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Bezant 'Saracen' Crusader imitation in the name of al-Mustansir, Tripoli
| Issuer | County of Tripoli |
|---|---|
| Year | 1148-1260 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Central field displays the name and titles of the Fatimid Caliph al-Mustansir billah arranged in three lines, with the honorific 'Ma'ad' inscribed above. The outer margin contains the 'Second Symbol,' a quotation from Quran 9:33, attesting to the mission of the Prophet. This specimen represents a variety noted by Balog and Yvon (type 5 var.) distinguished by an additional annulet on the reverse, reflecting minor die variations common among Crusader imitative issues. |
| Reverse script | Arabic |
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| Additional information |
The County of Tripoli produced these imitative bezants throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries because Fatimid dinars — particularly those of the Caliph al-Mustansir, who reigned from 1036 to 1094 — had achieved such widespread commercial acceptance across the Levant that merchants simply refused alternatives. Striking in his name decades after his death was not deception so much as monetary pragmatism. The Latin East ran on Islamic gold, and the Crusader states knew it.
Pope Innocent IV formally condemned these imitations in 1251, objecting to Christian rulers striking coins bearing Islamic religious formulae.