Dear friends of
medieval coins!
In 1251 the papal legate Odo of Châteauroux came to know that the Franks used to copy Dinars and Dirhems showing the name of Mohammed and
his "year of birth". Since the legate was an experienced preacher and promoter of crusades, who accompanied Louis IX of
France on the Seventh Crusade, he informed the pope about this "terrible habit". Innocent IV - he released a corresponding edict in 1253 - threatened anyone, who dares to
mint further on such coins (in the "blasphemous name" of Mohammed) with excommunication. Thus over the following years Dirhems with AD date and
christian inscribtions were minted.
Based on the
Byzantine Solidus, the copies of
Fatimid Dinars were named "Bezant".
1.
Jerusalem, Anonymous, Bezant, 2nd phase, imitating a dinar of the
Fatimid caliph al-Amir, with mintname
Misr (
Egypt) and date 519h, 3.54g (BY 19-22
var.; CCS 3; A 730).
2.
Lead seal of Innocent IV
SPA = Sanctus Paulus, SPE = Sanctus Petrus. This
side never changed.
3.
Jerusalem, Anonymous, Silver
Dirham, Acre, 1251,
Christian legends in Arabic script on both sides, small
cross in centre of
obverse, 2.70g (BY 45; CCS 15;
Metcalf 229-231).
The "
cross side":
ا لله واهد هو
الإيمان+واهد
المعموديّى واهد
ALLAH WAHID HU(WA)
AL IMAM + WAHID
AL-MA'MUDIYYA WAHID
Allah allone (one) He is
The faith + one
The babtism one
(One god, one faith, one babtism)
Rim:
ضرب باكّا سنة الف و مئتين و احد و خمسين
(duriba bi-akka sanat alf wa mi'atain wa ahad wa khamsin)
Minted in Acre year thausand and two hundred and one und fifty
Allegedly "LITAJASSUD (of the birth of the messiah)" should follow.
The other
side:
الاب و الابن
و الروح القدس
الاه واحد
al-Ab wa al-Bin
wa al-Ruh al-Quds
Ilah wahid
The father and the son / and the holy ghost / one god
Rim:
LAHU AL-MAJD / ILA ABAD / AL-ABADIN / AMIN AMIN
To him is the glory for ever and ever Amen Amen
4.
Pseudo imitation of the Dirhem of the
Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ismail (Dimashq) with frozen AD date (1253)
Ob:
الملك الصالح
عماد الدنيا و الدين
اسمعيل بن أبي بكر
al-Malik as-Salih
Imad ad-Dunya wa 'd-Din
Isma'il bin Abi Bakr
Rim:
بسم / الله / الرحمن / الرحيم
(bism/illah/i r-rachman/i r-rachim)
Rv:
الامام
المستنصر
بالله ابو جعفر
المنصور امير المؤمنين
al-Imam
al-Mustansir
billah Abu Ja'far
al-Mansur Amir al-Mu'minin
Rim:
ضرب بدمشق سنة الف و مئتين وثلث و خمسين
(Duriba bi-Dimashq / sanat alf wa / mi'atain wa thelath / wa khamsin)
Minted in Dimashq year thausand and two hundred and three und fifty