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Crusaders, Kingdom of Cyprus, James II, 1460 – 10 July 1473
James II was the illegitimate son of John II of Cyprus. At the age of 16, his father made him archbishopric of Nicosia. After murdering the royal chamberlain he fled to Rhodes. He was pardoned by his father, and the archbishopric was returned to him. In 1458, his father died and his half-sister Charlotte became Queen of Cyprus. In 1460, with support from the Egyptian Mamluk sultan Sayf ad-Din Inal, James challenged her right to the throne, blockading her and her husband, Louis of Savoy, in the castle of Kyrenia for three years. When Charlotte fled to Rome in 1463, James was crowned king. In 1468, seeking political support, he married, by proxy, a 14-year-old Venetian, Catherine Cornaro. She finally came Cyprus in 1472. James died in Famagusta a few months later amidst some suspicion that he might have been poisoned by agents of Venice, possibly by Catherine's uncles. Catherine was pregnant and was made regent. Although her son died before his first birthday, Catherine nominally ruled Cyprus until she was forced to abdicate in 1489 and Cyprus was made a colony of Venice.CR99073. Bronze sixains (sezin), Metcalf 808 ff. var. (legends), Malloy CCS p. 307, 165 var. (same); Schlumberger VIII 6 var. (same), VF, dark patina, some porosity, Cyprus mint, weight 1.731g, maximum diameter 18.5mm, die axis 180o, 1460 – 10 July 1473; obverse + IACOBUS DE GRAIA X (James by the grace of God), lion rampant left; reverse + XX REX IDERUSAIm (King of Jerusalem), cross of Jerusalem; ex Zeus auction 16 (26 Feb 2021), lot 869; SOLD
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