I looked for M on vcoins and this is a Byzantine coin for sure from what I can tell.?Can anyone help me with the front? Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks for the help! I believe it's an "r" under the M. I'm having trouble making out the year and words on the right side of the reverse. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It is the same emperor Heraclius. 610-641. Æ Follis. Constantinople mint. Dated RY 3 (612/13). Obverse: Crowned and cuirassed facing bust, holding globus cruciger and shield Reverse: Large M; cross above, date across fields, D/CON. References: DOC I 71c; MIB II 158; SB 804. https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=111951 and your coin was over-struck on a follis of Phocas You can see one of the X's under the face of Heraclius on the obverse of your coin
Byzantine coins were routinely overstruck on coins of earlier emperors. When a new emperor assumed the puyrple, he frequently recalled coins from the previous emperor and had his name and image stamped on them. Often the restrike would fail to obliterate elements of the original coin, and some of the lettering or image from the earlier coin appears on the restrike. It can create quite a mess for someone trying the figure out what's going on. I think the "r" on your coin may actually be a weakly struck "C" for "CON", indicating that you coin was struck (or actually, restruck) in Constantinople.
Thanks for the explanation! This appears to be very common then. I gave this coin to coworker for his sons collection so I was trying to get the story. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you rotate the reverse so the top of the M points left, you can see the top of Focas' head just above the now sideways M and the letters PER from his undertype legend. PER refers to 'Perpetual' or Emperor forever and was used by more than one ruler.
