Grierson's Rome style (Byzantine, 570s-80s)

I've always been fascinated by the enigmatic Grierson's 'Rome style' folles. Although I don't have it in front of me, I have a Maurice Tiberius (I think) that I bought from A. Berman 20 years ago.

Looking at wildwinds, is it Sear 466? That one is a Tiberius II. This one was of the same style.

My question: why were they made? Was it a traveling military mint, and if so, approximately where? It's kind of a bucket-head style I remember the flan being kind of thick and IIRC relatively high relief.

 

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It’s not a Maurice Tiberius but it’s the most relevant coin that I have for this thread. I too have heard about the traveling military mint hypothesis.

Tiberius II Constantine, Byzantine Empire
AE half-follis
Obv: Dm TIb CONSTANT PP A, crowned, cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe and shield
Rev: Large X-dot-X, cross above
Mint: Rome
Mintmark: ROM
Date: 574-582 AD
Ref: SB 476

 

Byzantine Military mints are a very interesting group to say the least. The M.Tiberius I have attached was the one that got me started. I purchased it about four years ago in Portland, Oregon from a national dealer who lives here in Portland as well as a national ancient dealer, I had to have it.

The coin looked like an Imperial issue, but there was something "off" about it that piqued my interest. The style about it looked Western to me. So off I went to get more info. I had heard of Military mint issues, but had no idea what distinctive characteristics marked them as military issues.

So off I went hunting the www world and discovered https://www.byzantine-ae.info/. A chap in England, S.J. Mansfield had published a very limited number of hardcover books (100 copies) for use by fellow researchers and institutional collections.

To make it readily easy for all interested researchers and collectors, he posted his collection which included a large number of "Military Mints" with images at https://www.byzantine-ae.info/. I thank him every day for his generous contribution to Byzantine coinage.

I love the site and have learned from his high quality images the characteristics and style I have found them easier to spot. Go to the site, you will not regret it. I for one owe Mr. Mansfield a great debt for his generosity to researchers every ware. Happy hunting.

 

As an adjunct to my post I acquired a Maurice Tiberius ten nummi at out clubs annual coin show from a dealers small hoard of low grade Byz's for $10. To him
it just looked like just another Byzantine coin. Happenings like this make me smile
a lot. By the way, several mints were involved as you will discover as you investigate
the site. I now have ten +/- in my collection. This is my hobby, I do it for fun.

 

@Black Friar Thanks for reminding me, of the online book. I had downloaded some parts of the 2019 gray edition, about a year ago. Today, I downloaded the rest of the 2019 gray edition, and all of the 2016 color edition. It took awhile, because you have to download each chapter separately. But I did it. It looks very informative, with lots of nice gray photos in the 2019 gray edition, and with lots of nice color photos in the 2016 color edition.

 

Thank you; I'll go check out the site.

Is there any hoard evidence to approximately what front these enigmatic coins came from.

Officina A sure looks like mine.

 

I downloaded some of the book's chapters. Wait, there were Heraclius 40 nummi with the Theup mintmark?!

 

The History of Byzantium podcast has reignited my interest in Byzantine coinage; at least up to 711.

I'll have to open my Byzantine Sear to see if there were any Heraclius listed at Antioch. I wonder where the book's mystery Theup coins originated?

I can't remember where I saw it;acsearch.info or wildwinds, but I've always been interested in the enigmatic late reign Heraclius follis with the NEA mintmark.