Richard Lands on Cyprus

CNG 99, Lot: 940. Estimate $1000. Sold for $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CRUSADERS, Cyprus. Richard. King of England, 1189-1199. Æ Tetarteron (17mm, 0.74 g, 6h). Crowned facing bust, holding cross-tipped scepter and globus cruciger / Cross on three steps; arms ending in R Є X. Metcalf, Lusignan p. 2; R. Bendall, “A Cypriot Coin of Richard I Lion-heart?” NumCirc CX.2 (April 2002), pp. 62-3; I. and W. Schultze, “A Cypriot Coin of Richard I Lion-heart,” NumCirc CXI.1 (February 2003), pp. 6-7; R. Bendall, “Richard I in Cyprus Again,” NumCirc CXXII.2(April 2004), pp. 85-6. VF, earthen black patina, minor scratches. Clear details for issue. Rare and historically interesting.

In April 1191, a fleet bearing English forces and the fiancée of Richard the Lion-heart, Berengeria of Navarre, encountered rough seas off the coast of Cyprus. The stranded English were treated harshly by the rebel Byzantine prince Isaac Comnenus, ruler of Cyprus, who held a reputation for brutality. Richard, following in his own fleet on his way to assist his cousin Guy of Lusignan at Acre, landed at Limassol in May and in short order defeated and captured Isaac. Richard only remained on Cyprus for a few weeks before selling the island to the Knights Templar and continuing on to the Holy Land. In 1192 the Templars in turn sold Cyprus to Guy, now dispossessed of his fief in Palestine, who founded the Lusignan dynasty there. These rare and enigmatic tetartera, with their Byzantine style portrait and cross with the Latin legend REX, were probably struck in Cyprus for Richard during his brief stopover on that island. They have been found in equal numbers on Cyprus and in Syria-Palestine, indicating that they were struck on Cyprus and then accompanied the English on their continuing crusade.