Very Rare Amaury Gros

Sale: CNG 79, Lot: 1349. Estimate $4000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 17 September 2008.  Sold For $4000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS, Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus. Amaury, prince of Tyre. Usurper, 1306-1310. AR Gros (26mm, 4.38 g, 11h). Nicosia mint. + AmALRIC´ TIRЄ´ SI´ DOmInu´/CIPRI GuB´ (uB ligate) nATO´ ЄTR (TR ligate) ЄT´, lion rampant of Cyprus left / + IRL´m ЄT CIPRI REGI’ FILIu´, Amaury’s “royal” coat-of-arms with Cross of Jerusalem on the dexter side and arms of Cyprus on the sinister. M&P dies E-f; Metcalf, Crusades 672 var. (obv. legend); CCS 44. Good VF, toned. Very rare.

Amaury, the prince of Tyre, struck these series of coins during his usurpation of his elder brother, Henry II, who had been declared incapable of ruling. The first series of coinage, from 1306-1308, continued the usage of Henry’s name, while the second and third series, of which this coin is the former, were struck during the final two years of rule until Amaury’s death on 5 June 1310.