Hey don’t copy me! (Byzantine edition)

I’ve recently acquired some Byzantine imitative coins. The handsome sand patina one on the right is an Arab Byzantine copy from the Emesa (Homs) mint. It Copies the Constans ii design and features a lovely mix of Arabic and Greek script

It’s beautiful green friend is a Sassanid coin from Alexandria, Egypt during the occupation between 618–628. These copied the Byzantine designs and were minted during the last Byzantine Sassanid war, which was the last major war between the Byzantines and Persians before the Muslim conquests.

Feel free to load this thread up with Byzantine or Sassanid imitatives or heck any imitatives.

 

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I love that Constans II imitative. I have the Constans II coin that it copies but unfortunately don't have any imitatives.

 

Here is a mystery imitative. Is it Byzantine? Arab-Byzantine? or Crusader?


Zangid of Syria (or Crusaders?), fals, Nur al-Din Mahmud, 541-569 AH ?, 25mm, 3.48 g.
Obv: Imitation of Greek legends; Two Byzantine style figures standing
Rev: Imitation of Greek legends; Nimbate figure of Christ (?) standing
cf. Album 1850; cf. Zangid » Zangid of Syria, 521-579 » Nur al-Din Mahmud, 541-569 » AE fals, imitations of the Byzantine type w/o Arabic legends, possibly Crusader, especially Zeno 172771

 

Fals of Homs (Syria).
Obv. KAΛON in l. field (written vertically and right to left), بحمص ( b-Hmṣ = in Homs) in r. field; bust of Byzantine emperor facing, crowned, holding globus cruciger, cross above his head.
Rev. ЄMI CHC written vertically to l. and r. of large m, طيب (tayyib = good) in exergue.
The Arabic words are the translations of the Greek words : ЄMICHC means بحمص, and KAΛON means طيب .



Fals of Damascus or Tiberias (there is a debate among numismatists).
Obv. Λ Є O written vertically in r. field, Byzantine emperor standing facing holding long cross and globus cruciger, in l. field bird standing r. on a T.
Rev. ANO XЧII written vertically to l. and r. of large M, monogram (derived from staurogram) above, monogram under the M, in exergue ΔAM\.

I never found any explanation for the Λ Є O (leo) on obv. These coins are usually dated 680-690, sometimes 685-693, under the Umayyad caliphs, but in 695-698 the Byzantine emperor was named Leontios. It seems it's impossible that these coins were minted after 693, but why? I am very ignorant about this...

 

I have a couple of Constans II folles, central mint. Have not photographed them yet. Came in a grab-bag of Byzantine coins I bought in a group lot.

 

Only one i have photographed. I have a couple dozen that I can't find in any reference.

 

Interesting thread and finds.

This "Arab Byzantine copy from the Emesa (Homs) mint" should be used in an M&M's commercial with that brazen "m" on the reverse?

(To help modern "hoards" experience the hobby!)

 

Nothing too different here:

 

I will go out on a limb and suggest that ΛЄO derives from NЄO(S) on the reverse of the prototype, which reads downward in the same fashion, transposed to the obverse on the imitation. N can easily become Λ with the loss of a stroke. Even on official coins, the 'S' sometimes hides or disappears. On the Arab coins, interestingly, the margin of the emperor's gown next to ΛЄO is typically shaped like 'S'.

 

Here are a couple of imitations of Byzantine folles:


1. An imitation of a follis of Constantine VIII, 11th century.

Ex Stephen Huston

8.86 grams





2. Here's what I think is a Sasanian imitation of the folles of Heraclius, early in the 7th century.

Stylistically the obverse figures are quite different from what one normally encounters with those of Heraclius. Normally the two figures are full length, while the figures on this coin are around 2/3rds length or so. The legend, as it is, is illegible.

The reverse mimics the design that appear on the folles of Heraclius, but there seems to be some anomalies. This coin has ANO instead of ANNO. The lettering for CON is odd, with a very thick C and stick-like N. Overall is it crude, even by the standards of Heraclius' folles. That, plus it is not apparently struck over an earlier follis, a common feature of Heraclius' folles.

The Byzantines were at war with the Sasanians (Persians) from 602 to 628. Early in the war the Sasanian forces were able capture a good chunk of Anatolia, advancing up to Nicomedia. Could this coin be one of the imitations made by the Sasanians during this phase of the war? The reignal year 4 suggests that this might be the case.

Here's a map that shows the movement of the opposing forces over the course of this war.


By Mohammad Adil at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9639188

This coin was part of group lot 1736 from Roma E-Sale 88. This lot had a well known fake of a Justinian I follis, year 12, but also some really nice and interesting coins as well.

Byzantine/Sasanian Empires, 610-629 AD
Imitation AE Follis of a follis of Heraclius
with Heraclius Constantine, 610-641.
Obverse: Crude three quarters figures of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine facing, cross between figures and one above; garbled legend.
Reverse: Large central M, Γ below, ANO IIII on left and right sides, CON in exergue.
Contemporary imitation struck during the Sasanian occupation of Syria.
Very nice for this normally very crude coin. Scarce. Good VF
From group lot 1736, Roma E-Sale 88
25mm, 4h, 7.9 grams