Description
This is a rare and valuable coin set featuring two hammered Armenian Silver Trams from the medieval era issued by Cilician Armenia (Crusader and Christian States in the Eastern Mediterranean). These coins were hammer struck a millennia ago in the City of Sis, the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, now known as the town of Kozan, in the Adana Province of Turkey. The first coin is from the reign of Levon I, also known as “Leo The Great” or “Levon I the Magnificent” who ruled from 1198-1219. Levon I was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia and the first king to be crowned. Levon I eagerly allied with infamous other infamous leaders such as Richard the Lionheart during the 3rd Crusades, where he provided the crusaders with provisions, guides, pack animals and all manner of aid, a decade after the infamous capture of the Holy Land by Saladin and his Ayyubid forces. During his reign Leo the Great succeeded in establishing Cilician Armenia as a powerful and unified Christian state, unified the Armenian Church with Rome, and under his rule, and turned his kingdom into an important allie for Christian rulers who sought to recapture the Holy Land, Armenia extended from Isauria to the Amanus Mountains at this time. The Obverse of the 1st coin shows King Levon I seated on throne ornamented with lions, his feet resting on a footstool, wearing a crown and royal mantle on his shoulders, a cross is in his right hand and fleur-de-lis is in his left hand with Armenian script encircling it which reads “ԼԵԻ[Ո]Ն ԹԱԳԱԻՈՐ ՀԱՅՈՑ” or “Levon King of the Armenians” while the Reverse of the coin has Long cross, between two lions regardant and Armenian Script encircling it reading “ԿԱՐՈՂՈՒԹԲՆ ԱՍՏՈԻԾՈ[Յ]” or “By the will of God”. The second coin is from the the reign of Levon II, also known as Leo II who ruled from 1270-1289, I time where due to marriage between Levon II’s sister to Bohemond VI of Antioch saw peace between Armenia and the Antioch. Marco Polo visited Cilician Armenia at this time and was impressed by Levon II and the abundances found in the Cities and Towns, in 1281 Levon II would form an alliance with the Mongol Empire as they invaded Syria, which was controlled by the Mamluk Sultanate after the overthrow of the Ayyubids in the area, the Mamluks would control much of the Middle East until in 1517 they were conquered by the Ottoman Empire, which would eventually change the fate of Armenians forever. The Obverse of the second coin shows Levon II on horseback; holds patriarchal cross, T in field with Armenian script which reads , “ԼԵ[Ի]ՈՆ ԹԱԳԱԻՈՐ ԱՄԵՆԱՅՆ Հ[ԱՅՈՑ]” or “Levon King of all the Armenians” while the Reverse of the second coin shows a crowned lion facing left with a raised, with a patriarchal cross above with Armenian script surrounding it stating “ՇԻՆԵԱԼ Ի ՔԱՂԱՔՆ Ի ՍԻՍԻ”, or “Struck in the City of Sis”. The silver Armenian Tram was minted between 1080-1301. Both coins are made from silver and are rare and amazing examples of coins that were used by the crusader states. The set is a must-have for any serious collector of medieval and historical coins and they are a unique as they are a part of not only Armenian History but have a combination of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Religious, and European History which can be seen through the symbolism in the imagery on these beautiful coins.
