My goal for this year was to add some new Byzantine coins to my collection. I received this today and I really like how clear the counterstamp is on both the obverse and reverse as well as how clear the host coin is and that you can see the year it was minted. Byzantines were recycling way before recycling was cool. Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine AE Follis Sicilian mint Counterstamped, re-used SB809 (large M) types Obverse: No legend, facing busts of Heraclius, with short beard, on left and Heraclius Constantine, on right, both crowned and wearing chlamys, cross between their heads, all within oval punch stamped over the reverse of the large M type coin SB 809; ANNO, regnal date XXI and mintmark CON are still visible Reverse: no legend, Large SCL in circular punch over the lower parts of the figures of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine (SB 809 obverse); no mintmark. SB 883 Feel free to post any of your recycled byzantine coins!
Cool coin. Do you know why they were counter stamping coins of Heraclius/Heraclius Constantine with stamps of...Heraclius/Heraclius Constantine? Were only coins with the Sicilian mark "legal tender" in Sicily?
I have no idea why but this is one of the most common and coolest of the recycles. The small overtype or large countermark (however you choose to see it) leaves a lot of undertype. I judge them according to how many faces and reverse details remain. Your obverse is as good as these get with bold faces, date and mint. This one is not as good because the date is less clear.
What an interesting coin, @furryfrog02! I have only a handful of Byzantine coins. I suspect (but do not know) this coin was reused from a flan made by cutting up an older issue. Tiberius II Constantine AD 574-582 and Anastasia. Byzantine Æ half-follis, 5.02 g, 20.4 mm, 7 h. Thessalonica, AD 579. Obv: dmTibCONS TANTPPAV, Nimbate Tiberius and Anastasia seated facing on double throne; he holds globus cruciger, she a scepter. Rev: Large K; above, cross; to left, A/N/N/O; to right, regnal indicator V (=5); beneath, TЄS. Refs: Berk 398; DOC 23; SB 439; MIBE 65.
Love those countermarks, ff - and this is a particularly nice one. I have Byzantine countermarks of varying degrees of ugly. Here is one for Sicily, but with only Heraclius's bust and a monogram: Byzantine Empire Æ Follis Heraclius (c. 616-622 A.D.) Sicilian Mint Host coin: Constantinople (?) follis of Anastasius, Justin I or Justinian I. Counterstamp: bust of Heraclius, facing in circle, PTh monogram right / SCLs in oval. SB 882; DOC 241. (12.09 grams / 28 mm) Heraclius countermarked with a monogram only (obverse), apparently for use by the military battling the armies of Islam around Palestine: Byzantine Empire Æ Follis Heraclius (c. 633-636 A.D.) cm on Tib. II Con. (578-582 A.D.) Nikomedia / Palestine Mint Host coin: DM T[Ib CONSTANTS PP], crowned facing bust cruciger & shield / M, ANNO left, cross above, [date] right, B below; NIK[O] in exergue. SB 440, DOC 27b. (?) (11.86 grams / 31 x 27 mm) Countermark: HRC cruciform monogram in 9 mm circle. Schulze HCM type 1b "Heraclian countermarks on Byzantine copper coin in seventh-century Syria" by Wolfgang Schulze, Ingrid Schulze and Wolfgang Leimenstoll discusses finds near Caesarea Maritima, where this example was found, and concludes, "During the military conflict between the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim Arabs in Syria in the years 633-36 Byzantine coins were countermarked by the Byzantine military with a Heraclius monogram. Countermarking most probably was exercised predominantly in Palestine I and was carried out to revalue the few circulating copper coins in order to remedy the general supply gap and disastrous shortage of cash."
Those are awesome! I have been searching around trying to find out why the coins were specifically countermarked for Sicily but I have yet to find anything.
I'm having a hard time finding this anywhere. It looks so close to a Justin II/Sophia but I can def make out the TiBCONS which would make it not J2/S.
Here's a chopped-down Anonymous Follis, made into a tetarteron, with notes from CTer BenSi (thank you, BenSi!). Note the squared-off cuts on the edges: Some comparison shots with a full-sized follis: Anonymous Follis* Class B Romanus III / Michael IV (c. 1028-1042 / c. 1092 A.D.) Constantinople Mint Bust of Christ facing IC-[XC] across and [EMMANOVHL] /Cross on three steps, [IS -XS] / [bA]S - I[LЄ] / bAS - IL[Є]. SB 1823 (6.14 grams / 23 x 18 mm) *Note: Cut down to tetarteron Note: "The latter class follis dropped to around 5 gm, (or they) were cut to approx. weight. A full heavy tetarteron was also around 5gm. By the time that Alexius created the new coinage there was a...shortage of copper. So my guess it happened around the time of Alexius 1092 or earlier mid 11th century." Coin Talk, BenSi comments on my post Jan. 7, 2020
One similar to above examples: Heraclius. 610-641 AD. Æ Follis (29mm). Syracuse mint. Struck 615/6-627/8 AD. Obv countermark: Crowned and draped facing bust; monogram to right. Rev countermark: SCLS below bar. DOC 241; MIB Km 4; Anastasi 33 SB 882. Host Coin Fine, Countermark VF. Countermarked on a follis of Justin I, struck 518-522 AD (SB 64).
