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Cyprus, James II (1460-73), silver “Coronation” Gros. King seated on throne, holding sword and orb, pan-
el with small cross to the left, shield with lion of Cyprus to the right, +IACOBVS+ DEI+ GRAIA+ XX+
REX+ IHE, Rev. cross of Jerusalem with four incuse pellets in central square, +RUSALEM. CIPRI. E D.
ARMENIE, 3.70g. (Schlumberger -; S Georgiades, Numismatic Circular 1975, p.148; Metcalf, Corpus of
Lusignan Coinage Vol. 3, p.221, plate 20.2 (this coin); Malloy 150). The lower part of the obverse legend
slightly off flan, in PCGS holder graded EF 45, well defined with an attractive light tone and
exceedingly rare
,
one of only four known examples.
$25,000
Ex Stavrokono hoard (Paphos) 1946, Cyprus (see Ashmolean, Coinage of the Crusaders and Latin East p.332 for
details of the hoard).
Ex J. R. Stewart Collection. Purchased from Münzen und Medallien, Basle, 1st September 1981.
Ex John J. Slocum Collection of Coins of the Crusades, Sotheby’s, 6th-7th March 1997, lot 727 (illustrated).
PCGS certification 34313449. With Slocum’s hand-written envelope and Sotheby’s Lot No.727 auction envelope.This is assumed
to be a coronation issue and, given its rarity, was perhaps handed-out to just a small number of attendees at the coronation.
Of the four known examples, one resides in the Melbourne University Museum. The obverse legend refers to James II’s claim
to be the 20th King of Cyprus (“XX REX”). Also known as “James II the Bastard of Cyprus” (James II was the illegitimate
son of John II by his mistress, Mary of Patras), James II had challenged his younger half-sister’s right to the throne (she be-
came Queen of Cyprus aged 14 in 1458), blockading her in the castle of Kyrena in 1460 before her escape to Rome in 1463.