Rare Silver Half Drachma, 1251-1257

Recently an extremely rare coin from the days of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1099-1291, Crusader) was found during IAA excavations directed by Martin Peilstöcker and Amit Reem in Jaffo’s Flee Market. The find, a rare Frankish silver half drachma, was identified by Robert Kool of the IAA Coin Department and is the first specimen to come from a controlled excavation. It was minted only during a very brief period in Frankish Acre, between 1251 and 1257, imitating the half dirhem struck in Damascus by the Ayyubids during the first half of the 13th century.

Israel Antiquities Authority