The Crusader Coin

In the year 1095 AD, the delivery of a speech by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, set the Crusades into motion. Armies were sent to recapture the control of the city of Jerusalem and to reestablish the Christian faith into a position of power over the Holy land. The infamous Knights Templar fought throughout the Crusades, placing red crosses emblazoned on white tunics, and so the battles ensued for over 200 years in the name of defending the faith of Christianity. The pragmatic issue of mounting so many troops unified in battle is how to pay them, and because there was no single currency system throughout Europe, there are a variety of coins produced during this era. The unifying image on coins included the "Jerusalem Cross", and the smallest and most common denomination used to pay the large amounts of troops during the Crusades was based on the ancient Roman denarius. In France, it was called the "denier", in Italy, "denaro", Germans called the coin "pfenning", and in English, it became a "penny". These coins were used in everyday exchange, and are a reminder of the bravery of knights and the very image of medieval times.