Palermo Golden coin tari of King Roger II 1130 -1140 A.D. 525 – 535 A.H.

    Gold coin (quarter dinar, called the tarì) struck at the start of the reign of Roger II, who became king of Sicily in 1130. The weight and dimensions are identical to those of the tarì of the time of the count, however we note a remarkable change in how the symbols are struck. On the reverse, the "T" is replaced by a Latin cross dividing the field into four parts bearing in Greek the inscription "Jesus Christ the Victor". On the obverse, the text in Arabic script in the field gives King Roger two titles, one "the Magnificent", which may be viewed as being of the western tradition, but which was also conferred on Moslem sovereigns, the other the definitely Islamic "God's Exalted One". The legend on both faces mentions for the first time the name by which the city of Palermo was known in the Arab Mediterranean: "Mâdina Siquillyya" (Medina of Sicily). This type of coin is therefore a very symbolic example of the policy of reconciling the religious and cultural traditions followed by the Norman kings of Sicily.

Dimensions of the object
Diameter 15 mm ; weight 1.015 g

Bibliography
- "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