This is my newest one. It’s worn but the price was low enough so I bought it. I’m not sure about the description.
Nice pick-up. Here's a similar example of mine: Anonymous Æ 40 Nummi (28 mm, 10.47 g, 6 h). Time of Basil II (976-1025 AD) and Constantine VIII (1025-1028 AD). Constantinople (Modern Instanbul, Turkey) mint. Circa 976-1028 AD. + ЄMMA (to left) NOVHΛ (to right) (Latinized Hebrew; Emmanuel- “God with us”), facing bust of Christ Pantokrator, wearing nimbus cruciger with five pellets in each limb of cross, pallium, and colobium, holding with both hands book of gospels ornamented with two pellets within a jeweled border, barred IC-XC (Greek abbreviation: Iisoús Xristós - Jesus Christ) across fields, dotted border. / +IҺSЧS XRISTЧ ЬASILЄ[Ч] ЬASILЄ (Greek: Jesus Christ King of Kings) in four lines, ornaments above and below, dotted border. DOC Class A2; Sear 1818 (Class A3). Extremely Fine. Well-centered and struck with light gray/turquoise patina.
Sharpest one I’ve seen! Admittedly, Byzantine is a bit outside my parameters and experience. But I’d definitely be tempted to buy that one, hypothetically speaking.
Yours is a nice example. That example is unusually excellent. This page on anonymous folles will confirm your description: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ByzAnon/ and give you a list of other anonymous types to seek. This page has a table of ornaments on the Class A2 type: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ByzAnon/ClassA.html and has a link to an even-more-detailed list at the Forum website.
Thanks for the compliments on my coin. @Valentinian,that's a very nice reference. Thanks for sending the links!
Very nice coins in this thread! The anonymous Byzantine series is a historically fascinating one. I experienced a short craze in acquiring these and came across the ones below. The manner in which historians and numismatists determined the dating sequence based on overstrikes makes for fascinating reading, as does their gradual categorization into "classes," which began back in the late 19th century. Though many dispute Class A3 (I have an example below), it still persists in the marketplace enough to not dismiss or ignore. The first issue, Class A1, seems the hardest to find, but nearly all of them remain difficult to find in decent condition. With all of the varieties and history, one could collect these coins alone for years. Basil II & Constantine VIII (976 - 1025); Æ Anonymous Follis, class A2; Obv: Nimbate (with two pellets in each limb of cross) bust of Christ facing, holding Book of Gospels, EMMANOVHA, IC to left, XC to right; Rev: "+IhSUS XRISTUS BASILEU BASILE" in 4 lines; 33mm, 20.02g, Sommer 40.2.4, Sear 1813 Basil II & Constantine VIII (976 - 1025); Æ Anonymous Follis, class A2; Obv: Nimbate (with two pellets in each limb of cross) bust of Christ facing, holding Book of Gospels, EMMANOVHA, IC to left, XC to right; Rev: "+IhSUS XRISTUS BASILEU BASILE" in 4 lines; 32mm, 14.07g, Sommer 40.2.1, Sear 1813 Constantine VIII & Basil II (976-1028); Æ Anonymous Follis, class A3, Obv: "+EMMA-NOVHA," Facing bust of Christ, left hand holding the book of Gospels, right hand making blessing gesture; Rev: "+IhSUS XRISTUS BASILEU BASILE" in 4 lines; 27mm, 9.69g, 6h; DOC A2.41, Sommer 40.3.6, Sear 1818 Romanus III (1028-1034); Constantinople; Æ Anonymous Follis, Class B, Obv: IC to left, XC to right, to bust of Christ, nimbate, facing, holding book of Gospels; Rev: IS XS / BAS ILE / BAS ILE to left and right above and below cross on three steps; 29 mm. 10.2 gm.; Sear 1823 Romanus IV Diogenes AD (1068-1071); Constantinople; Æ Anonymous Follis, Class G, Obv: IC-XC to left and right of bust of Christ, nimbate, facing, right hand raised, scroll in left, all within border of large dots; Rev: MP-ΘV to left and right of Mary, nimbate, ands raised, all inside border of large dots; 26-28 mm. 10.2 gm.; Sear 1867
