1 Kardez - Hetoum I light, seated on bench type

Hetoum I ruled Cilician Armenia for nearly five decades, a reign defined by his controversial but pragmatic submission to Mongol overlordship in 1247 — a calculation that bought the kingdom decades of relative stability while much of the surrounding region burned. The copper kardez circulated through a prosperous trading corridor that connected the Mediterranean ports of Cilicia with the Mongol-controlled interior, handling transactions too small for the silver tram.

AC 337 is among the more frequently encountered varieties of the type, suggesting consistent output from the Sis mint across the long reign.