Coins of Medieval Europe

Antonio Venier was Doge of Venice from 1382-1400. During the 18 years of his rule in Venice there were extraordinarily high waters, two plagues, numerous fires and disasters of various kinds, but through it all he showed great strength of character. These coins are small billon 1 Tornesello which were minted in Venice but designated for use in Crete. The obverse shows the winged lion of St. Mark with nimbus to the left, holding a book of Gospels with the legend VEXILIFER VENETIA. The reverse has a cross within a circle and the legend +ANTO’ VENERIO DVX. They grade Very Fine

Born in 1156 A.D., Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195 and briefly in 1203. He ascended to the throne during a period of intense political upheaval, confronting challenges from both internal dissent and external pressures. Isaac grappled with the formidable Fourth Crusade and the intricate diplomacy required in dealing with the Latin West. His rule was marred by political unrest, uprisings, and military setbacks. Despite the adversities he confronted, Isaac II Angelos remains a compelling figure in Byzantine history. We are offering these Aspron trachy from his reign in “Fine” grade which have a green patina, the obverse has the Virgin Mary and the reverse Isaac II. PLEASE NOTE: Photography is representative of the coin supplied

Valence is a town in Southern France, not far from Grenoble, it is dominated by the ancient cathedral of Saint Apollinaire which was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1095 and completed in the early 12th century. Valence had been ruled by the Bishops from around the 4th-Century, these silver deniers were issued under their authority and were widely used by the early Crusaders to fund the religious wars in the Holy Land. The obverse shows a stylised angel with spread wings resembling an eagle with the legend around VRBS VALENTIAI (Ville de Valence). The reverse shows a cross with an annulet in one quarter with the legend S APOLLINARS (Saint Apollinaire).

Ivan Sračimir was the second son of Ivan Aleksander and was appointed co-emperor by his father in 1356. At this or some later point, he was given control of Vidin, a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, which he held for the rest of his reign. These small silver coins show Ivan Sračimir enthroned facing, holding a sceptre and mace and the reverse shows a half-length facing bust of Christ, they grade Very Fine but we have very limited numbers available.

On 6 January 1198, the Armenian Kingdom was formed when the then Prince Levon (The Lion) II was crowned as King Levon I, King of Cilician Armenia. He became known as ‘Levon the Magnificent’ due to his numerous contributions to political, military, and economic influence. His growing power made him a particularly important ally for the neighbouring crusader state of Antioch. The coinage of King Levon I set the standard for that of following Cilician rulers, comprising coins struck in silver, copper, and bronze and the odd, very rare, gold issue. On these silver Trams he is shown seated facing on an ornamented throne, holding a cross and fleur-de-lis with the legend ‘Levon King of the Armenians’ around. The reverse depicts a pair of lions standing back to back flanking a tall cross with the legend ‘By the Will of God’ in Armenian around. These are nice grade silver coins available in Extremely Fine condition, and are now over 800 years old, from a once-influential but now long-forgotten kingdom.

The First Crusade was declared in 1095 by Pope Urban II and its objective was to provide military support to Byzantine Emperor Alexios I against the Seljuk Turks, as well as reclaiming the "Holy Land" from Muslim rule. The Crusades started around 1095 and continued for nearly 200 years, during that time four different Crusades were made to retake Jerusalem. The Crusades in the Middle East ended when the city of Acre fell in 1291. These silver deniers or pennies were issued in the name of King Bohemond III (1163-1201), who in the summer of 1191, alongside Guy de Lusignan met Richard of England (Lion Heart) during the siege of Acre. Richard was part of the Third Crusade (1189–1192), an attempt by three European monarchs (including Richard of England) to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. The coins on offer have a helmeted Crusader Knight on one side wearing chain-mail and were minted in Antioch (modern-day Turkey) which was captured in 1098 during the First Crusade. The legends read BOAMVNDVS on the obverse and ANTIOCHIA on the reverse and they grade Good Very Fine. These coins are now over 800 years old! Get a Crusader Silver coin for your collection while stock lasts...