1776 1777 1778 1776. ITALY, Salerno. Guglielmo II. King of Sicilia, 1166-1189. Æ Follaro (22mm, 2.93 g, 12h). Gaeta mint. + W DЄI GRA REX, cross pattée / + CIVITAS • GAЄTA, castle façade containing arched central entry. CNI XVIII 1-9; Travaini, Monetazione type 380; MEC 14, 421-2. Near VF, rough dark green patina. A compete and well struck issue. ($300) 1777. ITALY, Salerno. Tancredi. King of Sicilia, 1190-1194. Æ Follaro (14mm, 1.79 g, 2h). Castle façade within quadrate frame; pellet to left and right of central tower [and outside each side of square] / Large TA/–/(Rx ligate) across field; pellets to left and right of TA and Rx. CNI XVIII 6-8; Travaini, Monetazione type 402; MEC 14, 461-5. VF, dark green patina. ($200) Tancredi, the illegitimate son of Ruggero III, had made one prior attempt to usurp the throne before he successfully siezed control of the throne upon the death of his uncle, Guglielmo II in 1189. Crowned king the following year, his coup was supported by the chancellor and his officials in opposition to his step-aunt, Costanza, and her husband, the Holy Roman emperor, Enrico II, and most of the Sicilian nobility. Though Tancredi was a capable soldier, his reign was beset by persistent warfare: first by Richard I of England and Philip II, who sought to relase Richard’s sister, Joan, the widow of Guglielmo II, from Tancredi’s imprisonment; then, by Costanza and her husband, both of whom sought to wrest away the throne from Tancredi. In the subsequent war, the town of Salerno, hoping to win Tancredi’s favor, offered to hand over Costanza. Trancredi refused, opting instead for papal acceptance of his crown. While in the process of making generous provisions for those towns which sided with him, Tancredi died in 1194, only a few days after the death of his son and heir, Ruggero III. Tancredi’s second son, Guglielmo III, briefly ruled in succession, but was easily deposed by Enrico VI, ending Norman rule.
1778. ITALY, Salerno. Tancredi. King of Sicilia, 1190-1194. Æ Follaro (13mm, 0.81 g, 9h). Large (TA ligate) [:] C [•]/ DVX in two lines / Large (Rx ligate). CNI XVIII 15-19; Travaini, Monetazione type 405; MEC 14, 457-9. Near VF, brown surface with trace of green encrustation. ($100)
1779
1781
1780
1779. ITALY, Salerno. Tancredi, with Ruggero III. King of Sicilia, 1190-1194. Æ Follaro (13mm, 2.12 g, 12h). Messina mint. Struck 1191-1193. Name and title of Tancredi in Arabic / + R[OCЄ]RIVS :, RЄX across field; annulet above and below. CNI XVIII -; Travaini, Monetazione type 399; MEC 14, 449-53. EF, dark green patina. ($100) 1780. ITALY, Sicilia (Regno). Ruggero II. 1130-1154. AV Tari (14mm, 0.66 g, 11h). Palermo mint. Dated AH 53[5-540] (AD 1140-1145) . “The king Ruggero exalted by God” in Kufic around central pellet-in annulet; mint and AH date in margin / Cross-tipped scepter, IC XC/NI KA across field; mint and AH date in margin. Travaini, Monetazione, 216; Spahr 63; MEC 14, 201-4. EF. ($300) 1781. ITALY, Sicilia (Regno). Guglielmo II il Buono (the Good). 1166-1189. Æ Follaro (13mm, 2.16 g, 11h). Messina mint. Kufic legend “al-malik/Ghulyalim/al-thani” (King William the Second) / Head of lion facing slightly left. Travaini, Monetazione, 371; Spahr 118; MEC 14, 433-6. EF. ($200)
1782
1783
1782. ITALY, Venezia (Venice). Jacopo Tiepolo. 1229-1249. AR Grosso (21mm, 2.17 g, 6h). Doge and St. Mark standing facing, holding banner between them / Christ facing enthroned; IC XC across fields. CNI VII 2; Papadopoli 1; Paolucci 1. Superb EF. ($200) 1783. ITALY, Venezia (Venice). Jacopo Contarini. 1275-1280. AR Grosso (21mm, 2.19 g, 6h). IA • 9NTARIN D/V/X to left, • S • M • VЄNЄTI to right, Doge and St. Mark standing facing, holding banner between them / Christ facing enthroned; IC XC across fields; pellet to right of throne’s left leg and between Christ’s feet. CNI VII 5; Papadopoli 2 var. (obv. legend), segno 8; Paolucci 1. Superb EF. ($200) 307