Catalog
1 Tari - Federico II
| Issuer | Kingdom of Sicily |
|---|---|
| Year | 1209-1220 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Tari (1060-1754) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central pellet or annulet device enclosed within a circular inner border, surrounded by a broad outer band bearing pseudo-Kufic inscription imitating Arabic script in the Norman-Sicilian tradition. The design reflects the multicultural coinage policy of the Hauteville dynasty, incorporating Islamic artistic conventions. The flan is irregular and slightly scalloped at the periphery, consistent with hammered gold coinage of the period. The pseudo-Kufic lettering, while decorative rather than linguistically coherent, closely emulates contemporary Fatimid and Sicilian-Arab quarter-dinar prototypes. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central tall cross potent or patriarchal cross occupying the majority of the field, flanked by the Greek Christogram IC XC (Jesus Christ) and NI KA (Victor) arranged in the four quadrants formed by the arms of the cross, a formula well attested on Byzantine-influenced Sicilian coinage. A beaded or cable inner circle frames the central device, with a radiating outer border of short linear strokes. The Greek lettering is rendered in a bold, upright lapidary style consistent with Norman-Sicilian workshop practice of the early thirteenth century. The flan is irregularly shaped and shows typical die-spread from hand hammering. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Federico II inherited the Sicilian throne as a three-year-old ward of Pope Innocent III in 1198, and the first two decades of his reign were defined by regency disputes, Norman baronial revolts, and the competing claims of Otto IV over the imperial crown. The gold tarì he struck from Palermo drew directly on the Arab-Norman monetary tradition his predecessors had maintained since Roger II — a deliberate continuity that kept trade flowing with North African partners who trusted the type's fineness and familiar form.
Spahr 64 and MIR 65 align on the attribution, though the broad date range reflects genuine uncertainty about when within this turbulent period individual dies were put to use.