Crusader Imitation Fatimid Gold Dinar or Bezant Al Imam al-Mansur Al’Amer Ostensibly Struck in Misr
Description: Crusader imitation Gold Dinar or Bezant struck during the time of the Fatimid Caliph al-Amer Bi-Ahkam Allah. This gold coin is an imitation of al-Amer dinar. al-Amer is referred to as al-Imam al-Mansur and ruled in the period 495-524 AH (1101-1130 AD ). It is ostensibly struck in Misr (Fustat on the outskirts of Cairo the current Capital of Egypt) but shows no readable mint name or date. As is the case with these coins, it has illegible highly stylized imitation Arabic calligraphy. Please carefully review the scan presented as it is part and parcel of our description.
Date: About early 500's AH or 1100's AD.
Mint: Uncertain but probably at Acre by the kings of Jerusalem.
Size and Weight: This is an imitation gold dinar, weighs ~3.52 grams and is ~21 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album 730, and Myssa Daoud 991.
Condition: I would grade this coin as nice very fine to extremely fine with a well centered strike and is nicely toned. The coin is much better than the scan suggests. The coin does show a some wear at the center of the reverse. Other than that the coin is problem free and is very nice. Please see photo for additional condition information.
Historic Perspective: During the reign of al-Mustansir 427-487 AH (1036-1094 AD) and continuing through the times of al-Amer 495-524 AH (1101-1130 AD ), the European crusaders occupying Palestine were issuing counterfeit gold dinars, which looked like al-Mustansir's and al-Amer’s dinars. These dinars were made of gold but were of lower weight, which resulted in compromising the international gold standard based in Egypt at the time.
