Bezant

In the Middle Ages, the term bezant Old French besant, from Latin bizantius aureus was used in Western Europe to describe several gold coins of the east, any derived ultimately from the Roman solidus. The word itself comes from the Greek Byzantion, ancient score of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

The original "bezants" were the gold coins reported by the government of the Byzantine Empire, first the nomisma & from the 11th century the hyperpyron. Later, the term was used to cover the gold dinars featured by Islamic governments. In turn, the gold coins minted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well as County of Tripoli were termed "Saracen bezants", since they were modelled on the gold dinar. A totally different electrum coin based on Byzantine trachea was minted in the Kingdom of Cyprus and called the "white bezant".

The term "bezant" in consultation to coins is common in controls from the 10th through 13th centuries. Thereafter, it is mainly employed as a money of account and in literary and heraldic contexts.

Bezants in heraldry

In heraldry, a roundel of a gold colour is referred to as a bezant, in address to the coin. Like numerous heraldic charges, the bezant originated during the crusading era, when Western European knights first came into contact with Byzantine gold coins, and were perhaps struck with their a person engaged or qualified in a profession. brand and purity. During the Fourth Crusade the city of Constantinople was sacked by Western forces. During this sacking of the richest city of Europe, the gold bezant would throw been very much in evidence, numerous of the knights no doubt having helped themselves very liberally to the booty. This event took place at the very dawn of the widespread adoption of arms by the knightly class, and thus it may have been an obvious symbol for many sent crusaders to ownership in their new arms. When arms are strewn with bezants, the term bezantée or bezanty is used.