Crusty Byzantine 40 Nummi Coin

The coin pictured below has been sitting in my photo tray for a long time and I finally got some pics of it this weekend . I'm not sure why I bought this coin, it's rougher than all my other Byzantine bronzes . Oh well here it is.

 

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It's nicely centered and doesn't have the usual areas of weakness in striking. I like it! Here's a crusty one of the same mint but with a different emperor:


Phocas, AD 602-610 and wife Leontia.
Byzantine Æ Follis,28.4 mm, 13.35 g, 7 h.
Constantinople, AD 602/603.
Obv: δmFOCA ЄPPAVG, Phocas and Leontia stg. facing. The Emperor holds globus cruciger, the Empress, nimbate, holds cruciform scepter.
Rev: Large M, surmounted by cross; ANNO to left, I (regnal year 1) right, CONB in exergue.
Refs: Sear 639; MIBE 129, 60a; DOC 163, 24b.

 

Here's an early issue crusty 40 nummi minted with the earlier weight standard.


Anastasius
Follis

498 - 518 A.D., Constantinople Mint, - Officina
8.91g, 25.0mm, 6H

Obverse: D N ANASTASIVS P P AVG,
Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: -,
Large M with star either side, cross above

Exergue: CON

Reference: SBCV 15

 

Crusty! Holy cow, that would be a Concours d'Elegance coin in my collection. I think it's lovely. Well-centered and well-struck, with an interesting almost-realistic portrait. I like it!

 

I have had two similar coins. The first I sold when I upgraded but my better one is more worn than yours. I do prefer more smooth surfaces. Perhaps that is why they made some for each taste??? This first was weakly struck erasing the officina letter. That bothered me.

The new one had wear as well but the strike provided more detail making this one acceptable to me.

 

Doug, Your 2nd follis / 40 nummi coin is a vast improvement over the 1st coin. I guess I should be happy with the one example I've got. It's a real challenge finding one of these coins that's a complete strike with good surfaces that haven't been smoothed. I've been spoiled by acquiring a couple of great 40 nummi coins of Justinian I, like the example below . The large coins of Justinian I are so plentiful there's a larger pool to pick from, although I've seen many super examples that have smoothing .


Justinian I, AD 527-565 (struck year 13, AD 539/540), Nicomedia Mint, Officina 2. AE: 22.48 gm, 41 mm, 6 h.

 

Nice coin!

 

Here's a Justinian follis minted right around the time the plague hit the Roman Empire.

 

Emmmmmmmmmm......


BZ Anastasius I 491-518 AE Post Reform Folles M monogram

 

So far, I don't have an Athanasius. But I greatly like the large M's - 40 nummi. This is my best, not as good as Al's and Caesar's (one must give Caesar what's Caesar's, naturally!). And my only large Justinian.

 

Here's a forty nummi piece of Justinian....

 

This one looks pre-reform (prior to AD 539).

 

Yeah it's smaller than the heavier later issues and more closely resembles the 40 nummi pieces of Anastasius.

 

BZ Justinian I 527-565 CE AE Folles 30mm 17g 40 Nummi M monogram

 

If you do not like the crusty Anastasius, we could swap. Mine has other things on it, but no encrustation.


As for a crusty, here's one Leo. This is a fun coin. The patina looks like a field of stalagmites. Probably will never look "clean" unless one day i will do something really bad to it.

 

My one and only Byzantine piece. The last couple of years I've
toyed with the idea of collecting these, as my primary collection
is starting to need deep pockets.

 

Yikes , that 2nd coin looks like it was sitting in the Mediterranean Sea for a 1,000 years. Don't do anything bad to it .

 

Byzantine coins are a good landing spot for disaffected collectors looking for something different & affordable .

 

Fascinating coin . Do you wear latex gloves when handling this coin for fear of catching the "Black Death" ? Just kidding of course .

 

That's a nice one with a hefty weight too .

That's a nice looking coin ! I've got a slabbed example struck at the same mint, same year, but a different workshop .