Cyprus (1517-18) 8 bezants

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CNG Triton XXIX, lot 1067

This specimen was lot 1067 in CNG Triton XXIX (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $11,637.50. The catalog description[1] noted,

"ITALY, Venezia (Venice). Coinage for Cyprus. AV 8 Bezants. Countermarks applied circa 1517/8. ‘8’ and uncertain pattern (9? 6? zigzag?) in two countermarks on an Ottoman Ashrafi of Selim I (Misr mint. Dated AH 923 [AH 1517/8]). Deposits. Countermarks: VF. Host: VF. Extremely rare. Only two gold pieces of this series in CoinArchives.

"In 1489, with the Ottoman threat looming over Cyprus, the Republic of Venice took direct control of the island, officially deposing Queen Caterina Corner. No Cypriot coinage would be struck by the Republic for several decades. In its absence, worn Lusignan issues and exported Venetian types supplied the markets of Cyprus. Around 1518, when new 8 and 16 Soldi denominations were issued back home, Venetian authorities revalued and countermarked the Venetian-type silver circulating on Cyprus. In addition, a limited number of Ottoman and Mamluk coins were also countermarked. These coins are extremely rare today, with only two examples found in CoinArchives, in addition to the four published by Broome. Metcalf has suggested that the ‘zigzag’ pattern stamped near the edge was intended to prevent clipping."

We don't have an Egyptian sultani of Selim to show as the host coin but we show here a Syrian sultani from the same period.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: gold, this specimen 19 mm diameter, 3.41 g, 3 h axis.

Catalog reference: For countermarks: cf. Broome, “Countermarked Islamic Gold Coins in Venetian Cyprus,” in NC 167 (1997), B and pl. 42, 13 (for first countermark); cf. Paolucci, Zecca p. 188-9 (for silver countermarks of this series). For host: Damali 9-mS-A1a-923; Album –; ICV 3154.

Source:

  • Album, Stephen, Checklist of Islamic Coins, 3rd Ed. Santa Rosa, Stephen Album Rare Coins, 2011.
  • Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
  • [1]Gasvoda, Michael, Victor England, Eric McFadden, Dave Michaels, Bill Dalzell and Lance Hickman, Triton XXIX, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, LLC, 2025.

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