Illustrated Specimen Details: Silver Tram
Example Specimen: Tram, 1198-1219 (Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia)
Authority & Heraldry: The obverse features the king seated on a throne ornamented with lions, holding a mace with a cross and a fleur-de-lis. The Armenian legend ԼԵԻՈՆ ԹԱԳԱԻՈՐ ՀԱՅՈՑ translates to "Levon (Leo) king of the Armenians". The reverse displays a patriarchal (Catholicos) cross flanked by two heraldic lions, accompanied by the inscription ԿԱՐՈՂՈՒԹԲՆ ԱՍՏՈԻԾՈՅ, meaning "By the Will of God". This undated specimen was issued under Leo II (Levon I the Magnificent), the first Armenian ruler crowned as king jointly by the German and Byzantine empires.
Denomination: Tram
Date: ND (1198-1219)
Metal: Silver
Weight: 3.06 g | Diameter: 23 mm
Mint: Cilician Mints
Estimated value: 37$
DENOMINATION GUIDE — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
The name of the tram coin is directly related to the name of the modern currency of Armenia — the dram. The term translates from Armenian as "money" and derives from the Greek drachm (δραχμή) through Armenian linguistic development. It remains unknown exactly how and why the transformation of "tram" into "dram" took place.
History and Evolution of the Tram
The tram was the principal silver coin of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, an important commercial state on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Located at the crossroads of trade between Europe and the Near East, Cilician Armenia maintained close economic relations with the Crusader states, the Byzantine Empire, and Italian maritime republics. In this dynamic environment, the tram served as the foundation of the kingdom's monetary system and circulated widely in domestic and international trade.
The tram was utilized heavily before the introduction of the takvorin and remained the kingdom's primary silver coin until the fall of Cilician Armenia in 1375. The weight of a standard silver 1 tram coin was just under three grams, with 1/2, 1, and 2 tram denominations also being known to numismatists.
The monetary system was strictly structured with smaller copper fractional coins:
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1 tram = 5 tank
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1 tank = 2 kardez = 8 pogh
The Golden Age of Cilician Coinage
The production of trams reached its peak under rulers such as Levon I (Leo II) and Hetoum I during the 12th and 13th centuries. The most frequently encountered Armenian trams date from the period between 1198 and 1299, encompassing the reigns of Levon II, Hethum II, Smbat, Kostandin II, and Levon III.
The iconography of the tram beautifully combined Armenian Christian traditions with artistic influences from Byzantium and the Crusader states. The main plot typically featured the king seated on a throne or riding a horse, paired with an image of a lion (or two lions) and a cross. The accompanying legends often proudly proclaimed the ruler as the "King of all Armenians" or featured bilingual inscriptions reflecting the kingdom's international commercial connections.
Numismatic Perspective
From a numismatic perspective, the tram is widely considered the most important denomination of medieval Armenian coinage. The role of smaller fractional coins was simultaneously performed by the 1/40 tram (pogh), 1/10 tram (kardez), and 1/5 tram (tank). Well-preserved trams are among the most sought-after medieval coins due to their historical significance and the remarkably realistic portraits of Armenian monarchs. They reflect a fascinating blend of Eastern and Western European influences that characterized the Crusader era.