From Roma Auction/ early dated/ Christian and Hegira

[panzerman]

Sicilia/ Hohenstaufen Rulers

Amalfi

AV Tari d'oro AH 595 / 1198AD

Amalfi Mint   0.83g.     24mm..      .600

Friedrich I / &  Regent Empress Constanza 1197-98AD (Wife of Heinrich VI) von Hohenstaufen)

obv: Outer Circle/ Kufic Legend "Struck in the year five hundred and ninety five"

Inner Circle/ Latin Legend "Struck in the Year One-Hundred One-Thousand ninety and eight"

 Inner Rim/ Kufic Legend "Constance Imperatrix of the Romans"/ Around Latin Cross in

Inner Circle

rev: Inner Circle/ Latin Legend

+ FRE REX SICILIE

Around Palm Tree in Centre Circle

Levinson 1234-1500   Fr. 51 (Very rare)   Mir 36   L. Travaini P. 136,2  Napoli 1844 Pl.20

Please post your coins from this period in history.

 

Its not April Fool's Day here/ but its looking like Christmas! Otherwise I started work on March 11th. Even trimmed a cedar hedge on 13th/ no shirt/ it was 19 cel. and sunny.

 

[JeandAcre]

@panzerman, I've seen Sicilian coins with AH and AD dates, but Never on the same coin!  That's Wild.

I can post some, but have a doctor's appointment to get to first.  Hold me to it!

[JeandAcre]

...Well. never mind, @panzerman, here's a link to the post that says everything I would have repeated.

 

While my favorite of the coins on that post has to be the tari of Robert 'Guiscard' (often translated 'the Weasel'), another one has to be the concave follaro of William I (1154-1166), combining Latin, Arabic and Byzantine Greek elements, variously in the legends and reverse motif (evoking early ikony, already echoed on Byzantine coins, but freely adapted on German ones back to the Salian dynasty in the 11th century).

What's very cool is how, as you note, this multi-cultural ethos was continued as late as Friedrich II, whose mom was the heiress of Norman Sicily (Woops, Edit), where he grew up. 

Elsewhere in Europe, people said all kinds of things about him, from 'stupor mundi' (a little ambiguous to begin with) to stuff that was less complimentary as itwent along.

To all of which, I can only say is, Fine, except, Oh Well.  None of us does any better than any of us we can do with the spiritual resources to which we are given access.  Thank you, in real time.

...I have to know that this is already scaring people; it Has to be time to shut up.

 

Edited April 5 by JeandAcre

[panzerman]

Thanks/ that very interesting information. Sicily has a rich coin history.

 

John

[JeandAcre]

Thanks back at you, John.  I'm repeating myself, but it's worth it in this context.  Over the 11th -13th centuries (earlier or later depending on the location), the whole northern Mediterranean, facing the Islamic world, was more cosmopolitan than the medieval stereotype would lead anyone to believe.  But Norman --and, thank you, Staufen-- Sicily really takes the prize.

[panzerman]

I remember/ back in 2019 we had a presentation at our local coin club meeting. Topic was/ medieval coinage, so boring/ drab not worth collecting. Next meeting I brought in a couple of medieval coins from Burgundy for our "show & tell". When I was done/ no one there shared that opinion from previous presentation. Matter of fact/ the most beautifull coin ever struck was a 50 Enriques from Castille & Leon/ Enrique IV 1454-74  90mm. 190g. masterpiece.