Byzantine Period.—A large number of gold, silver and bronze coins of the Byzantine period were largely circulated in Palestine, but none were struck in the country.
Arab Period.—The Arabian conquerors of Syria and Palestine struck their coins in the first decades of the Hejra after the Byzantine model, with Greek and Arabic legends. After the famous reform of the coinage by ʾAbd al-Melek (77 A.H., 696 A.D.), the legends became entirely Arabic and contained the Mohammedan confession of faith, but the coins still kept their Byzantine standard-weight. The principal coin was the gold dinar (from denarius), of 4·25 grammes weight. The silver dirhem (from δραχμή) was struck on the Sassanian type, and was of 2·97 grammes weight. The copper fels (from the Latin follis), which was not considered as a standard coin, varied in weight according to the district.
The chief mints in Palestine were: Acre, Ascalon, Caesarea, Gaza, Jerusalem, Ludd, Ramleh, Tiberias. Coins are known of the Omayyad, ʾAbbasid, Tulunid, Ikhshidid and Fatimite dynasties.
Crusading Period.—The coinage of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem is scanty if compared with that of the Kingdom of Cyprus or even with the coinage of Tripoli and Antioch. The principal coins which have hitherto come to light are deniers (gr. 0·9) and obols (c. gr. 0·4) of billon. Coins are known of the following reigns: Amaury I., Baldwin (probably) II. and III., Guy de Lusignan, Henry of Champagne and John de Brienne. The most important mints were Jerusalem, Acre and Tyre. Of the many feudatories of the Kings of Jerusalem who had the right of coinage only the Princes of Galilee, the Counts of Jaffa, and the Lords of Sidon, Beirut, Tyre and Toron are so far known to hav exercised their privilege.
The coins referred to above were for the most part of base metal and low value, intended for petty disbursements. For more important payments the Crusaders adopted the strange device of striking, at Acre and elsewhere, gold bezants in imitation of the Fatimite dinars, and silver
