ISLAMIC, Seljuks. Great Seljuk. Jalal al-Dawlah Malikshah I, AH 465-485 / AD 1072-1092. Fals (Bronze, 22 mm, 8.52 g, 6 h), an imitation based on Byzantine folles, perhaps struck under Yagisiyan, the Seljuk governor of Antiochia from 1086-1098, Antiochia. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, wearing tunic and pallium, holding book of Gospels in both hand; in fields, IC - XC. Rev. Blundered Greek legend within angles of cross based on steps. Leu Web Auction 14 (2020), 1932. Very rare. An unusually attractive example of this interesting issue. Very fine.
One compelling theory suggests that this coinage was issued by Yagisiyan, the Seljuk governor of Antiochia in 1086-1098, who may have used Christian iconography on his local bronze coins to make them more acceptable to the predominantly Christian population of the city, which had been captured by the Seljuks from the Byzantines in 1085. Having defended Antiochia for eight months against the invasion of the First Crusade in 1097-1098, Yagisiyan fled the city right before the its fall on 3 June 1098