This beauty showed up today. I've been buying some regnal dated Byzantine lately. This piece is massive. 24grams and 44 mm. By comparison a, U.S. Morgan dollar is 26.73 grams and 38.1 mm. Issued by Justinian I, 527-565, this is the 1st year for regnal dating, XII year of his reign. The first couple of years the Follis' were large like this one give or take a gram or mm. The large "M" on the reverse denotes value, in this case Follis. By the end of his reign they lost both size and weight. his reign.
Wow, that's impressive, I have always wanted a large bronze. I tend to find them without much detail. One of these days there will be one that speaks to me.
'Tis massive indeed! Nice! Congrats! I like big follies, and I cannot lie -- you other Byzzie brothers can't deny!
I have long found it interesting that the regnal year on these is in Roman numerals (XII=12), but the denomination is in Greek numerals (M=40. Other denominations were I=10, K=20).
While I don't know much about Byzantine coins, I've always admired those huge bronze folles. They're quite impressive. That one has nice patina, a great broad flan, and the regnal date thing is cool. My Justinian I- in fact, the only Byzantine coin presently in my collection- is a small gold piece.
Oh- I did once own one of those gigantic Justinian I folles. It had a hole at the top. I paid 20 bucks for it at the FUN show, and put it on my old Holey Coin Vest. Unfortunately I no longer have pictures of it. It was impressive, though, never mind the hole. Fun coins.
Congrats ! this green patinated follis is a wonderful specimen. Here are two (not so nice) others : 1 : Constantinople mint, year XII. AE 42 mm, 18.58 g 2 : Nicomedia mint, year XIII. AE 44 mm, 21.60 g
