St Louis IX and the 7th-8th Crusades
FRANCE, Royal. Louis IX (Saint Louis). 1226–1270. AR Gros Tournois (26mm, 4.03 g, 9h). Struck 1266-1270. +BHDIETV SIT NOmE DNI nRI DEI IhV XPI (triple pellet stops)/ +LVDOVICVS · REX, cross pattée / +TVRONI.S· CIVIS, châtel tournois; all within border of twelve lis. Van Hengel L 12.01; Duplessy 190; Ciani 181d; Roberts 2451. Near EF, deeply toned.
A devout Christian, Louis IX took part in the 7th and 8th Crusades, being captured and later released during the former, while faring marginally better in the latter. The older brother of Charles I, the king of Sicily and count of Anjou, he also had close ties with England as his wife, Marguerite de Provence, was the sister of Eleanor, wife of Henry III of the House of Plantagenet.