Kingdom of Jerusalem, Crusader Imitation Dirham in the Name of al-Salih Isma'il

Includes glass top display box.

• Origin: Crusader States, Kingdom of Jerusalem
• Ruler: Issued by crusaders in the name of al-Salih Isma'il, an Ayyubid sultan of Damascus
• Mint: Acre, Isreal
• Denomination: Dirham
• Metal: Silver
• Obverse Design: "al-malik al-Salih / 'Imad al-Dunya wa al-Din / Isma'il bin Abu Bakr." Mint and date in margin segments.
• Reverse Design: "al-imam / al-Mustansir / billah Abu Ja'far / al-Mansur amir al-mu'minin."

A Crusader imitation dirham is a type of coin minted by the newly established Crusader states in the Levant, which were supported by the Catholic Church. They were meant to imitate the local Islamic currency, and even included Arabic script, though this was sometimes poorly replicated and hard to read. The coins adopted designs from older rulers to help promote economic stability and a smoother transition of power in conquered regions. Such imitation coins would be banned by the pope in the mid-13th century, but this did not stop the practice.

All purchases include a Certificate of Authenticity. You will receive the exact item in this photo, along with a glass top leatherette display box.