★ Emergency Issue for the Defence of Jerusalem Against Saladin ★

No Reserve

Crusader States, Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. Time of Queen Sibylla BI Denier. Emergency coinage struck during the siege of Jerusalem, September 1187. ✠ [illegible legend of TVRRIS DAVIT or similar], Tower of David / ✠ VVCPV[…], the Holy Edicule within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; above, guardian angel. CCS 51; Metcalf, Crusades p. 77; C.J. Sabine, "Numismatic iconography of the Tower of David and the Holy Sepulchre," NC 1979, pl. 17, 3. 0.92g, 17mm, 2h.

Very Fine. Very rare and of great historical interest.

An extremely important Denier of historical and cultural interest and one of the few documents depicting the Holy Edicule with the tomb of Christ in the Holy Sepulchre during the Crusader era, the coin is an example of an extremely rare emergency issue, struck in the time of Queen Sibylla, during the siege of Jerusalem by Saladin (see C.J. Sabine, "Numismatic iconography of the Tower of David and the Holy Sepulchre," NC 1979, p. 129-131). Balian d'Ibelin and the Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem ordered the stripping of the silver from the Holy Edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to strike coins with which to pay the city's defenders. The relevant extract from the Chronicle of Ernoul (an eye witness account of the fall of Jerusalem) says: 'Then Balian and the patriarch went and had the tomb Edicule of the Sepulchre which was all covered in silver uncovered; and then they had it taken away to be struck into money to give to the knights and sergeants.'