Finally, a nice Heraclius large module Sicily S882

The history of Byzantium podcast got me back on a Byzantine collecting kick. I've always wanted a nice example of this issue, and I finally found one. The item was fairly poorly described, missing a lot of search terms, so it was chance which made me see it. After that, it stayed unsold about 30 seconds.


Sear 882. countermark VF-XF

Can any Byzantine experts confirm whether the host coin is a Justin or a Justinian? The long gap between the .IVSTIN.. and the .SPPA.. would make me suspect Justinian is the answer.
There's also an old tag. Any ideas when this auction was? 883 is the small module issue. Did they goof?



Can one safely assume that these large module coins were still circulating in Sicily at the time, or were they shipped in from the capital?

The coin came at an unexpected time, so my hands are far too wet (I had washed them before making coffee) to unpack and handle the coin currently - so I'll have to wait til later tonight to discover how close to the of the picture the patina is.

The coin checks a lot of boxes for me; it's big, is an Italian mint and has a nice patina. That's one of the reasons I like Sestertii of the 12 Caesars so much; many are 35mm. or larger.

The large module Constantine IV follis is still on my bucket list.

 

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Beautiful example, congrats! Here's the original Naville Numismatics auction listing (Jan. 28, 2018). Extra bonus that it's from the Spahr collection, and that's his ticket. (I have a couple that look similar.) The listing has it correctly as SB 882; they say the undertype is Justinian, SB 160.

Mine is much less illustrious:

Only cost me 20 GBP though.

 

Thanks for finding the earlier auction and the extra information!

882 isn't terribly rare, but a nice one has always been a bucket list want for me so I didn't mind splurging.

 

Pleasingly enough, the coin's patina is pretty close to what's pictured; jade green.

I think I picked up a nice 883 or 884 from Jon Subak. I'll have to check sometime.

At the time, c. 1996, HJB's junk box trays were pretty flush with 883 or 884, with the occasional 882. He also had a lot of Catania mint Heraclii. My first Catania is coming my way.

He also had a lot of rusty Antoninianii from Gordian III/that time period. Surprisingly, a vcoins search of rusty Ants turns up very little.

 

Thank you @nerosmyfavorite68 & @Severus Alexander for IDing that tag! Unfortunately I missed the Spahr coins at Naville (though I'll watch for any stragglers!), but I've added it to my own modest database of collector tag images/names... Believe it or not, I've already found (or at least suggested) a few lost provenances using it (though mostly to other people's coins -- which I'm happy with!).

For anyone who may come across and find this info useful, here's my entry to go along with that collector tag image:

Rodolfo Spahr (1894-1981), author of important book on Byzantine coins of Sicily (among others): Le Monete Siciliane, dai Bizantini a Carlo I d' Angio (582 - 1282). (Graz, 1976).

Primarily dispersed at Naville Auction 37 (27 Jan 2019), and a few group lots (possibly unsold) in Auction 41 (23 June 2018).

https://coinsweekly.com/naville-numismatics-ltd-27/ https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=spahr
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=inauthor:%22Rodolfo+Spahr%22&tbm=bks​

(That's always the most desirable kind of provenance, when the coin is from a scholar's area of specialty; if it were me, @nerosmyfavorite68 , I'd check his books and any articles he may have written to see if he described or illustrated your example.)

 

Beautiful example of an often unattractive type, @nerosmyfavorite68 I really like that deep, attractive green.

A countermark nut, I have a couple of these, and last year I got what is so far my best one - unlike my others, I was able to figure out (mostly) the host coin. When I prepare info for the flip, I do a front and back for countermark/host:


Byzantine Empire Æ Follis
Heraclius (c. 616-622 A.D.)
Sicilian Mint
Host coin: Follis of Justinian I (star-cross-cross reverse; see notes).
Counterstamp: bust of Heraclius, facing in circle, PTh monogram / SCLs in oval.
SB 882; DOC 241.
(18.34 grams / 33 x 28 mm)
eBay Nov. 2021

Host Coin:
Justinian I Æ Follis
(527-538 A.D.)
Mint obliterated (see below)
DN IVSTI[NIAN]VS PP [AVG], pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Large M, star left, cross above, cross right, Officina A below, [mintmark
CON or NIKM in exergue].
SB 158 (Constantinople)
SB 198 (Nicomedia).

 

Great coin.

 

Cool; I like everyone's coins.

I noted the provenance and history of the author. I don't speak Italian, and the tome is probably hard to come by, so the provenance is good enough for me.

Was Peter Lee a well-known Byzantine collector? The Ravenna Justinian Follis I have was ex-his collection.

The picture is fairly true to color. The obverse is more brown with a touch of green and the reverse has the beautiful jade green.

The detail on Marsyas Mike's is very nice, too; much better than average.

 

nero., Great score ! The counterstamps are the best I've seen .

 

Are S805's out there in similar condition? Or is that a fughettabout it one?

I rather enjoy the S805's. Does Allen Berman have a list, other than his homepage? I really enjoy buying from him, but it's rather hard if I don't know what he has.

I'd also like to order a pack of his Byzantine junk boxers, just for old time's sake.

 

Fantastic c/m.

 

Fantastic c/m good get. Hear are a couple of mine. The first I won in an auction: "Byzantine Coins, Public Auction December 7, 1989, New York City (etc.) The acution was staged by Harlan Berk and Victor England. It was labeled as "A Definitive Offering of Byzantine Coins" etc. I was shocked when my bid was the winner, it was my first attempt in the auction world. It was $120 plus the juice which I thank was 8 for 9%.

The auction cat was really one of my first Byz books for research, there wasn't a lot around back then other than Sears' book. Of course the DOC was available. However, as it was quite expensive for a new Byz collector as I was at the time. I remedied that much later.

I was, and still am very happy with the coin as I'm sure you are as well. I was again happy with the second one below, sorry can't remember how much I paid. I'm sure it is on the ticket somewhere.

 

Cool; I especially like the middle one.

 

Very nice, with great patina!

 

Amazing.

I just wonder: Does the "SCL s" stand for Siracusa(Syracuse) or Sicily? I see no "L" in "Syracuse".

And do we know the denomination of such a coin? Is it still 40 nummi? Because the "s" tends to mean "6", but it is in the exegue.

Just some things I was wondering.