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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Medieval & Modern Coins| ▸ |Greece||View Options:   | | | |
William of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea when his brother Geoffrey II died. He conquered the remaining territory of the Peloponnese and built the fortress of Mistra near Sparta. In 1249 he accompanied Louis IX of France on the Seventh Crusade, joining him in Cyprus with 400 knights and 28 ships. Louis gave him a license to mint coins in the style of royal French money. William defeated Venice in the War of the Euboeote Succession and defeated the Duke of Athens in 1258, reaffirming his power over the duchy. In 1259 he formed an alliance with the Byzantine Despotate of Epirus against Nicaea. He led the Achaean forces against the Nicaeans, but the Epirote army deserted and William was defeated. He fled and hid under a haystack, but was captured. He remained captive until 1262 and permanently lost all his power.CR112805. Bronze denier, Malloy Crusaders p. 356, 3; Metcalf Crusades pl. 38, 877; Schlumberger p. 313 & pl. 12, 7; Tzamalis F56, aVF, centered, tight flan, center weak, edge ragged with splits, weight 0.702 g, maximum diameter 16.9 mm, Corinth mint, 1245 - 1278; obverse G•Π•AC-CA-IE•, long cross pattée, extending beyond inner circular border and dividing legend, right arm shorter making space for •; reverse COR/INT/Vm (squared legend, clockwise from 2:00, N appears as H, m appears as ligate on), fortified gateway with central tower surmounted by cross pattée flanked by pellets;
Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Principality of Achaea, Charles II of Anjou, 1285 - 1289
| Charles II succeeded his father, Charles I, in Achaea as well as Sicily (now reduced to the Kingdom of Naples), but he was a prisoner in Aragonese hands. In the interim, the rule of Achaea devolved upon a series of baillis chosen from the Morean nobility. Not long after his release and coronation in 1289, he granted the Principality to Isabelle of Villehardouin upon her marriage with Florent of Hainaut, in part to redress the greedy application of the Treaty of Viterbo at William's death. However, he retained feudal overlordship over the Principality, and his grant provided that neither Isabelle nor any daughter who was her heir might marry without his consent. |  |
Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Duchy of Athens, Guy II de La Roche, 1287 - 1308
| Guy II de la Roche was the Duke of Athens from 1287, the last duke of his family. He succeeded as a minor on the death of his father, William I, at a time when the duchy of Athens had exceeded the Principality of Achaea in wealth, power, and importance. Guy was originally under the tutorship and regency of his mother, Helena Angelina Komnene, who was forced to make submission to Isabella of Villehardouin. In 1299, Guy was engaged to Matilda, daughter of Isabella and and her husband, Florent of Hainaut. Charles objected, as his permission had not been sought, but Pope Boniface VIII intervened on the young couple's behalf. In 1307, Guy was made bailli of Achaea by its new prince, Philip I of Taranto. He governed well, but for barely a year. He died, 5 October 1308, at the age of twenty-eight, but was respected and renowned for his chivalry and manners. |  |
Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Duchy of Athens, Florentine Dukes(?), 1388 - 1394 A.D.
This type has been attributed to the "Florentine Dukes of Athens," members of the Acciaioli family, an important Italian noble family from Florence, who ruled Athens, 1388 - 1394. This rare copper type imitated the billon denier tournois types of Guy II de la Roche, struck 1294 - 1308. CR113213. Copper denier tournois, cf. Malloy Crusaders 105 (R), aVF, uneven strike with weak areas, obv. a little off center, porosity, ragged edge with small splits, weight 0.396 g, maximum diameter 16.9 mm, die axis 135o, Athens mint, 1388 - 1394 A.D. (or later); obverse +GVI DVX ATENIS (or similar), cross pattée; reverse ThEBANI CIVS (or similar), castle tournois, surmounted by cross dividing legend; first example of this type handled by Forum; only one specimen on Coins Archives (and perhaps misattributed); rare;
Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Duchy of Athens, Guy II de La Roche, 1287 - 1308
| Guy II de la Roche was the Duke of Athens from 1287, the last duke of his family. He succeeded as a minor on the death of his father, William I, at a time when the duchy of Athens had exceeded the Principality of Achaea in wealth, power, and importance. Guy was originally under the tutorship and regency of his mother, Helena Angelina Komnene, who was forced to make submission to Isabella of Villehardouin. In 1299, Guy was engaged to Matilda, daughter of Isabella and and her husband, Florent of Hainaut. Charles objected, as his permission had not been sought, but Pope Boniface VIII intervened on the young couple's behalf. In 1307, Guy was made bailli of Achaea by its new prince, Philip I of Taranto. He governed well, but for barely a year. He died, 5 October 1308, at the age of twenty-eight, but was respected and renowned for his chivalry and manners. | |
Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Principality of Achaea, Louis of Burgundy, 31 Jul 1313 - 2 Aug 1316
| Louis of Burgundy was a younger son of Robert II, Duke of Burgundy and Agnes of France. On 31 Jul 1313, he married Matilda of Hainaut to whom Philip I of Taranto gave the Principality of Achaea. Louis ceded his family lands in Burgundy to his elder brother in exchange for the title of "King of Thessalonica." Matilda and Louis arrived separately in Achaea, she sailing directly from Marseille to Navarino with 1,000 troops. Matilda's army was defeated on 22 Feb 1316 by Ferdinand of Majorca, who also claimed the principality. Louis came by way of Venice to solicit aid from the Republic. He defeated Ferdinand, who was killed in the battle, on 5 July 1316. Four weeks later, Louis died. The Chronicle of the Morea attributes his death to a fever, while the Catalan Declaratio summa states that he was poisoned by John, count of Cephalonia. His death left Achaea in an unsettled state, with his brother Eudes, his wife, and the Angevins all attempting to gain it. |  |
Crusaders, Frankish Greece, Principality of Achaea, Charles I of Anjou, 1278 - 1285
| Charles I (early 1226/1227 - 7 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246-85) and Forcalquier (1246-48, 1256-85) in the Holy Roman Empire, Count of Anjou and Maine (1246-85) in France; he was also King of Sicily (1266-85) and Prince of Achaea (1278-85). In 1272, he was proclaimed King of Albania; and in 1277 he purchased a claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. |  |
Byzantine Empire, Focas, 23 November 602 - 5 October 610 A.D.
Hahn and Berk attribute this style variation to Thessalonica. Other reference fail to distinguish the type from similar Constantinople issues. Hahn identifies the Greek number following the reverse legend as the regnal year.SH86280. Gold solidus, MIBEC p. 181 and pl. 31, N3; Berk Gold 109; other references do not distinguish this type from Constantinople issues, Choice EF, well centered and struck, graffiti on reverse, weight 4.362 g, maximum diameter 20.5 mm, die axis 180o, probably Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, c. 607 A.D.(?); obverse o N FOCAS PERP AVC, bust facing, bearded, wearing cuirass, paludamentum, and crown with cross on circlet and without pendilia, globus cruciger in right hand; reverse VICTORIA AVCC E (victory of the two emperors, 5th officina? or regnal year 5?), angel standing facing, staurogram staff in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand, CONOB in exergue; graffiti reading ƆMΘ (retrograde, Greek additive number 249?) or less likely ΘEC (Thessalonica?); ex Numismatik Naumann auction 58, lot 626; very rare; SOLD
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