Follis - Baldwin II -2nd reign

Baldwin II ruled Edessa twice — first from 1100, then again after his ransoming from Artuqid captivity in 1108, which marks the opening of this issue's production window. He had spent years as a prisoner, captured at the Battle of Harran in 1104, a catastrophic Crusader defeat that also took down Bohemond of Antioch and effectively ended any near-term ambition to push the frontier east of the Euphrates. The ransom negotiations dragged on for years and required tribute from across the remaining Crusader territories.

Edessene bronzes of this period circulated in a landlocked county perpetually short of silver, making small bronze the workhorse of local commerce.