Rare Tripoli Crusader Gold Bezant Imitation al-Mustansir Fatimid Dinar NR
Description: Very rare Crusader imitation Fatimid gold dinar or Bezant struck in Tripoli in current day Lebanon. This gold coin is an imitation of al-Mustansir dinar. This is a second phase BY3 gold Bezant known to contain between 98%-87% gold. This is the variety having four lines of corrupt Arabic central legend on both the obverse and reverse. It also has the 3 diagonal strips in the margin. The coin shows no readable mint or date. As is the case with these coins, it has illegible imitation Arabic characters. Please view the photos as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: About mid to late 400s AH or mid to late 1000s AD.
Mint: Trablus or Tripoli in current day Lebanon.
Size and weight: This is an imitation gold dinar, weighs 3.7 grams and is 22.5 mm in diameter.
References: It is Album 720, and listed in Metcalf as Gold Bezant BY3 number M-486.
Condition: I would grade this coin as nice very fine with a well centered strike and beautiful luster. The coin shows some strike weakness in the center, but it is all there. The coin is much better than the scan suggests. Please see photo to appreciate the quality and condition of this beautiful coin.
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.
