Catherine Cornaro and the infant James III.

Catherine Cornaro, as regent, and James III (August 1473- August 1474 ), silver Gros, type A/CJ dies CJ1 c, +KATERIA D G R IRM CP AR, crowned and quartered shield bearing arms of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Armenia, rev + IACOB9 D G R IRM CIP A T9, cross of Jerusalem, 3.73g (Corpus P1.24.4, Schl.VII 25, Lambros 91). Very fine and of the highest rarity.

After wresting the crown from his half-sister Charlotte, James II, the Bastard, former archbishop, and murderer, formed an alliance with Venice to safeguard Cyprus and his reign. In 1468 he negotiated a betrothal by proxy to Catherine Cornaro, a high noble of the Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta, an arrangement which also suited the Venetians by securing their own interests in the island kingdom. Four years later, on her majority, Catherine travelled to Cyprus and was married in person. James the Bastard died suspiciously, soon after the marriage, perhaps poisoned by Venetian agents, but stipulated in his will that the now pregnant Catherine should reign as regent for their unborn son, James III. When the child died too, in infancy, perhaps also murdered, Catherine ruled without heir until eventually Venice forced her, as a daughter of the republic, to resign her titles and cede Cyprus to the Doge. The crusader kingdom had fallen and an all-powerful merchant class was in control.

The present coin is thought to be one of eight or nine surviving examples of this extremely rare one-year type and represents the last of the Lusignan bloodline monarchs of Cyprus.

Provenance:
Ex Bonhams, London, 14 Dec 2011, lot 516