Hello friends. I just received this coin this morning it was described as a Constantine semissis but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Is the description correct or is it somebody else? It weighs 2.2 grams. Thanks all.
If it's legit, it would be one of the Byzantine Constantines, not Constantine the Great. There are several Byzantine rulers named Constantine. Sorry, but that's all the help I can offer.
The letters used remind me of the period when letters on early Byzantine coinage were transitioning from the Roman to Greek alphabet, say from late Sixth to Seventh centuries. In addition to the name Constantine, on the reverse i think I see the word hictoria which would be odd on a coin. The obverse does not look like the kind of surface I am used to seeing on coins of this period. It does not look like any Byzantine I am familiar with. If a semis it would be half of the gold solidus and the weight of 2.4 grams would be correct, if the metal is, indeed, gold. If it is genuine, it might be a western mint from North Africa, or Sicily or Italy still in Byzantine hands of the era I mentioned above It is possible that what looks like the Greek letter gamma on the reverse is a mint or control mark. Without having the coin in hand I could not venture much more than this.
I don't know enough to help but I would start looking under Constans II and Constantine IV who used the names interchangeably and are confusing to my level amateur. That does not rule out the coin being unofficial or even modern. I would not comment in that direction even if I had the coin in hand. I would say, however, that buying a coin of this type from any source other than a dealer knowledgeable in Byzantines and honest beyond reproach is a mistake. If you did that, an ID would have come with the coin. I might even suggest looking for similar items previously sold by Harlan Berk (good with Byzantines when he was younger - I do not know what he does now in this area). Who is currently the go-to specialist in Byzantines these days? I'm not talking about dealers that sell anything and everything but a real specialist. Does someone here own the Dumbarton Oaks books on this period? I don't.
Yes. it is victoria augg, not historia . That's what comes from a lifetime of teaching historia. I think it's close to Sear 1161 (Byzantine coins) and maybe Constantine IV, whose coins are often struck close to being blundered. But again, without a closer examination I can't say whether it is genuine or not.
DOC is available for download from the publisher. Volume 1 Anastasius I to Maurice, 491-602 Volume 2 Phocas to Theodosius III, 602-717 Volume 3 Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717-1081 Volume 4 Alexius I to Michael VIII, 1081-261 Volume 5 Michael VIII to Constantine XI, 1258-1453
Thanks. I did by it from a fairly good auction house who described it as a Byzantine Constantine semissis but I can't find anything similar online.
2.2 grams is about spot on weight wise. That is a good sign Do you have photos in better light? The lettering seems to be off. I dont like the bust either... The surfaces seem unusual as does the rim (this could just be scratches and the lighting). None of these factors on their own are necessary a problem but together make me somewhat hesitant (if I saw these photos online for sale, I would avoid the listing). The color looks really off as this should be golden. Constans II fractionals may not be paragons of beauty but at least they were pure AV. Is this of a golden color in person? The photo of the obverse make it look like debased AV or silverish in color. I can't say with certainty but I would be inclined to say this semissis is of uncertain authenticity. The best thing you can do is seek advice from a professional dealer in person. Being able to see and a hold a coin make all the difference with authentication
If it was a "fairly good auction house" they should be able to provide an accurate attribution. Have you tried contacting them and asking for more information?
A "fairly good auction house" would at least put a number behind 'Constantine'. I wish I had a little understanding of the question separating some of the Constans II and Constantine IV coins but obverse legends were pretty low priority in those days.
I have recently been looking into the attributions of DOC 9h/Sear 140, and I’m pretty sure that a few fairly good auction houses got that wrong. Byzantine gold coins looks like a quite difficult area, but one would at least expect that it’s the correct emperor.
Constans II, Syracuse? https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=207231 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3833722 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=860513
