Masterpieces in Eastern Roman Empire coinage (Byzantine)

Great coin, the monogram is a wonderful addition to that coins basic beauty.

Here is another from me, It was one of my favorite acquisitions last year.

Manuel I Comnenus Metropolitan tetarteron. S-1969

 

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EL Aspron Trachy 4.45g. 30mm. Constantinople Mint
Alexius III Angelus Comenus 1195-1203
Under his rule coinage was further debased. Then in 1203, Constantinolpe was under siege from the Crusaders (Fourth Crusade) he botched the defense of the city, then ran off like a coward, only to be captured. He was then interned in a monastary.

 

Justinian
Also Justinian

Constans II

Basil II and Constantine VIII


Constantine VIII

 

Really nice examples
Constans III looks like he is in a state of shock, or he knows what is in store for him! He also could have hired a servant to trim that ghastly beard
John

 

Good looking fellow but the coin is anonymous, Empire of Nicaea between 1227-1261 AD, 18mm 1.7gm

 

arnoldoe, lovely portraits on the gold coin of Constantine VIII, especially the portrait of Christ.

 

I like Byzantine coins of Justinian (527-565) from Antioch because of the great story of the tragic earthquakes and the renaming of the city from Antioch to Theopolis (city of God), sometimes spelled Theoupolis, which led to there being a wide variety of different mintmarks. The story is here:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/interesting/Justinian.html

I recently added this unusual coin to the site:



Justininan. 39 mm. Large! Year 16 = 542/3.
The mintmark is known only from year 16 and
CHEUPO (bar above the H) has a good part of THEOUPOLIS in it but the "C" part has defied explanation. No folles with years 17, 18 or 19 were minted, for reasons unknown. (No coins of years 14 or 15 were either, but we think we know why. See the site!)

This coin is here:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/interesting/Justinian.html#SB219

Sear 219. Do 216. Hahn 144a.

 

Justin II (reign AD 565-574) and Sophia, AE Follis of AD 568/9

Obv: DN IVSTINVS PP AVG, Justin on left holding globus cruciger (globe with cross) and Sophia on right, holding cruciform scepter, both nimbate (halo around their heads), seated facing on double-throne
Rev: Large M, ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year II/II (4 or AD 568/9) to right, officina letter Γ below, mintmark CON (Constantinople)
Size: 13.3g; 29-31.7mm

Justin II was
- nephew of Justinian I & wife Theodora
- son of Justinian I's sister Vigilantia
- married to Sophia, niece to his aunt Theodora

He struggled as emperor : inheriting financial difficulties - he gained a little success by collecting taxes, initially tolerant, and later persecuting miaphysite Christians, he lost a fight over paying tributes to the Avars and ended up paying more, he lost territory to the Lombards in Italy, to the Western Turks in Crimea, and the Persians in Mesopotamia. In 574 having bouts of madness, he was convinced by Sophia to adopt and appoint Tiberius as Caesar and he handed over governance to Tiberius - leading his last 4 years, before his death, free of the pressures of the empire.

 

Valentinian, Nice score ! Great patina on the coin. Antioch was a city that must have been cursed by the gods. The "black death" killed a lot of their population, the rioting between Jews & Christians took many lives, & then the city was sacked by the Persians.

 

Byzantine, Alexius I Comnenus, AU Hyperpyron SBCV-1913
Alexius I Comnenus, 1081-1118. Hyperpyron (Gold, 31 mm, 4.30 g, 6 h)

Constantinople, post-reform coinage, 1092-1118. +ΚЄ ROHΘЄI Christ, nimbate, seated facing on throne, raising his right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospels in his left; in fields, IC - XC. Rev. A/ΛЄ/ΖΙω / ΔЄC/ΠΟ/ΤΗ; in right field, Tω / KO/MNH/Nω Alexius I standing facing, wearing crown, divitision and exaggerated jeweled chlamys, holding labarum with his right hand and globus cruciger with his left; in upper right field, manus Dei to left

This coin came with its pre WWII original ticket for a dealer in Amsterdam. Jacques Schulman.

 

An impressive gallery of Byzantine coins - @BenSi the overall look of your Manuel I tetarteron and the reverse on the Alexius I Comnenus are particularly impressive/beautiful in my opinion. @arnoldoe PM if you ever get bored with your AR Miliaresion of Basil II and Constantine VIII.

Here's another humble coin to bring down the average, which I liked for the clear strike, the shape of the flan, the symbol on the reverse (#24 in Sear, Seaby 1974) and its overall character.


AE Follis Class 4 from Cyzicus mint of Heraclius in his 19th regnal year (AD 628/29)
Size: 21-23mm 6.3g
Obv: Heraclius (center) with Heraclius Constantine ( right - eldest son of Heraclius and his first wife Eudokia aka Constantine III and shortest reigning byzantine monarch @ 4 months in AD 641) and Empress Martina (left - niece and second wife of Heraclius) all are holding globus crucifer and wearing a crown and clamys.
Rev: Large M with monogram 24 on the left ANNO and cross above, numerals representing the 19th regnal year on the right (X/VI/III), officina below (A) and mint in exergue (KYZ)
Ref: DOC 178.3, S 841

 

Just happen to have this Justinianus, not a masterpiece:
AE Follis, 31 x 32 mm, 17.48 g
Nicomedia, (regnal year 31 =) 557 – 558 AD, 1st officina (Letter A)
Reference: DO 137a; MIBE 113a; Sear 201
Obverse: D N IVSTINI – ANVS P F AVG Helmeted, diademed and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger and shield decorated with horseman and enemy motif; in r. field, cross
Reverse: Large M between A / N / N / O – X / X / X / I; above, cross and beneath, A. In exergue, NIKO
The large M on the reverse is the denomination (40 nummi = 1 Follis), NIKO refers to the mint, and ANNO XXXI the year it was struck.

 

cmezner, Never the less a handsome coin for being a late strike. I like the way the celator rotated the letter "D" 90 degrees counter clockwise to fit the space near the hand .

 

Had not noticed it thank you so much for pointing that out and for your kind comment, it is very much appreciated

 

One more before the FUN coin show this week, hoping to find a treasure there. Maybe a John II Comnenus or two to help complete this collection.

John II Comnenus, 1118-1143. Hyperpyron (Gold, 30 mm, 4.00 g, 6 h), Constantinopolis. Christ seated facing on throne without back, wearing pallium and colobium, raising his right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospels in his left; in fields, IC - XC. Rev. Facing half-length figure of the Virgin, nimbate, on the right and of John II, wearing crown surmounted by cross and loros, holding akakia in his left hand; both holding between them patriarchial cross; in upper right field, ΘV; in right field, ΜΡ. SB 1938.

 

John III Doukas Vatatzes Emperor of Nicaea 1222-1254 AV Hyperpyron - although Wayne Sayles Volume V does include a tetarteron of John III on in the "Masterpieces of Romaion Coinage" - the quality assurance team was clearly absent from the officina the day this hyperpyron was minted. SIze: 22-24mm and 4.1g

Obv: (double struck?) Christ enthroned facing, nimbate and raising hand
Rev: Emperor standing facing, holding long cross and being crowned by Mary to right.