Byzantine Phocas 602-610

This came yesterday.


It is 26 mm and 7.25 grams. A follis (M = 40, for 40-nummia) of
Byzantine emperor Phocas (AD 602-610)
minted at Antioch (Theopolis, THEUP in exergue) in year (ANNO to the left of the M) 2 (II to the right of the M).
The obverse features Phocas (on left) and his wife Leontia standing facing. Just in case you didn't know they were Christian, the obverse has five crosses and the reverse one more.

Show us Byzantine copper or coins with several crosses.

 

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Very nice, Warren.

My only coin of his:


Phocas (602 - 610 A.D.)
Æ Follis
O: DN FOCA NE PE AV, Crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter.
R: Large M; cross above, A/N/N/O Ч/III across field; τHЄUP
Antioch Mint,Dated RY 8 (609/10)
28mm
8.7g
DOC 90; MIB 84a; SB 672

 

VEry nice!

 

I don't think that's Focas. The portrait is Maurice Tiberius, and often the legends are blundered on these (e.g. here, which is pretty close to your coin). I guess there's the possibility that they might modify a Maurice Tiberius die upon Focas's accession, but then the regnal date wouldn't make a lot of sense (it should either be the first for Focas, or the last for MT).

 

It's Phocas, you can see the Foca in the Legend + the beard


this one is a bit clearer

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4392687

I have the Maurice Tiberius version..

 

Very nice follis, Warren. I don't have one with Leontia, is on the list. Here's my Focas:

My record for crosses on copper/bronze is 6, on this follis of Leo IV (Leo IV and Const. VI on the obverse, Leo III and Const. V on the reverse):

Extending it to include silver, this miliaresion of John I Tzimisces (969-976) has 9! Count 'em: four around the medallion (the bottom one is a "crosslet" so maybe it's 8 and a half?), one starting the obv. legend, one on the crown, one starting the rev. legend, and two pelleted crosses at the top and bottom of the reverse.

 

I stand corrected! Cool, I don't remember seeing an Antioch Focas with that portrait style before. (I thought there was something funky going on with the die to make it look like an "F".)

 

My avatar has 8 crosses (or only 6 if the things above Constans + Constantine IV on the obverse aren't meant to be some kind of crosses?)

one on top of everyone's head, one in between the hats on the obverse, 2 in the hands of Heraclius + Tiberius on the reverse and one big cross between them.

 

As you know @Valentinian , I am not very well versed or inventoried at this end of the Roman History spectrum... I only have this one with 2 Crosses...


BZ Justinian I 527-565 CE AE Folles 30mm 17g 40 Nummi M monogram


And I am not sure this is 2 crosses or a Cross w/ a Gamma

BZ Justin I 518-527 CE Copper Folles Antioch 20 nummia K monogram

 

Yours is in excellent shape. My newest

Anonymous under Constantine VIII/ Basil II
Mint: Constantinople
976 to 1025 AD
AE Follis, Class A2 Var. 5
Obvs: +ЄMMA NOVHΛ IC XC, Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator with two pellets in each arm of nimbus and holding book of gospels.
Revs: +IhSЧS XRISTЧS bASILЄЧ bASILЄ, in four lines. Pellet above and below.
23x25mm, 9.00g

I count 3 crosses on this one

Justinian I
542 to 543 AD (Year 16)
Mint: Constantinople
AE 40 Nummi
Obvs: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, Helmeted facing holding cross and globus.
Revs: Large M, ANNO left. Cross above, xЦI right. CON
35x37mm, 19.09g

 

My only Phocas coins are pretty low end, a 40 and 20 nummi.

 

The Byzantine issues are neat. I only have a few but I think I'm going to keep expanding in this area. These two have a few crosses on them.


https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-tetarteron-of-manuel-i.298287/

 

Lower grade coins like mine don't show them as clearly but the DNFO at obverse left removes all doubt about the ruler.

The way I see the John, one cross is the overall obverse design with steps at bottom and rising up using the same line as the upside down cross radiating out from the circle. the center of that cross is behind the portrait medallion. If you count the pellets, that is honestly 9.

 

Here's a few of my Byzantine:

Maurice Tiberius





Heraclius:





Romanus folle:

 

I like that interpretation! Then we can get 10, if the overall obverse cross is distinct from the (let's say) four crosses around it. (Includes the "crosslet" at the bottom.)

I guess he was a Christian, eh?

 

Here is a recent pickup that I was a bit excited about. It is an anonymous follis of Class A1, but the interesting thing about it is that it has been overstruck on a flan that itself was overstruck. A great coin that shows the natural progression of the various issues as well as putting a timeline on the anonymous follis coinage:

Byzantine Empire: Æ Anonymous Class A1 Follis (ca. 969-976 CE), Attributed to John I Tzimisces, Constantinople (Sear 1793; DOC A1.6-10)

Obv: Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator
Rev: + IҺSЧS/XRISTЧS/ЬASILЄЧ/ЬASILЄ in four lines below

Overstruck on a Constantinople mint follis of Constantine VII and Romanus I (SB 1760), itself overstruck on a Constantinople mint follis of Constantine VII and Zoe.

 

The first of these 2 coins was struck under Alexius II and is believed to represent the " Last Byzantine Cross". The second coin shows Contans II with many sacred crosses.

 

Sweet posts guys!!

I still lack Byzantine examples with crosses but I do have this highly scarce Constantinian follis with a small cross on the reverse

Constantine I/ CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG/ GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS/cross in lower center; on banner/ AQP/Aquileia/ RIC VII Aquileia 124/ R4

 

That's a nice Constantine!

 

Nice nice, Warren.