1 Tari - Ruggero II

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Reverse description	A large Latin letter T (tau cross) dominates the center of the field, rendered in bold relief and serving as the principal design element. Above the tau cross, an Arabic Kufic inscription bearing the ruler's name or title is struck in the upper portion of the field. The composition reflects the unique Arabo-Norman syncretism of the Sicilian royal coinage, combining a Christian symbolic motif with Arabic script. The flan is irregular and the strike somewhat uneven, consistent with hammered gold coinage of the early Norman period in Sicily.
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Edge	Plain
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Additional information	The tari was inherited directly from the Fatimid quarter-dinar, and the Norman rulers of Sicily were shrewd enough not to tamper with a coin the Muslim merchant class already trusted. Roger II — still a count in 1105, not yet king — continued issuing taris that retained Arabic script and Islamic formulae, a deliberate policy of monetary continuity in a kingdom where Greek, Arab, and Latin populations coexisted under a single administration. The Palermo mint had been producing this form since the emirate. Spahr 37 falls within the comital issues predating the royal proclamation of 1130.