Just a few of my favorites. Justinian, AE decanummium, Ravenna Justinian, AE pentanummium, Rome or Sicily Tiberius II Constantine, AE half-follis, Rome mint Maurice Tiberius, AE half-follis, Thessalonica Heraclius, AR hexagram, Constantinople (was only $20!)
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.
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. 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
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. 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."
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.
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).
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.
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.
My local dealer sometimes throws Byzantines in his junk box - I went shopping on Black Friday and got these three for $4 each: 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)
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.
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: 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)
Here is a recent purchase, a large Class A2 anonymous follis with crosses in the nimbus but not on the gospels or reverse: 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/
@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.
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
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