Need some help Identifing this coin / Token...

[Bruceswar]

I am leaning more towards a toekn... Front has a double cross on it with a circle around it... It reads.... "CRUZ DE CARAVACA" It also says something at the bottom that I can't make out... The back in plain with a double cross on it that looks like it would have been worn a necklace... I got this from my grandma when I was a kid... Any information on this would be great...

 

Here are the pics....

 

[Bruceswar]

and the back....

 

[truthteller]

The reverse cross is an eastern orthodox cross used in slavic, eastern european and Russia nations. Cruz de Caravaca literally means "cross of cow's face" in spanish, however, it is probably the name of a person or town. My feeling is that it's a Latin American commune or ranch token

 

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

[Bruceswar]

so would there be any value to it??? Any idea of a date? or time period...

[truthteller]

I pulled out my Latin America token book, and there is no listing of Cruz de Caravaca. My only guess, is that it might be eastern european with a Spanish mintmaster. Sorry.

 

 

 

TRUTH

[Bruceswar]

Well thanks for trying to help... I am still going to guess it came from Latin America Somewhere .... There are so many tokens made that they can't possibly see them all...

[truthteller]

Ah! I just got an idea. Try looking for Argentina tokens with a similar design. During the late 1800's and early 1900's, there was a huge immigration influx of europeans and eastern europeans into Argentina.

 

 

TRUTH

[spiny]

I did a google search and found this translated page. It looks like it's a medal commemorating the Cross of Caravaca. Or a souvenir medal...

[Bruceswar]

I will look into the Argentina deal... I will let you know if I find anything....

[spiny]

I will look into the Argentina deal... I will let you know if I find anything....

 

Ok then. Good luck with that...

[Bruceswar]

Here is some info I found on the cross itself.....

 

Introduction

 

The log de la Cruz who conserves itself in Caravaca is a Christian symbol that represents all the content of the message of the person and action of Christ. The authentic relics de la Cruz are not a representation anyone in their origin and meaning, but that its emblematic value exceeds the time and the certain space and of a time, to project with one more a more universal dimension.

 

This dimension and general valuation of the Christian symbol par excellence has taken shape of an important and expressive way in the?lignum crucis? of Caravaca that, by exposed special circumstances and aconteceres throughout these pages, has extended its influence and devotion beyond the own local limits of its original location in our city, extending recently its knowledge at massive level and increasing its fame secular, even outside our borders, specially in the Hispano-American scope.

 

Its origin and is present at in Caravaca are formed by a mysterious breath that still impregnates it more of expressive force and attraction. We spoke of an Eastern cross, coming from Jerusalem, of a medieval and patriarcal relic, guarded in Caravaca, firstly by the Order of Temple and later by the one of Santiago, and a miraculous narration of its presence in the enclave caravaqueño. For that reason the miracle of the Appearance was recited popularly by the limosneros from century XIII during the mass of Chirinos, and thus it is written in the first narration written and later works on the city, like of the mysterious Aparecimiento, emphasizing its protective and inclusive force and its quick spreading. Its fame of miraculous portentosa and and being a special symbol attracts numerous visitors and mainly originates off the track interpretations as of century XVIII.

 

 

Characteristic aspects

 

The Cross of Caravaca is a?lignum crucis? that is to say, a wood piece pertaining to the log in where he was crucificado Christ. It is conserved in a relicario with cross form of double horizontal arm, (of 7 and 10 cm) and of one vertical of (17 cm).

 

Logically, the dimension of the relicario corresponds to the size that originally had the wood kept in the interior. It does not have to be confused the outer relicario and the inner relic. The importance of the symbol does not reside in the?continente, but in the relic contained in the theca-case.

 

The origin de la Cruz is Eastern. It is not western the Latin cross either of a single horizontal arm, nor the cross?tau? in form of capital T, nor the Greek cross (quadrata) of four equal parts, produced when crossing itself both arms, horizontal and vertical, in half of its length. According to tradition Robert of Jerusalem belonged to the patriarch. He was the first bishop of the city santa, once conquered this one to the Muslims by the crossed exerted military action in first (1099). One hundred thirty years later, in sixth crossed, during the stay in Jerusalem of the emperor Federico II (1230), a bishop, successor of Robert in the patriarcado one, were the protagonist who carried the Relic that, two years later, was in Caravaca.

 

 

The symbol caravaqueño has pectoral cross form. It is not a great long nor wide piece; their proportions are the adapted ones to take hung it in the chest. Thus the Patriarchs like a symbol of their hierarchic position corresponding to diocese and bishops used who, by their antiquity and prestige, also deserved this distinction with a jurisdiction and honor degree on ample ecclesiastical demarcations (patriarcado of Russia, Greece etc.).

 

The patriarcal characteristic comes to give to a greater importance to the symbol caravaqueño. It means a guarantee and historical endorsement by his origin and prestigious conservation. It is not, then, relic of an uncertain, copied or falling apart origin of another symbol already previously brought to the West.

 

 

Aparecimiento de la Cruz of Caravaca

 

According to the local historical tradition, the presence de la Cruz in the strength caravaqueña dates from year 1232, like more probable date. They were the times of the reigns of Fernando III santo, king of Castile and Leon and Jaime I of Aragón, when the kingdom taifa of Murcia was governed by the famous Ibn-Hud, that was rebelled against almohades and dominated great part of the Al-Andalus. Already, to the few years, the Murcian kingdom was going to happen to vasallaje of the Castilian king (1243-1244).

 

The local historical tradition speaks on the origin of the Relic in the castle-Palace of Caravaca, narrating the details to us of the mysterious appearance of the?lignum crucis? Eastern, in the date of the 3 of May of 1232, eleven years before the Muslim capitulation of all the Murcian zone at hands of Castile. It is, then, in the heat of territory and Muslim domination, when the fact is narrated that we can synthesize this way: the territory caravaqueño had been conquered by sayyid almohade of Valencia. Abu-Ceyt that, presumably installed, in 1230-1231. Shortly after the portentoso event happened.

 

Between the Christian prisoners she was Ginés priest Perez de Chirinos who, come from River basin, preached the gospel to morisma. Sayyid interrogated to the captives on its respective offices. The priest answered that his she was to say to the mass, provoking the curiosity and interest of the Muslim, who arranged the necessary thing to be present at this liturgical act. Brought the ornamentos of Christian earth, the liturgy in the main hall the Palace began to be celebrated. To little the priest who stopped and said that she could not continue to lack in the altar the symbol of crucifijo, without could not be celebrated. And it went at the moment when, by the window of the hall, two angels transported a?lignum crucis? that they deposited in the altar, and thus could continue the mass. Before the wonderful appearance, sayyid and all the cut was baptized. Later it was verified that the cross was of the patriarch of Jerusalem.

 

First data of the appearance de la Cruz

 

Summarizing the news that we have, we can establish the following points of reference on the antiquity of the presence and knowledge de la Cruz:

 

1. There is an early formation of the story of the Appearance. We have the news that overcome to us almost to the time to which the tradition fixes the dates of the presence de la Cruz. It is the story of?primera history? that it begins to be born at the end of century XIII and trasmitió of mouth in mouth. In him the mysterious Aparecimiento was contained as many years back it had to narrate the neighbors of the place caravaqueño. It is a concise story with echoes of the Average Age. This narration was destined to being counted of memory by the limosneros that went by the ways, places and towns. The miraculous fact was narrated to build and to admire to the listeners with the details of the mass, the priest prisoner and the Abu-Ceyt Moor, adding a data of the taste of the time like was the vision of the most beautiful boy in the wafer consecrated by Chirinos.

 

2. In 1285 it appears the Cross in the shield of the Council, according to the description that becomes of him, although it is not specified that she was the one of double arm.

 

3. The miraculous charisma de la Cruz spread from the first moment. The most surprising fact, narrated and written up in 1348 together with the Appearance, talks about the feat of the mancebo-escudero that saves the relic of a violent fire, crossing the flames which they surrounded the altar and removing the box in which the Cross was deposited.

 

4. In 1354 the title of Side Cross appears certainly in opened letter of the Master from Santiago to the Council of Caravaca, confirming to him the law of the villa and all the privileges granted by the previous Masters (A.M.C. parchments 1/1). The concessions and Mercedes become so that the place is more populating and thus it grants to the property and use of half of the mill and the furnace that was in this place and what outside commanded and given to the Side Cross. The reference is clear and denotes the previous attribute that occurred him to the Relic like specific and particular sobrename.

 

5. In 1392 the merciful Pope VII in his bula ( Licet is of cuius munere venit ), granting indulgence to the Cross and to its chapel of the border strength, affirms that a great multitude of all parts of Spain attracted by the fame of hacedora of miracles flows that has acquired the Relic.

 

Origin

 

The Cross of Caravaca is inserted within the calls Eastern crossings, and its appearance knows a clearly connection with the Lignum Crucis Patriarcal of the orthodox Church, located in the Cripta of Santo Sepulcro of Jerusalem. After the probable finding of the log where Christ died, that the Golden Legend of the franciscano the Vortex (century XIII) attributes Santa Elena?madre of Roman emperor Constantino (century IV) -, went away forming relicarios that inside took to trocitos of the log santo. These relicarios were carried, initially, by the Patriarchs of the Eastern Church. The tradition speech that the cross that appeared in Caravaca the year 1231 was the one that Robert used like pectoral the Patriarch, first bishop of Jerusalem in the beginning of century XII, date in which the city was conquered the Muslims in First Crossed. The hypotheses on the supposed templario origin of the Side Cross are not clearly proven.

[truthteller]

Very impressive. It's really amazes me how so much history can be found over such an ugly token. I really enjoyed reading the fabulous history and appreciate the work.

 

 

 

TRUTH

[JamminJ]

An impressive discorse on the cross, thanks for posting!

 

-JamminJ

[Bruceswar]

thx ... it was fun looking for it...