ITALIAN STATES: Norman Sicily
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Roger II (1105-1154)Travaini 243; Spahr 80; MEC Italy XIV 217-220a.
AE Follaro, fifth period. Messina mint, 1141-1142. 1.14 g., 14.24 mm. max.
Obv: bi-'l–amri 'l-malakī (= by the order of the king was minted) in Kufic script.
Rev: Cross: around margin: Was minted in Messina (Māsīnī) the year six and thirty and five hundred (in Kufic script).
Roger II was the younger son of Count Roger I. Upon the death of his elder brother, Simon, in 1105, Roger became Count of Sicily under the regency of his mother, Adelaide del Vasto. As reward for his support for Roger supported Antipope Anacletus II against Pope Innocent II, Roger was crowned by Anacletus in 1130. After the death of Anacletus, Innocent invaded Sicily in 1139 but was captured. Three days later, he recognized Roger as king.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Roger II (1105-1154)Travaini 175; Spahr 53; MEC Italy XIV 162-164.
AE Follaro, second period. Messina mint, 1127?-1130?. 4.33 g., 20.73 mm. max., 180◦.
Obv: Roger standing facing, holding-scepter and globus cruciger, R/-/I I in left field.
Rev: Christ seated facing on throne.
Roger II was the younger son of Count Roger I. Upon the death of his elder brother, Simon, in 1105, Roger became Count of Sicily under the regency of his mother, Adelaide del Vasto. As reward for his support for Roger supported Antipope Anacletus II against Pope Innocent II, Roger was crowned by Anacletus in 1130. After the death of Anacletus, Innocent invaded Sicily in 1139 but was captured. Three days later, he recognized Roger as king.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Tancred of Hauteville (1189-1194) with Roger III (1192-1193)Travaini 399; Spahr 139; Biaggi 1237; MEC Italy XIV 449-453.
AE Follaro, second coinage, 1192-1193. Messina mint. 1.81 g., 13.55 mm. max, 0°
Obv: al–malik TanqrÄ«r (= King Tancred) in Kufic script.
Rev: + ROGERIVS : around margin, • / REX / • in center.
Tancred was the illegitimate son of Duke Roger III of Apulia, eldest son of King Roger II (1130-1154) by his mistress Emma, daughter of Count Achard II of Lecce. Roger II was succeeded by his fourth son, William I, the Bad (1154-1166). As soon as William's son and successor, William II, the Good (1166-1189) (who was married to Joanna, sister of Richard I, the Lionheart, King of England), died without issue, Tancred seized Sicily against the claims of his Aunt Constance, the posthumously-born daughter of Roger II, and her husband, Henry VI Hohenstaufen, then King of the Romans (soon to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor, and later, Henry I of Sicily). Tancred's claim was supported by the official class, while most of the nobility supported the claim of Henry and Constance. Tancred's premature death several months after that of his eldest son, Roger III (then age 18/19) lead to Hohenstaufen rule of Sicily, after the failed 10-month regency of Tancred's second son, William III (age four) in 1094.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. William I, "the Bad" (1154-1166)Travaini 302; Spahr 99; MEC Italy III 286-289a
AE Follaro, struck 1155/56 A.D. Messina mint. 1.10 g., 14.56 mm. max, 0°, scyphate.
Obv: REX / •W•, in center, duriba Masini sanat 550 (= coined in Messina in the year 550) around edge, in Kufic script.
Rev: Bust of Madonna with Child; pellet between them, [M]P / [Θ]Y to left.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. William II, "the Good" (1166-1189)Travaini 368; Spahr 119; Biaggi 1233; MEC Italy III 401-409
AE Follaro, first coinage. Messina mint. 1.29 g., 16.83 mm. max, 0°
Obv: ◦ / REX W / SCDS in center, + OPER[ATA IN VR]BE MESSANE around edge.
Rev: al-malik / Ghulyālim / al-thānī (= King William the Second) center, duriba bi-amr al-malik al-mu’azzam al-musta’izz bi-llah (= coined by order of the magnificent king who is eager to be exalted by God) around border, in Kufic scriptStkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. William II, "the Good" (1166-1189)Travaini 371; Spahr 118; Biaggi 1232; MEC Italy III 433-436
AE Follaro, second coinage. Messina mint. 2.28 g., 13.73 mm. max. 0°
Obv: Head of lion facing slightly left.
Rev: al-malik / Ghulyālim / al-thānī (= King William the Second) in Kufic script.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. William II, "the Good" (1166-1189)Travaini 370; Spahr 117; Biaggi 1231; MEC Italy III 425-431B.
AE Trifollaro, second coinage. Messina mint. 10.18 g., 25.39 mm. max, 0°
Obv: Head of lion facing slightly left.
Rev: Palm tree with dates.
The designation of the type as a trifollaro derives from an interpretation from the writings of twelfth historian Falco of Benevento. The coin actually weighs five to six time the amount of the follaro.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. William/Guglielmo II, "the Good" (1166-1189)Travaini 367; Spahr 116; MEC Italy III 14 400.
Billon dirham fraction. First coinage, Palermo mint. .51 g., 10.12 mm. max, 0°
Obv: al-malik / Ghulyālim / al- mu‘azzam (= King William the Magnificent) in three lines of Kufic script.
Rev: billah / al-musta‘izz (the Powerful of God) in two lines of Kufic script; cross potent in center flanked by pellets.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Henry/Heinrich VI Hohenstaufen (King of Germany 1169-1197; Holy Roman Emperor 1191-1197; King of Sicily 1194-1197) and Constance of Hauteville.MIR 256; D’Andrea 46; Spahr 730; MEC 14 (Italy III) 485-487
AR Denaro. Brindisi mint, struck 1194-1196 A.D.; .72 g., 16.69 mm. max, 180°
Obv: • HE(ligate) • INPERATOR, short cross pattée; star in second and fourth quarters.
Rev: • C • INPERATRIX, A • P across field; omega above.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Roger I "Bosso" (the Great Count, 1085-1101)D'Andrea-Contreras 112, Travaini 145; Spahr 16.
Billon kharruba, uncertain mint. 11 g., 7.95 mm. max.
Obv: Pseudo kufic symbols, possibly Allah / • six-point star • / Malik (=king) in kufic script, in three lines.
Rev: six-point star / of believers is kufic script / Greek letter tau, in three lines.
The tau has been interpreted variously, some scholars seeing in it a reference to Tancred or Tancracina, a traditional name for the island, but a cross seems to be the most plausible explanation. Although this tupe of cross had ancient precedents, it was not normally in use at this period but may have been adopted in the hope of minimizing the repulsion that wouldbe felt by a largely Muslim population at the use of a Christian symbol.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Roger II (1105-1154)D'Andrea-Contreras 248; Travaini 245; Spahr 79; MEC Italy III 14 221-225a.
AE Follaro. Fifth Period, Messina mint, struck 1145-1146 A.D.; .82 g., 16.18 mm. max, 180°
Obv: Star within octagon at center of cross; bi-amir (=By order) / al-malik (= of the king) / Rujjar (= Roger) / al-mu‘azzam (= the magnificent), around in Kufic script.
Rev: Ring with six arms; duriba bi-Masina sanat 540 (= struck in Messina in the year 40 and 500).Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Roger II (Count 1105-1130; King 1130-1154)D'Andrea-Contreras 227, Travaini 192; Spahr 77; Biaggi 1217-1222; MEC Italy XIV 180-182
AE Follaro, fourth period (initial phase), from 1129 or 1130 perhaps to 1138. most presumably Messina mint. 1.76 g., 14.14 mm. max, 90°
Obv: King seated on throne, P/O/Γ/E/P/I/O/C -- A/N/A/Σ [=Roger -- King/ANAΣ is the Greek form of the Latin Rex and the Arabic Malik]
Rev: Cross potent, IC-XC-NI-KA (=Jesus Christ Conquors) in quadrants.Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. Tancred of Hauteville (1189-1194)D'Andrea-Contreras 404, Travaini 301; Spahr 137; MEC Italy XIV 444-445
AR 1/4 tercenarius or possibly half denaro, 1st period (Tancred alone), Palermo mint. 0.23 g., 10.9 mm. max., 0°
Obv: Tanqrir / malik / Siqilliyyah (= Tancred King of Sicily) in three lines of Kufic script.
Rev: TACD•/REX•SI/CILIE• (TA ligate).Stkp
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Italian States: Norman Sicily. William I, "the Bad" (1154-1166)D'Andrea-Contreras 336-337b, Travaini 301; Spahr 96-98; MEC Italy XIV 291-292
AR Kharruba or fraction of dirhem, 553-554 A.H. = 1158/59-1159/60 A.D., Palermo mint. 0.58 g., 13.19 mm. max.
Obv: al-malik / Ghulyālim / al- mu‘azzam (= King William the Magnificent) in three lines of Kufic script, lily to center.
Rev: Star; mint formula and AH date in Kufic script in outer margin.Stkp
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