Consignment - Collection Update - Numismatic Focuses in the Future

I have an update on my collection and future focuses. I have been collecting ancient coins for about 4 years now but only byzantine for the last 2. I never intended to collect this era but fate intervened. Foolish me thought that buying and identifying a large trachy group lot would easy and fun. I at least got one aspect right...

I sat down and studied the reference books. From not being able to tell two trachys apart to spotting rarities in my lot, I spent a number of months learning about these coins. This era, more so than any other in the ancient numismatic field, allows for the student to substitute money with time. From my experience, most dealers don't bother identifying these small coins and auction houses often relegate them to the group lot. With a lot of time and a bit of cash, I was able to find some really interesting trachys. During that 2 year time frame, I have focused on collecting byzantine coinage from 1204-1351. Although I have had great fun during this period, I feel as though my collection is spread too thinly. I have made the difficult choice to narrow and recalibrate what I collect. From collecting all byzantine coins minted during 1204-1351 I have decided on collecting solely byzantine AR/billon during 1204-1328. The odd coins out of this trimming are my AE trachys. As much as I love them, these coins no longer fit within my collecting scope. My AE trachys have been consigned to CNG...

Although you will see them in future sales, I figured I would share some highlights here. Enjoy.

Latin Highlights:
Sear 2036
Facing bust of Christ Pantocrator / The archangel Michael standing facing, holding sceptre and globus cruciger.

Sear 2038
Obv: IC - XC.
Christ enthroned facing, holding book of gospels and raising hand in benediction.
Rev: MP - ΘV.
Virgin orans standing facing.

Sear 2025
Facing bust of Christ, holding scroll / Emperor standing facing, holding cross-tipped scepter and globus cruciger

Sear 2055
C-XC, nimbate Christ seated facing / Emperor, crowned and wearing loros, half-length figure standing, holding cross-tipped scepter and globus cruciger

Sear 2034/2027?
Obv: MP - ΘV.
Three-quarter length figure of the Virgin orans, nimbate.
Rev: IW/Δ/EC/ΠO/TH - Θ/Γ/E/.
Emperor, wearing stemma, divitision and chlamys, and St. George, wearing military attire and resting hand on sword hilt, standing facing and holding patriarchal cross between them.

Sear 2057 (nice dies for the type)
Obv: Nimbate Christ enthroned facing, holding gospels.
Rev: St. Helena and St. Constantine standing facing, holding patriarchal cross between them.

Sear 2043 (rare)
Obv: Large cross; I-C X-C in angles.
Rev: Emperor standing facing, holding sword and labarum.



Theodore I Ducas Highlights:
Sear 2162 (in remarkable condition for the type)
Christ Pantokrator enthroned facing / Theodore, holding cruciform scepter and akakia, standing facing and being crowned by St. Demetrius, who is holding a sheathed sword.


Sear 2162


Part 1. More coins are coming in the comments shortly

 

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Part 2. Thessalonican Trachys Continued
Despot Manuel I Ducas
Sear 2182 (rare)
Obv: Half-length facing bust of St. Theodore, holding spear and shield.
Rev: Facing half-length busts of Manuel and St. Demetrius, holding between them a sword facing downward; crowning manus Dei and star above.

Sear 2177 Small Module
Obv: Half-length facing bust of St. Demetrius, holding spear and sword-in-scabbard.
Rev: Manuel, holding cruciform sceptre and akakia, and Christ, crowning him, standing facing; star to right.



Despot John Ducas:
Sear 2210
Facing head of cherub with four wings / John, holding akakia, and St. Demetrius, holding sword, holding between them a long cross surmounted by pellet

Sear Unlisted (very rare)
Obv: Flower of six petals or six-pointed star.
Rev: The Virgin Mary standing facing, orans; stars flanking.

Sear 2188 (rare)
St. Theodore standing facing, holding spear and shield; to either side, lis / John standing facing, holding labarum and akakia, being crowned by St. Demetrius.

Sear 2205 (very rare, features and eagle!)
Eagle with wings outstretched, head to left / Patriarchal cross between facing busts of John and St. Demetrius.

Sear 2219 (rare)
Facing bust of the Virgin Mary, orans / Winged emperor standing facing, holding labarum.


More comments to follow.

 

Part 3.
Nicean Empire
Theodore I Lascaris
Sear 2062
Christ Pantokrator seated facing on throne / Theodore standing facing, holding cruciform sceptre and akakia; star to lower right, manus Dei to upper right.

Sear 2062 (remarkably nice for the type)
Christ Pantokrator seated facing on throne / Theodore standing facing, holding cruciform sceptre and akakia; star to lower right, manus Dei to upper right.



John III Vatazes
Sear 2135 (overstruck)
Christ enthroned / Emperor standing facing holding sceptre and globus

Sear 2099?
St. Demetrius standing facing, holding spear and shield / John enthroned facing, holding cruciform scepter and globus cruciger

Sear 2102 Unpublished variety with Christ as opposed to mary?

Sear 2131 (very nice for the type, rare)
Facing half-length bust of St. George, holding spear and shield / Facing half-length busts of John and St. Demetrius, holding between them staff surmounted by cross in circle

Sear 2120
Obv: Half-length facing bust of John, holding labarum and globus cruciger surmounted by patriarchal cross.
Rev: IC - XC.
Patriarchal cross set upon steps.


Michael VIII
Sear 2273 (Model City of Constantinople)
Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator / Michael enthroned facing, holding model of Constantinople

Sear 2276 (seraph!)
Obv: Seraphim facing, holding lance in each hand.
Rev: Michael seated facing on high-backed throne, holding labarum-headed scepre and akakia.

Sear 2283 (Best reverse I have seen for the type...obverse, not so much)
Obv: St. Michael the Archangel standing facing, holding sword and resting hand upon shield.
Rev: Michael standing facing, holding labarum and akakia.



More comments to follow

 

Part 4. Nicaea and the Restored Empire
Michael VIII Continued
Sear 2323
Rare Dynastic issue
Half-length bust of St. Theodore facing, holding spear and shield decorated with star / Half-length busts of Andronicus and Michael facing, each holding labarum and sword between them; above, half-length bust of Archangel Michael

Sear 2310


Andronikos II
Sear 2383
Large patriarchal cross with wing to right; retrograde B on the left field. Rev. Andronicus standing facing, holding cross-in-circle and scepter; above left, Palaeologean monogram; on the lower right, star

2370
Facing half-length bust of St Demetrius; large (reverted)B to left / Winged figure of Andronicus left, holding city model and sceptre.

Sear 2360
St. Demetrius standing facing, holding small cross to chest / Andronicus, holding cruciform scepter, standing facing, being crowned and blessed by the Virgin Mary; star above, retrograde B between

Sear 2457
Full-length figures of Andronicus II, on right, wearing stemma, divitison and loros, holding cruciform scepter in left hand, and with right hand crowning Michael IX, on left, similarly attired, holdingscrciform scepter in right hand and anexikakia in left; in left and right fields, large six-pointed stars


Well, this concludes the highlights of my AE trachys! You will find these with many others coming to auction in a few months. This consignment does not mean I won't collect ancient coins anymore. Rather, it is a refocusing. I will still collect within this era and be here to help others. I will still be here posting questions to get help myself! Thanks for checking my post out if you have made it this far!

 

Sear 2154
Obv: MP - ΘV.
The Virgin Mary standing facing, orans , with Christ medallion on breast.
Rev: Pelleted cross, with crescent ends; all over pelleted saltire cross.

Sear 2155
I-C / X-C Jeweled cross with three pellets at the end of each arm. Rev. Two jeweled B's facing each other, one retrograde; with a pellet in each loop.

And these two anonymous tetarteron, before I forget!

 

What happened to the good ol' times, does this mean no more trachy memes?

 

The Æ trachy memes will be sorely missed. Will be keeping an eye out for any eventual AR and AV trachy meme going forward

In all seriousness I am definitely keeping a keen eye out for your consignments over at CNG and can't wait to see what this will bring in terms of your outstanding collection!

 

A very nice collection! It's getting harder and harder to find these under-appreciated niches where rare and interesting coins can still be found at budget prices.

 

Before dumping your collection, it might have been a good idea to put out a book 'Ugly coins and How to Collect Them' which would help people know why they should pay over melt value for some of the real rarities where 'good' is a great grade. It will be interesting to see how the sale goes. There are many more people today who 'get' Byzantine than there were a few years ago.

 

Agreed. Even these trachys are creeping up in prices....might as well enjoy the group lot finds while we can

 

Its challenging. I tend to take a 99/1 view on these...for every 99 poorly preserved examples, there is 1 in amazing condition. There seems to be not much of an in-between. Trachys are unlike other fields where coins come in a spectrum of conditions