(Byzantine) Unusual type with Christogram Reverse. Any Ideas?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Brian Bucklan, Sep 2, 2016.

  1. Brian Bucklan

    Brian Bucklan Well-Known Member

    I have had this coin sitting around for many years and I just am not sure if it is a true Byzantine issue or possibly an imitative type. Opinions would definitely be appreciated. Here's the coin:

    Justinian Christogram.jpg
    There are ae nummus issues of Justinian with the Christogram reverse but they are tiny at around 8mm. This one is certainly larger at around 12mm, about the size of a pentanummium, and struck on an odd shaped planchet. I think you can see IV as the start of the legend, but that is just a guess. I'm normally pretty good at early Byzantine issues but this one has me stumped.
     
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  3. Ancientnoob

    Ancientnoob Money Changer


    Looks like a match to Small Vandal Bronzes Wroth Plate IV #28.

    There is some debate weather these are Vandal issues or imitations of contemporary coinage circulating in and around North Africa.

    Possibly barbaric imitations by the Mauri(?)
     
    ancientcoinguru likes this.
  4. ValiantKnight

    ValiantKnight Well-Known Member

    If I had to guess I'd say its a North African imitative, either right after the conquest of the Vandal Kingdom when Byzantine coin production hadn't or was just starting up, or created by peoples or tribes on the border to buy goods from the Romans. But again, I am just speculating.
    Bit of a mystery, but still certainly something I would welcome into my collection.
     
    ancientcoinguru likes this.
  5. Brian Bucklan

    Brian Bucklan Well-Known Member

    @Ancientnoob and @ValiantKnight : Definitely appreciate you taking a look at this one. It's just such an interesting coin to me and would like to definitively put it into some category but, alas, that's not always easy to do with these early quasi-Byzantine types.
     
  6. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    It's a neat coin, Brian. I like the portrait and reverse.
     
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