Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ancientcoinguru, post: 2597158, member: 75563&quot;]As a librarian, I was delighted<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> to receive a coin from an emperor renowned for his abilities as a scholar.&nbsp; Constantine VII wrote a treatise on the etiquette and ceremonies of the imperial court; a biography of his grandfather, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_I" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_I" rel="nofollow">Basil I</a>; and a treatise giving advice on the administration of the empire to his son Romanos II.&nbsp; He also compiled a 4-volume collection of excerpts from ancient historians (many of whose works are now lost) which has assisted modern historians to understand the past. </p><p><br /></p><p>In <i>A Short History of Byzantium </i>(page 181), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Julius_Norwich" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Julius_Norwich" rel="nofollow">John Julius Norwich</a> describes Constantine VII:</p><blockquote><p>“He was an excellent Emperor: a competent, conscientious and hard-working administrator and an inspired picker of men, whose appointments to military, naval, ecclesiastical, civil and academic posts were both imaginative and successful. He did much to develop higher education and took a special interest in the administration of justice.&quot;</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]566291[/ATTACH] </p><p>Constantine VII, 913-959 AD</p><p>AE Follis 4.07 gm - 223mm</p><p>Constantinople mint</p><p>Obv: CONST bASIL ROM, crowned bust of Constantine facing, with short beard and wearing vertical loros, holding akakia and cross on globe</p><p>Rev: CONST-EN QEO bA-SILEVS R-OMEON, legend in four lines</p><p>Reference: SB 1761</p><p><br /></p><p>I am absolutely thrilled with my Secret Saturnalia gift…thanks [USER=78058]@Smojo[/USER]!</p><p><br /></p><p>These coins are frequently overstruck on folles of Romanus I of the type of SB1760….and these folles of Romanus I are often overstruck on folles of Leo VI, usually of the type SB1729.&nbsp; I cannot see any evidence of overstrike…but perhaps someone who knows more than I can see the overstrike?</p><p><br /></p><p>Io Saturnalia![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in