I took a bit of a gamble with this one. I'm currently trying to expand my subcollection of Byzantine coins struck in Italy and came across what was described as a decanummium of Maurice Tiberius from Rome mint. This type has ROM mintmark on the reverse and I think I do see the M of ROM, but it isn't clear. Style-wise it seems like Rome, but its condition and photo makes it tough to totally tell it apart from the exact same type from Constantinople, with CON mintmark, without having it in hand. So what do you all see in the reverse exergue? ROM or CON?
If what you have said is correct, ie. only 2 possibilities, ROM or CON, then I would say its ROM. To use correct typeface anatomy terminology, I think I can see a dot at the crotch of the two diagonal strokes of the capital letter M. I can also make out two serifs I think, one at the top of each of the vertical stems. The only thing which confuses me is the horizontal line where the coin is broken to the left of the O, this looks like the arm of a capital T rather than an R, although there may be a faint tail visible just on the break suggesting an R.....it all looks a little squashed over to the right, may there have been another letter or symbol before the R, such as a dot or star in this coin type?
I got it today, and while the mintmark isn't a lot clearer (I think I see a bit more of the R when its soaking), I found the obverse legend ending in PP A. According to Helvetica, this obverse legend, with XX with only a cross above makes this indeed a Rome mint issue: Tiberius II Constantine AE Half-follis Obv: DM TIB CONSTANT PP A Rev: XX, cross above, ROM in ex Rome mint, struck 578-582 AD SB 467 There is a possibility that this one and similar coins were actually issued by a military mint in Italy using the ROM mintmark, but I've found next to nothing about that online, so I'll just classify this one as official.
