Anonymous Princes of Salerno (Gisulf I, Waimar III or IV), 10th or early 11th Century. Tarì, AV 0.94 g. Double Arabic or pseudo Arabic legends around a central pellet. Rev. Double Arabic or pseudo Arabic legends around a central pellet. Cappelli 20. MIN 35-36. MEC XIV, 12 and see discussion on page 61. MIR 526. In unusually fine condition for the issue. Extremely Fine Privately purchased from NAC in 1996. This tarì with a pseudo-Arabic legend might suggest an Arab occupation of Salerno. In reality, however, despite repeated attempts and naval incursions, the Arabs never conquered the city, nor did they ever mint coins there. The reason why this issue bears a pseudo-Arabic inscription is much more straightforward: since the only gold coins circulating in southern Italy at the time were the Arab tarì minted in Sicily, it was decided in Salerno to produce coins that replicated that type, which was already accepted and recognised within that territorial and commercial context.