Lion of Cyprus surrounded by two circles of legend.
AMALRIC TIRESI DOMINU CIPRI GUB’NATO ‘E’ RET.
Coat of arms combining to left, the cross of Jerusalem and to right, the Lusignan emblems.
IRL’M ET CIPRI REGI’ FILIU’
*Iacovou 1994, 66, no. 16; CLC 2, 8-9 & 42-43, pl. 4.1-8; *BMC 1998, 91, no. 34.
The king seated upon throne, holding in sceptre right hand and globus cruciger in left.
REX DE ChIPR
Cross of Jerusalem.
REX CIPRIE
*Iacovou 1994, 69, no. 49; *CLC 3, 77-81, pl. 13.7.
The king seated upon throne, holding sceptre in right hand, and globus cruciger in left. In left field, S; in right field, G respectively.
LVDOVICVS DEI CRACIA REX
IERV3ALEM CIPRI ET ARMENIE
*Iacovou 1994, 71, no. 52; CLC 3, 93-95, pl. 17.12.
IOHANES DEI GRA
IHRLM ET CIPRI REX
*Iacovou 1994, 69, no. 45; *BMC 1998, 93, no. 41; CLC 3, 74-75, pl. 12.3-13.
IAQUE ROI D
DE IERUSALEM E CHI
*Iacovou 1994, 67, no. 35; *BMC 1998, 92, no. 39; *CLC 3, 31-42, pl. 3.1.
The king seated upon throne, holding unsheathed sword in right hand and globus cruciger in left.
PIERE ROI
DE IERU3ALEME DE ChIPRE
*Iacovou 1994, 67, no. 30; CLC 2, 14-16 & 86, pl. 34.14-18.
The king seated on ornate throne, holding unsheathed sword in right hand and globus cruciger in left; on his left and fixed on the throne, shield with the lion of Cyprus.
PIERE PAR LA GRACE DE DIE ROI
DE IERU3ALEM ED ChIPRE
*Iacovou 1994, 67, no. 28; CLC 2, 14-16 & 81, 84-86, pl. 33.1-8; *BMC 1998, 92, no. 37.
The king seated upon throne, holding sceptre in right hand and globus cruciger in left.In left field, B.
hVGVE REI DE
IERVSAL’M ED CHIPR’
*Iacovou 1994, 67, no. 25; CLC 2, 12-14 & 76, pl. 29.
The king seated upon throne, holding sceptre in right hand and globus cruciger in left.
hUGU[E R]EI D
*Iacovou 1994, 67, no. 26; CLC 2, 12-14 & 79, pl. 31. 14-17.
hUGUE REI DE
IERUSAL’M ED CHIPR’
*Iacovou 1994, 67, no. 24; CLC 2, 12-14 & 72-73, pl. 24-25.
The Lusignan Coinage
In his role as leader of the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart, the king of England, captured Cyprus from Isaac Comnenus in 1191. In 1192 Guy of Lusignan, the banished king of Jerusalem, purchased the island from Richard. The rule of the Lusignan dynasty in Cyprus began in the spring of 1192 and lasted for almost 300 years.
From the earliest days of Guy of Lusignan as lord of Cyprus (1192-1194) and throughout the Lunsignan control of Cyprus, the currency of the island was specifically Cypriot. Cyprus being an independent country had its own coinage minted and controlled by the authority of the Lusignan Kings.
