Several CT members' coins are on labarum, including mine. Here are my Isaac II Tetarteron. The second one is on labarum as a secondary coin... Byzantine Empire: Isaac II Angelus, 1st Reign (1185-1195) Æ Tetarteron, Thessalonica (Sear 2005; DOC IV.5a) Obv: Facing bust of St. Michael the Archangel, holding trefoil-tipped scepter and globus cruciger Rev: Facing bust of Isaac, holding cross-tipped scepter and akakia
@Quant.Geek, Here is what I'm Talking about. As much of an ongoing challenge as it is to find scyphate trachys with (...well, Any) legends, it's no less true of tetarterons and half tetarterons. Those two are Absolute Stunners. And, Dang, Both Isaak II!!! You're just That good. (...The following is very self-indulgent: You Were Warned. Before I ever got serious about finding decent trachys, (orthography alert: ) Comnenus-Dukas (11th -12th c. ...and into the Frankish Occupation), I went through a fun phase of collecting the fractional folles, which, a little surprisingly, were continued at least up to Isaak II. On ebay, it still felt as if you were getting in at close to the ground floor. Found some sweet ones, The problem, from here, is once again reducible to finding the (expletive of choice) .jpgs, hiding from me, at several years' remove, in wierd places on the computer. ...Maybe I should just go back to finding out whether my bottom-shelf camera still works. To resort to Voltaire, 'tend your own garden [first].')
Oh wow! That's insane! Thanks for the advice. I usually order from vcoins and I think they have a guarantee so if i order a fake from there hopefully i should be able to get help with it. Glad you got refunded!
While those two coins are pretty nice, if I do say so myself, @BenSi is the tetarteron master of the Byzantine world. He has a stunning collection!
I appreciate the compliment Ram, however I know you have several tetartera I would love to put in my collection. I think it is easier with trachea to find complete legends but tetartera stayed in circulation, they were not recalled upon a rulers death. We know this because imitation tetartera were created of Alexius Comnenus coinage almost a 100 years after his death. Here is an example of Andronicus tetarteron with a complete legend. And one I have shown of many times , A Manuel Trachy Both were in my best of 2019 list, I am working on my 2020 list.
@BenSi, the problem with trachea (...I was slumming with 'trachys' --Slap Hands!) is, of course, how much of the legends was struck in the first place. If you're approaching this material with western medieval as your primary frame of reference, the strike is preemptively the ongoing, structural crux of the biscuit. Where folles and fractions are concerned, wear becomes a more active criterion, along with strike. But, even if by statistical default, the legends seem to fare a little better. Given all of that (as I know you knew), your examples knock it out of the park.
Another overstrike of Heraclius I was specifically looking for. I wanted one that was overstruck on a Justin II follis and this one fits the bill perfectly and then some. The undertype is from RY 10 and those sometimes have a star underneath the numeral, which this one has, so a double-treat... Byzantine Empire: Heraclius (610-641) Æ Follis, Nicomedia, RY 4 (Sear 834; DOC 158) Obv: ddNNhЄRACLI ЧSЄT hЄRACONSTPAV; Heraclius, on left, and Heraclius Constantine, on right, standing facing, each holding globus cruciger; cross above Rev: Large M; cross above, A/N/N/O II/II across field; B below; CON in exergue Overstruck on a Theoupolis/Antioch Follis of Justin II, specifically Sear-379
..man, that's a heck of a 'cup' coin...i've yet to get one o does.....i do have a few Byzantine coins...here's Justin ll & Sophia..after lQQking in over 1000 files, i just went and took another pic the dang thang! Justin the Younger & Sophia follis (565-574 AD) 30mm, 11.72gms
Serious Coolitude. When will the first numismatist get in print with a book devoted solely to Byzantine AE overstrikes?
Only 1 byzantine coin here. I don't intend to buy more, but if I get them in lots I won't refuse. Theophilus (829-842 AD). AE Follis. Syracuse mint. Theofil Basil, crowned bust facing with short beard, wearing chlamys, holding cross on globe / Large M, XXX to left, cross above, NNN to right, theta below. SB 1681, DOC 30.
Welcome @Christina Pernock to CT - your Byzantine coins are very beautiful, those two tetarteron are awesome. My main interests are Greek & Roman coins; however, I like to read at CT about other coins, and not only on the Ancients forum - sometimes I look around in the World coins forum too, and learn many interesting things. I only have two Byzantines. One of my Byzantines is also a Justinianus Follis, like your first coin, minted in Nicomedia, (regnal year 31 =) 557 – 558 AD, 1st officina. On this one, the letter D on the obverse is much smaller than the other letters, as if the engraver had to squeeze in the D. Just imagining what happened .... 31 x 32 mm, 17.495 g DO 137a; MIBE 113a; Sear 201 Ob.: D N IVSTINI – ANVS P P AVG Bust facing in helmet with plume, diademed and cuirassed, holding globus cruciger in r. hand. On l. shoulder shield decorated with horseman and enemy motif; in r. field, cross Rev.: Large M between A / N / N / O – X / X / X / I; above, cross and beneath, officina letter A. In exergue, NIKO
I have yet to post any of these on here, so this seems like a good a place... Constans II (641-668 AD) Syracuse - 21mm 2.4gm Theophilus (829-842 AD) Constantinople - 28mm 6.7gm Romanus I (920-944 AD) Constantinople - 25mm 6.9gm Constantine X (1059-1067 AD) Constantinople - 27mm 10.3gm
Currently just a Gold Solidus... Byzantine Empire Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine 613-641 AD. 4.43g Obv: 2 Emperors Reve: Cross potent on steps
Is this coin in a fake database or how did you determine it was fake? I see this auction house has sold this type of coin 3 other times, so if yours is a fake, it appears they were fooled several times... unless there are some subtle differences I am missing
@Christina Pernock - very nice coins, welcome to CoinTalk. For all who might be looking for a simple way to format coin pictures for CT - Microsoft PowerPoint can be surprisingly effective between cut & paste, rotate, crop, and save. Here's how Christina's coins can be quickly be combined to display: And here's one of my favorite Byzantines from this year: Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, with son Romanus II. 913-959, AR Miliaresion, Constantinople mint. Struck 945-959 Obv: IESuS xRIStVS nIcA, Cross-crosslet set on three steps; globus below Rev:+ COҺST’ τ’/ ΠORFVROG,/ CЄ ROmAҺO/ ЄҺ X’ω EVSEЬ’/ Ь’ RωmEOҺ in five lines Obv Translation: Jesus Christ Victor Rev Translation: Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Romanus, by the grace of Christ, Pius, Emperors of the Romans Notes: more on this coin and the history in my notes: Constantine VII, Born in the Purple