Coinage and Coin Use in Medieval Italy

Abstract

changing, in general, very little. While Nef attempts to suggest that their rule was unique by demonstrating that the precise modus operandi of the government of the island had no precedent in history – that a Norman, Christian government based primarily on previously established Islamic rule created a unique society and system of government – her overall concept is nothing new at all; the idea that new rulers simply take over and use existing governmental institutions has already been championed by other scholars of Norman Sicily, while also being highlighted by those studying Norman England, the Normans of Antioch, and myriad other examples of dynastic change throughout history. Furthermore, it would seem that this would be simple common sense – the tiny Norman minority simply would not have had the ability to impose their own governmental style on the Sicilian population, and to avoid unnecessary problems the continuation of life much as it had gone on before must have been the most sensible way of proceeding. Yet despite this limitation, the study is still of considerable value, not only for the new material it introduces and the myriad quantitative tables found in the index, but also because it corrects some errors and fills in some gaps in analysis, even if these only serve to further underscore current ideas. It should be required reading for anyone studying or researching the history of Norman Sicily.