Ancient: Maurice Tiberius Follis

Still trying to build up my byzantine collection and my latest is a Maurice Tiberius Follis. I was drawn to the patina despite some breaks in it.

Not sure if I have all the info correct, if not, I would appreciate any help.


Maurice Tiberius (582-602 A.D.)
Æ Follis
O: D N MAVΓI - CN P AUT, bust facing, crown with trefoil ornament, consular robes, mappa in right,eagle tipped scepter in left
R: large M between A/N/N/O and X/IIII (regnal year 14), cross above, P below, THEUP' in ex.
Antioch as Theopolis
11.53g
28mm

 

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I know next to nothing about Byzantine coinage, but your new coin appears to have good detail for the time period.

 

He's pretty common but his coins can be hit/miss.

 

A well-detailed coin Mat, congrats. And nice color too. My own Maurice Tib has this cool swamp cameo color to it, its pretty neat.

 

Mat => great new Mo-T pick-up!!

Hey, wait a minute? => this isn't a chick-coin?!! (hmmm, I wonder if there is also a Maureen Tiberus coin?)

 

that's a solid M.T. mat, I dig it. here's my budget year 5 Constantinople....

 

Hi again, Mat ... I hope I was allowed to post my Mo-T?

=> my example is from Regional Year "9" and has a small "m" (your new sweetie is five years older/younger? and has a large "M") ... both versions would be cool to own (again, nice pick-up on your part)

Maurice Tiberius Æ Follis
Theoupolis (Antioch) mint
582-602, Dated RY 9 (590/1)
Diameter: 28 mm
Weight: 11.34 grams
Obverse: Crowned facing bust, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter
Reverse: Large m; cross above, A/N/N/O Ч/IIII; τHЄЧP’
Reference: DOC 160; MIBE 95Ab; SB 532
Other: 6h … brown patina

 

it's interesting to me that stevex year 9 is v iiii and mat's year 14 is x iiii, why not ix and xiv? is there a reason have roman numerals evolved?

 

Hmmm, that is interesting ... perhaps the coin designers got tired of etching-in all those "I's" and decided to speed-up the process (refine it a tad)?

 

The obv looks pretty cool, and love the color. Cool addition Mat

 

Regnal year 9

I do not claim to understand some of the legends used by Maurice. The OP coin is pretty typical or even a little less jumbled than some. Steve's coin would get IDed by me as Tiberius Constantine but I know only enough about this period to know I don't know.

Roman numerals as taught in modern schools are much more restrictive than those used by the ancients. The Byzantines seemed to prefer ordinary additive numbers except that they had a separate symbol for six in some periods. The first century AD allowed additive (VIIII) or subtractive (IX) and even allowed subtracting two in some cases (XXXIIX = 38 on a coin of Tiberius). I have coins of Titus that show XIX and XVIIII that seem to have been made together. School teachers tend to simplify the matter for an audience of people whose main use for the numbers will be reading a clock. The deeper subject will allow more study.

BTW: it does seem that IX is a lot more common that IV in old inscriptions. I saw the explanation that IV is the first two letters in Jupiter and could be taken as swearing. I do not know how accurate this is but it is a cute possibility.
Maurice Tiberius Constantinople year 9 (6+3)


I bought this Antioch because of the year 8 expressed as 3 over 5. Sear Byzantine lists it as an option for 5+3 so it is not subtractive. If it were, that would leave 2 and that would be a really silly way of writing 2 so I'll go with Sear. I can't show a subtractive Byzantine but that does not mean they don't exist. Byzantine is not my specialty.



Another half truth told in Latin class is that we have to use V for U. The Byzantines had developed the round bottom letter by this time. What we study does not allow for many changes made between the eras of Etruscan beginnings and modern clock numerals.

 

=> ooops ... thanks for the correction (apparently I learn something new every day)

 

IV is cussing? Finally a swear word I can use (While confusing my parents at the same time. Bonus!).

 

Great coins Doug, Steve, & Chris.

The only Byzantine book I have is a $3 buy at a library sale, Ancient Coin Collecting. Vol. 5 - The Romaion-Byzantine Culture by Wayne Sayles from 1998.

So I am still dipping my toes here and there with these things. Alot more cumbersome to learn but I am trying.

 

No god approves of taking his name in vain. IV (pronounced 'you' and in "you pit ter") strikes me as the same level as the English Christian 'jeez'.

 

stevex, i think DS is correct, but i'm not totally sure either.
dm tib costan.... is a tiberius ii legend.

 

Ok Doug, I guess you're right.

 

=> thanks Doug & Chris => although you've gotta get up pretty damn early in the morning to pull one over on good ol' stevex6, I'm definitely gonna investigate the ID that I got from the good ol' champs at the CNG (thanks for your help => "always" appreciated, fellas)

 

There might be more to this than we realize. I know Maurice legends are a mess so he may have issued coins with the previous reign legends. That will require more Byzantine study than I have done.