New Byzantine - Carthage, Alexandria & Sicily Counterstamp

I just got a batch of el-cheapo Byzantine coppers yesterday that made me as happy as a clam (clam emoji?) despite some cosmetic issues.

The one from Carthage (#2 below) carries an "indiction date" which is new to me. Here they are and what I think they are:



Byzantine Empire Æ Follis
Heraclius (c. 616-622 A.D.)
Sicilian Mint
Host coin: Constantinople (?) follis of Anastasius, Justin I or Justinian I.
Counterstamp: bust of Heraclius, facing in circle, PTh monogram right / SCLs in oval.
SB 882; DOC 241.
(12.09 grams / 28 mm)



With enhancements to better see the legends, etc.:

Maurice Tiberius
10 Nummi (Decanummium)
Year 6 (587-588 A.D.)
Carthage Mint
D N MAVRICIP, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left, IND ς (= indiction/year 6 = 587-588) / Cross potent on three steps, N left, M right, X in ex.
SB 566; DOC 255.
(3.49 grams / 16 mm)


Constans II
12 Nummi (Dodecanummium)
(641-642, 645-646 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
No legend, 3/4 length standing fig. holding long cross & globus cruciger / I B divided by cross on globe, pellets in field to left and AΛЄΞ in exergue.
SB 1027 ; DOC 105.
(6.00 grams / 20 x 22 mm)



Maurice Tiberius
12 Nummi (Dodecanummium)
(582-602 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
D N M[AV - R]IC PP (?), diademed, and draped bust right / Large I-B, cross between, AΛΕΞ in exergue.
SB 544; DOC 213
(4.11 grams / 15 mm)

Two of them came with old "Byzantian" attribution tags done with a fountain pen:

I'd be interested to see any 12 nummi from Alexandria or any Byzantine Carthage issues... or for that matter anything Byzantine. I got the fever!​

 

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Nice, I happen to have a Maurice Tiberius half follis that I found MD last summer.

 

Heraclius
Mint: Alexandria
610 to 641 AD
AE 12 Nummi
Obvs: Draped and cuirassed bust facing, wearing crown surmounted by cross within crescent. Eight-rayed star to left, crescent to right.
Revs: Large IB, cross on globe between. AΛЄΞ
18mm, 6.38g
Ref: Sear 855


Justinian I
540 to 541 AD
Mint: Carthage
AE Nummus
Obvs: Justinian diademed, draped, and cuirass right.
Revs: VOT XIIII within wreath.
9x10mm, .75g
DO 303, Sear 279


Justinian I
527 to 562 AD
Mint: Thessalonica
AE 8 Nummi
Obvs: DN IVSTINI(ANVS PP AVG), Diademed, draped, and cuirass.
Revs: H between smaller A and P, cross above. Dotted border.
16x18mm, 3.53g
DO I.100a, Sear 189

 

Those are very interesting small AEs of Justinian, David. I had no idea there was a Byzantine "VOT" type. But there is a lot of things I don't know about Byzantine coins - so many denominations!

Thanks for sharing these.

 

Awesome, @Marsyas Mike ! There's only one cure for the fever, and that's MORE Byzantine. I don't have many Byzantines to show, but here they are!


Justin II and wife Sophia, AD 565-578.
Byzantine Æ follis, 31.2 mm, 14.52 g, 12 h.
Nicomedia, AD 570/71.
Obv: DN IVSTINVS PP AVG, Justin, on left, holding globus cruciger and Sophia, on right, holding cruciform scepter.
Rev: Large M, surmounted by cross; officina B below; ANNO at left; G (regnal year 6) at right; NIKO in exergue
Refs: Sear Byz 369; Dumbarton Oaks 96a; MIBE 46b.


Tiberius II Constantine AD 574-582 and Anastasia.
Byzantine Æ half-follis, 5.02 g, 20.4 mm, 7 h.
Thessalonica, AD 579.
Obv: dmTibCONS TANTPPAV, Nimbate Tiberius and Anastasia seated facing on double throne; he holds globus cruciger, she a scepter.
Rev: Large K; above, cross; to left, A/N/N/O; to right, regnal indicator V (=5); beneath, TЄS.
Refs: Berk 398; DOC 23; SB 439; MIBE 65.


Phocas, AD 602-610 and wife Leontia.
Byzantine Æ Follis,28.4 mm, 13.35 g, 7 h.
Constantinople, AD 602/603.
Obv: δmFOCA ЄPPAVG, Phocas and Leontia stg. facing. The Emperor holds globus cruciger, the Empress, nimbate, holds cruciform scepter.
Rev: Large M, surmounted by cross; ANNO to left, I (regnal year 1) right, CONB in exergue.
Refs: Sear 639; MIBE 129, 60a; DOC 163, 24b.


Heraclius, with Martina and Heraclius Constantine, AD 610-641.
Byzantine Æ Follis, 5.23 g, 24.3 mm, 7 h.
Nicomedia, AD 624/25.
Obv: Heraclius center, Heraclius Constantine r., Empress Martina l., all standing facing.
Rev: Large M; to left, monogram; above, ANNO & cross; to right, regnal year XS (16); beneath, officina no. B; in ex., NIKO.
Refs: Berk 560; Dumbarton Oaks 165v (unlisted officina); Sear 836.


Constantine VII, AD 913-959, and Zoe.
Byzantine Æ Follis, 23.7 mm, 5.15 g, 5 h.
Constantinople, AD 914-919.
Obv: +CONSTANT CE ZO Hb, Facing busts of Constantine, wearing loros, and Zoe, clad in chlamys, both crowned and holding long cross between them.
Rev: +CONS/TANTINO/ CE ZOH bA/SILIS RO/MEON.
Sear 1758; Berk 928; DOC 22.


Constantine X and Eudocia, AD 1059-1067.
Byzantine Æ Follis, 5.58 g, 25.7 mm, 5 h.
Constantinople, AD 1059-1067.
Obvs: +ЄMMANOVHΛ IC XC, Christ on footstool holding gospels.
Revs: ЄVΔK AVΓO +KѠN T ΔK, Eudocia and Constantine holding labarum.
Ref: Sear 1853; DOC 8.

 

Heraclius is joined by Heraclius Constantine

Even when the types are the same, the countermarked SCL coins can vary a lot from placement of the well struck parts.


While the coin below has many good points, it has the sharpest edges (think chainsaw) of any coin I have. It was shipped to me in an envelope that was sliced complete and the coin was working on the cardboard mailer the seller used.

 

Nice ones, RC! I'm glad you understand gettin' the fever. A couple good ones in the mail and I'm off for a week staring at online Justinian dodecanummii (or however the plural goes).

 

I admire those countermarks, Doug. I have a few of these, but mine are all on very worn follises of the Justinian/Justin era. Yours appear to be on newer (at the time of countermarking) follises of Heraclius.

I've never understood why Heraclius countermarked his own coins. Perhaps a revaluation, or an effort to limit the circulation to Sicily during a coin shortage - this was done by the British in the West Indies around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. As I understand it, the Spanish coins would be countermarked to over-value them slightly, but enough to keep them circulating on the island. At least I think that's how that worked.

 

Yet more Byzantine Fever! I'm burnin' up over here...another way of saying more bottom-feeding eBay finds.

The ASPI 16 nummi is not attributed 100%, probably from my ignorance, but possibly a variety? Any help always appreciated:



Byzantine Empire 16 Nummi
Justinian I (c. 538-552 A.D.)
Thessalonica Mint
DN IVSTINI[ANVS P P AVG] draped and cuirassed bust right / Large I with A-SP to left & right (resembling AISPI), [?] H O above, TЄS below.
cf. SB 180 (var. ?)
(5.69 grams / 20 mm)

Attribution Notes:
The three letters over the reverse inscription are not lining up with SB 180 description; the H is obvious in the center, the to the right is an O, and the left is not clear. SB 180 has the H, so that seems to be as close as it gets.



Justin II Decanummium
Year 7 (571-572 A.D.)
Theoupolis (Antioch) Mint
(Blundered legend), Justin left, Sophia right, seated facing, holding globe and cross / Large I surmounted by cross, A/N/N/O to left, μ /II to right, THEUP' in exergue.
SB 383; MIB 63.
(3.92 grams / 20 x 18 mm)

 

Check weights on overstruck coins. Some were cut down (like my chainsaw edge piece) and overstruck to the new value/standard. Some were corn down to the new weight without clipping. Some were just marked without regard to weight. Keeping this material separated correctly is beyond my interest level. We have some weight standards specialists here. Perhaps one of them can explain the rules of the SCL coins.

 

http://labarum.info/lbr/show.php?coin=1800
I believe it is a dot with a dent in it, rather than an "o", in which case the dot H dot match the coin in the link?

Edit: it is "dot H dot" in Sear, just checked the book.

 

Thank you, catadc! I was leaning towards SB 180 but was unsure of my dots. The dented dot makes sense.

 

Byzantine fever continues...

Yesterday I visited my local dealer. Years ago, I used to go through a binder of ancients, mostly Byzantine, which is where I first got interested in them (c. 2013). This binder was property of one of the shop's co-owners who is now semi-retired, and for a long time the binder was gone. It's back now, and I picked up two that I am quite pleased with, despite the problems ($5.50 each seemed reasonable):



Maurice Tiberius Æ Follis
Year 16 (597-598 A.D.)
Antioch (Theopolis) Mint
DN MA[V G I CN] P AVT (should be G), crowned, mantled bust facing, holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre / Large M, ANNO left, cross above, X/μI
right, Γ below, THEUP´ in ex.
SB 533; DO 168b.
(10.86 grams / 27 mm)

Phocas Æ Half Follis
Year 2 (603-604 A.D.)
Cyzicus Mint
dN FOCA PERP AV[G], crowned, mantled bust facing, holding mappa and cross /
Large XX, cross above, regnal year II right, KYZB in exergue.
SB 670; MIB 79.
(5.54 grams / 20 mm)

Keep sharing, please. I like looking at 'em, even if I don't own 'em.