Sicily

Golden coin
tari, period of the County
(Roger I and Roger II)

1073-1127 A.D. – 521 A.H.

 

    Gold coin (quarter dinar, called the taŕ) struck in Sicily at the time of the count (1073-1127 AD; 465-521 of the Hegira). On the obverse, the coin is struck with the Tau (Greek cross) and on the reverse, in the field, with a traditional invocation to Allah. But, while the coin is indeed a reproduction of a type commonly found in Moslem Sicily, the Arabic characters of the circular legends on the obverse and reverse are meaningless assemblages, marking certain limits to the cohabitation of the two cultures in the early days of Norman Sicily.

Dimensions of the object
Diameter 14 mm; weight 1.0 g

Bibliography
- B. La Gumina "Catalogo delle monete arabe esistenti nella Biblioteca Comunale di Palermo" Palermo, 1892
- "L'età normanna e sveva in Sicilia", Catalogo della mostra storico-documentaria e bibliografica. Organizzata dall' Assemblea Regionale Siciliana nel Palazzo dei Normanni a Palermo, 1994 (Monete serie III a cura di M. De Luca)

Location
Palermo, Biblioteca Comunale

Photography
G.  Cappellani