It’s been a while since I purchased in such a high scale. So, I have invested in 6: 527-565 Justinian. Solidus 4.5gram and 20mm. Sear 139. - the "3D"-look of Justinian's face was the reason I wanted it. 780-797 Costantine VI and Irene. Miliaresion. 2,06gram and 20mm. Sear 1595: 829-842 Theophilus with Michael II and Constantine. Solidus. 3.9 gram and 19mm. Sear 1653: 976-1025 Basil II with Constantine VIII. Histamenon. 4.4gram 25mm. Sear 1800. This coin was hoiled and then plugged, and was used as jewelry. 1068-1071 Romanus IV Diogenes with Eudocia, Michael VII, Constantius and Andronicus. Histamenon Nomisma. 4.4gram and 28mm. Sear 1860. This coin looks better in hand. I wanted a woman on my gold collection. It is only because of Eudocia(right on reverse) I wanted it. 1118-1143 John II Comnenus Electrum. Aspron Trachy. 4.51gram and 32mm. Sear 1942. I wonder: should I remove the dirt or not? – The guy with halo is supposed to be St. George: Now I only need a solidus of Basil the Macedonian, a solidus of Leo 3 The Isaurian, and a gold from syracuse, and then I think I am finish with collecting as I would have (almost) everything. And then in a distant future when I am 40's or 50's I would go after a stavraton of Constantine 11.
Excellent set of very late Roman coins. I'm yet to get any gold or silver Byzantines, but I've been saving up for one and I think the time has come for this month to be the month of a Gold Nomisma.
Absolutely fantastic stuff! I especially like the Romanus IV histamenon, very high on my want list and that is a beauty. (And I would definitely recommend leaving the John II electrum trachy alone! Looks great as is!!)
Oh wow, some beautiful coin! That's the top shelf Byzantine stuff man! Check out those sweet flow lines on that Romanus IV!
Nice coins @Herberto here is mine 1. Gratian. AD 367-383. AV Solidus (20mm, 3.98 g, 6h). Quinquennalia issue. Antioch mint, 3rd officina. Struck February AD 368. D N GRATIA NVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / SPE S R P, two emperors, nimbate, in military dress, seating facing on throne, the one on left holding globe and scepter; the one on the right holding scepter and globe; between them, a small togate figure standing, above whose head is a shield inscribed VOT/ V/ MVL/ X; ANTΓ+. RIC IX 20c; Depeyrot 32/5 corr. (legend on reverse). Fine, scratches, edge clipped, possibly removed from a mount. Rare. 2. Justinian I. 527-565. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.47 g, 7h). Constantinople mint, 7th officina. Struck 537-542. Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger and shield / Angel standing facing, holding long staff surmounted by staurogram and globus cruciger; star to right; Z(retrograde)//CONOB. DOC (9g); MIBE 7; SB 140. VF, graffiti and scratches. 3.Zeno. Second reign, AD 476-491. AV Solidus (19mm, 4.11 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 1st officina. Struck AD 477-491. Pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over shoulder and shield / Victory standing left, holding long, jeweled cross; star to right; A//CONOB. RIC X 910 and 929; Depeyrot 108/1. Near VF, graffiti, traces of deposits. 4. Theodosius II. AD 402-450. AV Solidus (20mm, 4.36 g, 12h). Thessalonica mint. Struck circa AD 402-403. Pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear and shield, Christogram on chest plate / Constantinopolis seated facing, head right, holding spear and Victory on globe, right foot on prow of galley left; COMOB. RIC X 41; Depeyrot 45/3. Good VF, a few light scratches. From the D. Massey Collection, purchased from Baldwin’s
Lovely stuff. I've never had any Byzantine silver, that I can recall. Justinian looks a tiny bit like Sylvester Stallone on the first coin. He looks a bit more meek on my little tremissis.
I do not collect Byzantine... however, I have one silver: BZ Andronicus II - Michael IX AD 1295-1320 AR Basilikon 22mm 2.1g Constantinople Christ enthroned - Andronicus l Michael r labarum DOC V 1 Class VIII
Such nice Byzantine anyone would be proud to own - congratulations on landing such a nice haul! I love Byzantine silver. Here are a few of mine. 1. Justin II, Carthage, 565-78. 1.11 gr. 17.1 mm. 5 hr. SB 392; DO 191; H. 32. Ex Berk 98, 273; ex Vecchi 6 (9-10 June 1997), 1513; ex Spink/Tasei/NAC 51 (1 June 1994), 212. 2. Tiberius II, Carthage, 578-82. 1.06 gr. 16.4 mm. 6 hr. SB 464; H. 20. Ex H. Pottier coll.; Elsen 125, 527. 3. Maurice Tiberius, Carthage 582-3. 0.91 gr. 11 mm. 9 hr. SB 551; H.57. Ex Parthenon Coin Shop, near the British Museum, Summer 2001. 4. Heraclius, Ravenna, 615-38. 6.04 gr. 25.1 mm. 6 hr. SB 903; DO 277; H. 153. Ex CNG (electronic) 344, 531. 5. Justinian II, Constantinople, 692-95. 6.01 gr. 26.4 mm. 6 hr. SB 1259; DO 17; H. 40. Ex CNG 66, 19 May 2004, 1750. 6. Constantine XI, Constantinople, 1449-1453. 0.63 gr. 13 mm. 12 hr. DO 1789. Bendall, "The Coinage of Constantine XI", Revue Numismatique 1991, #129 (this coin).
@Voulgaroktonou , what a group of rarities! Any one of the first five would be very difficult to find in those grades and the last, Constantine XI, is a holy-grail rarity. Wow!
Thanks, Warren! I think Heraclius on the Ravennate hexagram looks like a cute little teddy bear, while Heraclius Constantine looks like...well, for want of a better description, a space alien. As Susan has always maintained, proof that the Byzantines interbred with extra-terrestrials.
That is a great description. In a similar vein, upon showing an image of my Justinian follis to my Latin teacher, he responded “Imagine if you actually looked like that!”
