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Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem Bronze Square 1-Ounce Trade Weight (25.73g — c. 1100–1291 AD)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Certification: Certified Authentic — includes signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with full provenance documentation.
Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Crusader States / Latin East Sphere.
Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions
Object: Cast Bronze Square Commercial Trade Weight with Incised Christian Latin Cross
Culture / Period: Crusader States (Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem / Principality of Antioch / County of Tripoli)
Date Range: Circa 1100 AD – 1291 AD (c. 12th – 13th Century AD)
Mass / Exact Weight: 25.73 grams (calibrated to the 1-Ounce / Uncia commercial trade standard of the Latin East)
Material: Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy)
Form & Architecture: Heavy square cast bronze weight; obverse face deeply engraved with a crisp, linear Christian Latin cross symbolizing state authority and Christian sovereignty in the Holy Land; thick rectangular profile with smooth reverse; dense metallic core
Condition: Exceptional, complete medieval condition. Crisp incised cross strokes, full square geometry, preserved under an authentic dark charcoal-olive bronze patina with light sandy-yellow burial encrustation filling the engraved cross lines. Free of modern restoration or tooling.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT & TYPOLOGICAL LORE
Crusader Metrology & Holy Land Market Trade
Following the First Crusade and the founding of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1099 AD, the Crusader States established thriving commercial markets across port cities like Acre, Tyre, Jaffa, and Jerusalem. To regulate trade between Western European maritime republics (Venetians, Genoese, and Pisans) and local Levantine merchants, official foundries produced standardized bronze trade weights marked with Christian symbols.
The Latin Cross Denomination & Ounce Standard
The deeply incised Latin cross served as both an official state seal of metrological accuracy and a declaration of Christian faith in the Latin East. Weighing 25.73 grams, this weight aligns directly with the official 1-Ounce (Uncia) trade standard used by money changers, goldsmiths, and merchants to weigh precious metals, spices, silk, and coinage in Crusader harbor custom houses.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Primary Class: Crusader States Metrology / Medieval Holy Land Trade Weight
Sub-Class: Square Inscribed Latin Cross 1-Ounce Weight Class
Manufacturing Technique: Cast copper alloy square block with hand-chased / incised Christian cross matrix.
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Crusader Kingdom bronze trade weights with incised cross emblems recovered from Acre strata.
British Museum (Accession No. 1980,1202.35): Crusader period square bronze trade weight with engraved Christian cross.
Louvre Museum (Inv. No. AO 22415): Latin Kingdom square bronze 1-ounce weight with cross incision.
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