I don't really collect Byzantine coins at all, but these were very attractive coins at a great price (I thought), at $25 each. This is Andronicus I Comnenus, with a pretty solid strike and clear legend. I especially like the attractive flow lines on the obverse left legend. Andronicus I Comnenus Sear 1985 31x28mm 4.0g This second one has an even stronger strike, but not enough legends exist for me to be able to make an attempt. There's "EC" on the obverse right legend but that doesn't help me too much, as it's probably part of "DECPOTH" which is pretty much everybody. This is also a solid 35% lighter than the previous one, which is pretty crazy, although I don't know enough about these to know if that's reasonable or not 29mm 2.6g Please show off your first trachys, or your best ones, or anything else
To second @Only a Poor Old Man, Congratulations, @hotwheelsearl !!! ...Should there be some sort of benign hazing ritual, for anyone who transitions to medievals, whether by way of a specific series, or more broadly? Here are my two favorites (...Again...), precisely to your point about ones with legends having a relative premium. First is Isaak II; second is a Latin imitation of Manuel I. (<--That was the second time I've had to reassign which Manuel this is, just recently. With thanks to @ancient coin hunter, just below. Yikes.)
...Oh, they have! There are more people here, who are more erudite on this stuff than anyone would guess! You could start with a general site search; betting you wouldn't be disappointed. Apart from that, the Dumbarton Oaks site is a phenomenal reference; Wildwinds always worked for me, on a much more elementary, but generally adequate level, for attributing the commoner individual issues.
I have a couple of trachys with worn off surfaces that came in a bulk lot of LRB's. Not exactly collectible. Here is a recent acquisition: Manuel I Comnenus. 1143-1180. Manuel was the "fiend" in the book written by the bishop Odo of Deuil since according to the Franks, he was less than cooperative during the Second Crusade. Particularly offensive to the French was the fact that he forced the Crusader leaders to swear an Oath of Fealty to him. Link to the book: On the Journey of Louis VII to the East After arriving in Constantinople, the Crusade headed east through Asia Minor, suffering a series of defeats in skirmishes with the Turks. Because of this, Louis and a group of knights sailed to Antioch in a bid to get closer to Jerusalem. However, since the Byzantine fleet was too small to carry the entire army, the rest of the Latins were forced to fend for themselves and complete the overland route to Jerusalem. The simmering resentment they felt planted the seeds for the Fourth Crusade against Constantinople. BI Aspron Trachy, 30mm, 3.2g, 6h; Constantinople mint. Struck 1167-1183(?). Obv.: Christ Pantokrator enthroned facing. Rev.: Manuel standing facing, holding labarum and globus cruciger, being crowned by the Theotokos. Reference: DOC 13c; SB 1966. Pedigree: JAZ Numismatics, From the Arnoldoe Collection.
Cool, @seth77. ...So tell us more! As in, for the benefit of the laity here, myself emphatically included.
Really nice example, @ancient coin hunter, and thanks for setting me straight on which Manuel this is. I'm forever conflating the numbering with Izaak II. For earlier, but comparable Byzantine polemic against 'Franks' (notably Bohemond of Taranto /I of Antioch), you need go no further than Anna Comnena's Alexiad. By the Second Crusade, there was already some mutual baggage.
Not directly my collection field but here the best example from my collection: Trachy - Emperor Manuel I. Comnenus (I'am not really good at identifying those so feel free to correct me if I'am wrong)
Both are Palaiologan types. First one is Michael VIII S.2270, c. 1260s-1270 and the second is Andronikos II S.2349, c. 1290. I don't know why they are flat, they were certainly not supposed to be flat coins and similar specimens are cup-shaped as usual. Of them, the Andronikos II seems at least scarce, with one spec in the famous Despot Collection.
I just got one in the mail the other day. This makes only the 2nd one in the collection. It's really rough but like them though. Alexius III angelus-Comnenus 1195-1203 AD AE Trachy Constantinople Obverse: KE ROHQEI around, IC-XC to left and right of nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, holding scroll in left Reverse: ALEZIW DECP O KWNTANTI, Alexius, crowned, and St Constantine, nimbate, each wearing divitision and loros
Thanks for that, @seth77. Once you got as far as Palaiologan types, I had to be reminded of some more or less similar ones that @The Trachy Enjoyer and possibly @BenSi posted. (Right, after the Komneni and earlier Frankish ones, I'm lost.)
Palaiologan material is often a paradox: either completely ignored by both sellers and collectors or in such high demand that even regular specs go for astronomical prices.
Great for the price, congrats and welcome to the wonderful world of late Byzantine coinage! Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1180). Electrum Aspron Trachy. Constantinople mint, Type C, ca. 1160-1164. Obverse: ΙC - ΧC Christ Pantocrator, standing facing, nimbate and enrobed, raising right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospels with his left; in field to left and right, star. Reverse: MA-NVHΛ - O/ ΘЄ/O/Δ/ω/PO/C Manuel and St. Theodore standing facing, both holding a sword in their outer hand, and holding a long patriarchal cross set on a globe between them. Reference: DOC 4c; Sear 1959. 4.63g; 33mm Alexius I Comnenus, (1081-1118). Billon Aspron Trachy, Post-reform period, second coinage. Constantinopolis mint. Struck 1092/3-1118. Obverse: Christ seated facing on square-backed throne, wearing nimbus, pallium and colobium, rasing his right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospel in his left; in fields, IC - XC. Reverse: + AΛЄZIω ΔЄC[ΠΟΤ Tω KM] Crowned bust of Alexius I facing, wearing loros, holding labarum with his right hand and globus cruciger in his left. Reference: SB 1918. 4.40g; 28mm Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1180). Billon Aspron Trachy. Constantinople mint. Obverse: Christ seated facing on throne with back, wearing pallium and colobium, raising his right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospels in his left; in fields, XC - IC. Reverse: ΜΑΝU[...] ΔЄCΠ / ΜΡ-ΦV Manuel I standing facing on the left, wearing divitision and chlamys, holding labarum in his right and globus cruciger in his left, crowned by the Virgin Mary, standing facing on the right. Reference: DOC IV 13F.1, Sear 1966. Michael VIII Palaeologus (1261-1282). Æ Trachy. Constantinople mint. Obverse: O AGI-DEMETR. St. Demetrius standing facing, holding spear and resting left hand on shield, star at lower left. Reverse: MP-QV, MIXHAL. Michael standing on left, holding labarum, being crowned by Mary on right. Reference: Sear 2265. 2.03g; 26mm
