Medieval Crusader Kingdom / Knights Templar Hand-Forged Iron Polyhedral Commercial Weight — Stamped Pellet Cross Matrix (60.28 grams — c. 12th–13th Century AD)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Crusader Holy Land / Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem Sphere (Knights Templar / Hospitaller Commercial Garrison Context).

Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions

• Object: Hand-Forged Iron Cuboctahedral Balance Weight / Commercial Scale Weight

• Culture / Period: Medieval Crusader Era (Kingdom of Jerusalem / Military Orders)

• Date Range: Circa 12th Century AD – 13th Century AD (c. 1100 – 1291 AD)

• Exact Weight: 60.28 grams

• Material: Hand-Forged Heavy Wrought Iron

• Form & Architecture: Polyhedral cuboctahedron architecture featuring truncated chamfered corners and flat square/triangular facets; obverse and lateral faces are stamped with punched circular pellets/dots arranged in a distinct five-point cross matrix (Crux) around a central ring-and-dot punch, serving as an official denomination and quartermaster control mark

• Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete medieval condition. Unusually well-preserved iron core with intact mass of precisely 60.28g; hard dark charcoal-brown iron oxide core accented by warm rust-orange and pale-buff calcareous burial encrustations filling the stamped pellet depressions. Free of active corrosion (rust rot) or modern CONTEXT & TYPOLOGICAL LORE

• Military Order Metrology & The Knights Templar

  During the 12th and 13th centuries, the military orders—most notably the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller—managed the economic engine of the Crusader Levant. Beyond their garrison duties, the Templars operated as international bankers, bullion dealers, and market administrators across harbor cities (Acre, Tyre, Jaffa) and interior fortresses. Standardized iron and bronze weights were essential for weighing silver dirhams, gold bezants, raw bullion, and bulk campaign rations.

  Polyhedral Geometry & The Stamped Pellet Cross (60.28g)

  At 60.28 grams, this heavy cuboctahedral weight represents a double-ounce / multi-dirham standard within the Levantine trade system. Polyhedral weights were favored by medieval merchants because their truncated facets prevented illegal shaving or clipping of the metal edges. Stamping the facets with punched pellets in the form of a cross marked the weight with Christian religious authority while certifying its official mass under royal or Templar market inspection (Mathessep / Muhtasib).

  Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

  • Primary Class: Medieval Military & Commercial Equipment / Crusader Iron Balance Weight

  • Sub-Class: Stamped Polyhedral Cuboctahedral Cross Matrix Weight Class

  Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

  • Tower of David Museum (Jerusalem): Crusader period polyhedral iron and bronze balance weights excavated from the Jerusalem Citadel market strata.

  • Israel Museum, Jerusalem: 12th–13th century Crusader commercial scale weights and stamped iron trade standards from Acre and Belvoir Fortress.

  • British Museum (Accession No. 1880,0503.105): Medieval Levantine Crusader iron polyhedral weight with stamped cross
    

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