Crusaders States, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Bezant

Money played an important role in the crusader states, which were erected in the course of the crusades in the holy land: Houses, villages, whole communities and fiscal jurisdictions were bought and sold again for large sums. For this reason special coins were minted, the bezants. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Christian knights issued imitations of golden Arabic dinars. These so-called Saracen bezants bore Cufic inscriptions on both sides – the Christian diesinkers copied the praise of Allah in Cufic script without understanding them. This coin is such a piece.