CRUSADERS. Antioch. Raymond-Roupen, 1216-1219. AE (Bronze, 17 mm, 0.62 g, 11 h). Head of Raymond-Roupen in chain armour with pellet eye to right, wearing helmet decorated with cross; to left and right, palm frond. Rev. Gate containing nine pellets, all within octafoil. CCS 100. Metcalf, Crusades, 481. Wäckerlin 156. Very rare and very well preserved. Good very fine.



Raymond-Roupen, son of Alice of Armenia and Raymond IV of Antioch, overthrew Bohémond IV in 1216 with the support of his grand-uncle Levon I of Armenia. However, when Levon died three years later, Bohémond returned to power, forcing Raymond-Roupen - who had taken refuge in the citadel of Antioch - to flee to Cilicia after surrendering the fortress to the Hospitallers. In Cilicia, he claimed the vacant throne but was soon captured, along with his mother, in Tarsus by Constantine of Baberon, the regent for Queen Isabella, Levon's infant daughter and successor. Raymond-Roupen, an unlucky prince, died in Cilician captivity shortly thereafter, in either 1221 or 1222.