Hi. These two coins weigh respectively 17.31 grams and 13.22 g. Their respective diameters are 32 millimeters and 28 mm. Could you please assist me to identify them and check genuineness? Thanks .. Charles
The second coin is: Justin II & Sophia AE Half Follis. 565-578 AD. Nicomedia mint. D N IVSTINVS P P AVG, Justin on left, Sophia on right, seated facing on double-throne, both nimbate, Justin holding cross on globe, Sophia holding sceptre, sometimes with cross between their heads, sometimes with vine pattern below / large M, ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year to right, officina letter below, mintmark NIKO. SB 369 http://wildwinds.com/coins/byz/justin_II/sb0369.jpg
The first coin looks familiar, but I can't place it. The reverse appears to be Tyche of Antioch seated facing, but that's all I have at the moment.
Thanks Bing. I understand that the Byzantine coin is likely to be genuine. Does the first coin look authentic as well? Charles
The weight, and the big M on the Byzantine would make it a Follis, not a half follis (That's a big K)
Yes, its a year 1 follis of Justin and Sophia. Looks like ground corrosion on the surfaces, but genuine.
I seem to see a remnant of an X above the I. Judging also the position of the I, I'd say it's year 12 (XII)
I see not only the x above but another I below: X II I making it 13. See Sear Byzantine page 86 (mine is a 1974 edition so yours may be different) where it lists this year as a three high stack. I'll guess the other is Severus Alexander from Antioch with a Tyche reverse but really we need a little detail to ID these things with any confidence. I'd say it is 99% certainly a genuine ancient coin or the ghost thereof. Compare: http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?search=similar:602217
