CRUSADERS. Cyprus. Richard I 'the Lionheart', King of England, 1189-1199. Tetarteron (Bronze, 16 mm, 0.67 g, 1 h), Limassol. Crowned facing bust of Richard I, holding cross-tipped scepter in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left. Rev. Cross potent set on two steps, arms ending in R-E-X. S. Bendall: 'A Cypriot Coin of Richard I Lion-heart?', in: NumCirc April 2002, pp. 62-63 and 'Richard I in Cyprus again', in: NumCirc April 2004, pp. 85-86. I. and W. Schultze: 'A Cypriot Coin of Richard I Lion-heart', in: NumCirc February 2003, pp. 6-7. Very rare and of great historical interest. An unusually attractive example of this extremely difficult issue, well struck and with beautiful earthen highlights. Very fine.

This very rare issue was struck during the short stay of Richard I on Cyprus, where he freed his fiancé Berengeria of Navarre from the Byzantine rebel Isaac Comnenus in the spring of 1191. The King left Cyprus soon thereafter, selling it to the Knights Templars, who in turn sold it to Guy Lusignan in 1192