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Dirham Crusader imitation in the name of al-Salih Isma'il, 3rd type, Acre
| Issuer | Kingdom of Jerusalem |
|---|---|
| Year | 1244 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a three-line Arabic inscription arranged within a rectangular frame with decorative beaded inner border. The legend reads the titles and name of al-Salih Isma'il in Naskhi-style Arabic script. The marginal segments contain the mint name and date of issue, divided into four quadrants around the central rectangle. The overall style closely imitates contemporary Ayyubid dirhams, with well-struck but somewhat irregular flan edges typical of Crusader-struck imitative coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
These imitation dirhams were struck by the Frankish lords of Acre to facilitate trade with Muslim merchants who refused Crusader coinage. The 3rd type, attributed to around 1244, coincides with a period of acute political realignment — al-Salih Isma'il, the Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, had that year made the extraordinary decision to ally with the Crusaders against his nephew al-Salih Ayyub of Egypt, even ceding territories including Jerusalem and Sidon to the Franks.
Invoking his name on the coinage was not incidental. It was a commercial and diplomatic signal. Metcalf's classification separates three distinct types by calligraphic arrangement and border treatment.