more ideas for my next acquisitions.

What's the second one you posted?

13 hours ago, seth77 said:

Coinage from Crusader Edessa used to be scarce indeed, but in the last 5 or so years it has become more and more available, especially Baldwin II coppers. I have noticed though a spike in the interest for those multiply overstruck specs, I think some intermediate collectors hope to catch some later issues in the mess that these overstrikes are. Almost sure they are hoping for bargain a Joscelin.

Thanks, I felt very lucky to have secured this one. There aren't too many around that I've noticed, but perhaps with patience more will pop up. In any event, so glad to have secured Edessa. 

10 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I have only one Crusader coin:

rusaders, Antioch. Tancred (Regent, 1101-03, 1104-12). Æ Follis (23mm, 4.46g, 6h). Bust of Tancred facing, wearing turban and holding sword. R/ Cross pommetée; IC XC NI KA in quarters. Metcalf, Crusades 63-9; CCS 4a. Green patina ex London Ancient Coins

Thanks for sharing your Tancred, very high on my list, although I want to find one where he's not wearing a 'toupee' / a 1990s teenage haircut.

8 hours ago, Hrefn said:

These two bezants have reposed in my collection for many years.  The coin on the left was sold as a Crusader issue, but it may be the Islamic prototype.  It appears to be of finer gold than the coin on the right.  

Left, sold as a Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem Bezant, second phase, of fine gold, imitating a dinar of al-Amir.  Acre mint, circa 1148 AD.  From Stack’s auction 23 May 1990 lot #885. 

******update.   Expert opinion suggests this is actually a dinar of al-Amir and is not a  crusader imitation.  The next coin certainly is, though.  

 

Right, similar Crusader bezant, also of good style.  At 1o’clock on the reverse is a triangle of three pellets, possibly a reference to the Holy Trinity.  Which is totally cool.  Metcalf 66ff variant.  Purchased from Auctiones S.A. No.18 lot #352, in 9/1989 

Ahhh Bezants, I have mine, but it fascinates me that we don't really really know whether they're a crusader coins or the real deal (only by how poorly they are copied), and dealers seem to get confused. Both beautiful coins in any event, you must be very happy with them.

[Ryro]

4 hours ago, AussieCollector said:

Thanks Ryro, sharing coins gives me more ideas for my next acquisitions.

What's the second one you posted?

Levon I 

Cilician Armenia. 1198-1219. AE tank (28.2 mm, 5,34 g, 11 h). Sis mint. Crowned lion ?? s head facing slightly right / Patriarchal cross with two stars. Nerc 308; Bedoukian 718. VF.
Ex: Savoca

[Ursus]

Nice addition. Coins of the short-lived county of Edessa are notoriously hard to find and often in rough shape. It doesn't help that they were usually produced rather sloppily to begin with. Therefore, this is a really nice one for the type.

Here is my example:

County of Edessa, Baldwin of Bourcq, AE Follis, 1110–1118 AD. Obv: Baldwin in conical helmet and chain-armor, standing l., sheathed sword at hip, holding globus cruciger, BA[Λ] - ΔOI[N] around. Rev: Ornamented cross in Byzantine style. 20mm, 4.01g. Ref: Schlumberger I,9; Metcalf 109–112; CCS 10.

[VD76]

On 2/4/2023 at 3:23 PM, seth77 said:

Coinage from Crusader Edessa used to be scarce indeed, but in the last 5 or so years it has become more and more available, especially Baldwin II coppers. I have noticed though a spike in the interest for those multiply overstruck specs, I think some intermediate collectors hope to catch some later issues in the mess that these overstrikes are. Almost sure they are hoping for bargain a Joscelin.

About ten years ago I was paying $200-$500 for my Edessa Baldwin II light issue coins. And they were very rare. Now you can get them for $50 or less. But despite the fact that these coins have become quite common, sometimes you can spot a previously unpublished subtype . 

Here is one . 3.3 g. 

I'm sure this type exists in private collections , but online I've  found only one in the collection of Erich Wäckerlin . Münzen & Medaillen 47 , lot 186 . 

[Valentinian]

I have this book, "The Crusaders and The World of Islam," which, according to the Amazon description, "covers an extensive selection of coins of the Crusades of Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli and Jerusalem and other numismatic areas including the coins of Islam. This encyclopedic book includes illustrations of over 840 coins, each with short historical notes. To bridge Crusader-Islamic history and crusader numismatics, coins of the Seljus, the Zengids of Mosul, the Seljuks of Rum, the Artuqids and the Ayyubids have been included, while the first chapter describes coins of the Islamic world before the First Crusade, such as the Moors of Spain, the Aghlabids and the Fatimids. The book also describes and illustrates West European imported coins, some of which Byzantine gold coins as well as coins of the Norman Kings; and coins of the period following the Fourth Crusade of 1204 of Achaea, Athens and Epirus together with all other baronial issues. This work covers with meticulous detail coins of Cyprus, Armenia, Chios, Rhodes and Malta. A coin of each denomination and ruler is illustrated and described."

The author is a collector, not limited to the original crusades, but continuing into the 1300s and 1400s. I would say it is not a book with pre-existing text illustrated by a collection, rather an extensive collection discussed in the text with many additional photos of ruins, illuminated manuscripts, mosaics, and sculptures, as well as lists of rulers. I have enjoyed it and opened it many times. It is by not an exhaustive list of Crusader coins and is not a replacement for books like those of Metcalf and Malloy. 

Amazon has no copies right now. I cannot say it is "important", but I can say it has been fun. A search of AddAll did turn up one copy in California at $159 (and a second over $800).