Post your Byzantine Coinage!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by CoinBlazer, May 13, 2019.

  1. ValiantKnight

    ValiantKnight Well-Known Member

    Just a few of my favorites.

    Justinian, AE decanummium, Ravenna

    [​IMG]

    Justinian, AE pentanummium, Rome or Sicily

    [​IMG]

    Tiberius II Constantine, AE half-follis, Rome mint

    upload_2019-5-18_14-13-48.jpeg

    Maurice Tiberius, AE half-follis, Thessalonica

    upload_2019-5-18_14-17-19.jpeg

    Heraclius, AR hexagram, Constantinople (was only $20!)

    upload_2019-5-18_14-20-0.jpeg
     
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  3. gogili1977

    gogili1977 Well-Known Member

    Heraclius with irregular flan shape
    image.jpg
    Heraclius Constantine and Martina on reverse
     
  4. catadc

    catadc Well-Known Member

    My first 2 tetarterons: Sear 1920 and 1955. The flan is quite interesting. How did they cut it? 20190908_101007.jpg 20190908_101056.jpg 20190908_100816.jpg 20190908_100933.jpg
     
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  5. BenSi

    BenSi Well-Known Member

    That is how the denomination got its name, the size and shape were of the older gold coin known as a tetarteron. The Alexius coin was tariffed differently then the coins from Thessalonica. The Alexius SBCV-1920 contained a small amount of silver ( It fluctuates from ruler to ruler From 4% down to 2%) It does not sound like much but a trachy of the same time was 8% and down.)
    In the more common Manuel coins it was thought they were punched out of sheets of metal to speed production. I don't think that would be the case for the Alexius coin because of its thickness. The John II coin maybe but I don't think they had come up with that process yet.
    Both coin are in nice condition. The Alexius is rarer but recently have been hitting the market a little more frequently. The John II 1/2 tetarteron is a nice strike on both sides and it depicts St. Demetrius , one of the warrior Saints, to show John was powerful.
     
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  6. tibor

    tibor Supporter! Supporter

    527 Byzuntina empia copy.jpg
    My only Byzantine piece. I will eventually start collecting them.
     
  7. BenSi

    BenSi Well-Known Member

    A new one from a CNG auction, nice relief , thick flan, but OC enough to cut off some details. They rarely come to market but when they do they never seem to get the same $ as other more common tetartera.


    w6.jpg
    46 JOHN II METROPOLITIAN TETARTERON S-1946 DOC 13 CLBC 3.4.2

    OBV Bust of Virgin nimbate, orans, wearing tunic and maphorion.

    REV Full length figure of Emperor wearing stemma, divitision, collar piece and jeweled loros of a simplified type. Holds in r. hand jeweled scepter and in l. hand gl. cr.

    Size 16mm

    Weight 3.41gm


    DOC lists 9 examples with weights from 2.97gm to 4.57gm and sizes from 17mm to 20mm
     
  8. catadc

    catadc Well-Known Member

    DOC 32 lead tetarteron, received today. Not as bad as the seller's photos, but not as good as @BenSi 's (thank you). Still a rare coin.

    Lead1.jpg Lead2.jpg

    It is fun collecting the byzantines, when I get one anonymous follis at the office and show it to my colleagues: "Jesus! What is this?" - "Well, it's Jesus, alright." - "Really?" - "Really."
     
  9. BenSi

    BenSi Well-Known Member

    It is an interesting coin and it also helped date the coin reform of 1092, the largest reform of Roman coinage.
    Their was a huge shortage of copper during this time period, Alexius is believed to have started the tetarteron issues with lead and then went back to copper. In the early copper issues the historians mentioned he had to melt down statues and other goods to get enough to fuel the coin reform. You will find early tetartera from Thessalonica overstruck on partial follis of earlier time periods.
    Your coin with the half length figures is a very difficult find, it is the Constantinople issue of the lead tetartera. The full length figure version was minted in Thessalonica. Still rare but more common than your find.
    Here is the Thessalonica version.
    s-pb-tf.jpg
     
  10. 1934 Wreath Crown

    1934 Wreath Crown Well-Known Member

    Honorius Western Roman Empire solidus

    Honorius Solidus Obv.jpg

    Honorius Solidus Rev.jpg
     
  11. 1934 Wreath Crown

    1934 Wreath Crown Well-Known Member

    Constantine X - Histamenon nomisma

    Constantine X Obv.jpg

    Constantine X Rev.jpg
     
  12. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    This 40 nummi coin of Justinian I, is one of my favorites. Nicomedia Mint: 22.47 gm, 41 mm, 2nd Officina, Dated Year 13 (AD 539-540).

    Justinian, Nicomedia, obv..jpg Justinian, Nicomedia, rev..jpg
     
  13. catadc

    catadc Well-Known Member

    From time to time, I feel ashamed of my photo skills. This is one of those moments, as this is a coin worth sharing and deserves better pictures. John II tetarteron, Sear 1945.

    John II tetarteron2.png
     
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  14. Quant.Geek

    Quant.Geek Well-Known Member

    That is definitely a nice coin with good clear legends! Here is mine:

    Byzantine Empire: John II Comnenus Ducas (1118-1143) BI Tetateron, Constantinople (Sear-1945; DOC-12)

    Obv: Nimbate figure of Christ standing on footstool holding book of Gospels, IC XC with contraction marks in left and right field.
    Rev: +ΙШ ΔΕCΠΟΤ ΤШ ΠΟΡΦΥΡOΓNT; emperor standing facing wearing crown and chlamys, holding jeweled cruciform sceptre and globus cruciger.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    My local dealer sometimes throws Byzantines in his junk box - I went shopping on Black Friday and got these three for $4 each:

    Byz - 3 junk bin AaZed Nov 29 2019b (0).jpg

    Anonymous Class A2
    Basil II & Constantine VIII
    (976-1028 A.D.)

    EMMANOVHL, Christ facing w. nimbus, holding Gospels \ IC-XC / +IhSuS / XRISTUS / bASILEu / bASILE / ornaments above & below.
    Sear 1813; (type 29).
    (8.02 grams / 26 x 29 mm)

    Byzantine Empire Æ Follis
    Romanus IV Diogenes
    (1068-1071 A.D.)
    Constantinople Mint

    IC-XC over NI-KA flanking bust of Christ facing, / Cross with C-R / P-Δ in angles.
    SB 1866; DOC III, part 2, 8.
    Overstrike: Unidentified Follis (?).
    (6.97 grams / 27 mm)

    Maurice Tiberius
    12 Nummi (Dodecanummium)
    (582-602 A.D.)
    Alexandria Mint

    Δ N MAV - (blundered ?), diademed, and draped bust right / Large I-B, cross between, AΛΕΞ in exergue.
    SB 544; DOC 213
    (4.55 grams / 15 mm)
     
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  16. catadc

    catadc Well-Known Member

    I am not sure the second one is an overstrike. It might be a die shift? Because all I see are elements of the same coin, but not in a normal position. Like the IC / NI and XC/KA show a shift of the upper ones to down-left...?
    Nice coins for 4 USD/pcs.
     
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  17. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    I agree - I was sort of guessing. A die shift looks more plausible. Thank you for the observation!

    At the same time I bought those, I got this from my local dealer (not in the junk bin though) - it is another hot mess of Byzantine overstrikes:

    Byz - Constantine X Ducas follis AhZed Nov 29 2019b (0).jpg

    Constantine X Ducas Æ Follis
    (1059-1067 A.D.)
    Constantinople Mint

    +EMMA [NOVHA], IC-XC Christ facing / +KwN [RACILEV C O DOVK], bust
    of Constantine X facing, cross in right hand, akakia in left.
    SB 1854; DO 9.
    Overstrike: Anonymous follis?
    (9.41 grams / 30 mm)
     
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  18. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    Here is a recent purchase, a large Class A2 anonymous follis with crosses in the nimbus but not on the gospels or reverse:

    SB1813ClassA2crosses1992.jpg
    34-33 mm (large!). 6:00 die axis, as usual. 16.76 grams.
    Sear 1813.
    Ornament type 31 on this Forum page listing ornament varieties:
    http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Anonymous Byzantine Class A Folles

    There are sites on anonymous folles including this Forum page:
    http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Anonymous Follis

    and my own page:
    http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ByzAnon/
     
  19. catadc

    catadc Well-Known Member

    @Valentinian - ebay item no 233392002011 - i was following this type, but it did not get to me in the end. It is the twin of your coin.

    You know if somebody is updating the numiswiki? I am aware of at least one update that is posted on the Forum, but not operated in the table of A2 types.

    And last - do you collect the A2s based on the ornament variation? I was tempted, until i realised that several other byzantines have variations that nobody gives a damn about.
     
  20. panzerman

    panzerman Well-Known Member

    View attachment 1032224 View attachment 1032225 Nice Byzantine material, thanks for sharing everyone! I really like Byzantine/ they are affordable and very diverse in designs....
    My of my favorites...common issue
    AV Solidus ND Constantinople Mint
    Constans III 641-68AD
    obv. Emperor (Looks like a "Hippie") or Rasputin
    rev. Three sons 2cbfeb901ad8b139950cc8a0cb2a9aba.jpg
     
  21. Suarez

    Suarez Well-Known Member

    That's a badass coin Doug. If I had the chance I'd photograph it and put it in my next book. I do hold out hope for some days getting me grubbies on a Constantine 11.....

    Rasiel
     
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