Beautiful Byzantines

I received these 2 coins in the mail today from @Caesar_Augustus in the Great White North. I have lately become more interested in Byzantine rulers and coins after listening to "The History of Byzantium" podcast. He had these 2 coins for sale, along with many other beautiful coins (seriously, check out his site!) and they called to me and were in my price range!

I was hoping to receive them after the New Year so they could be my "First Coins of 2020" but alas, the Canadian and US Postal system was just too efficient for once.

I am wondering how many different Byzantine rulers the collective CT Ancients folks can post in this thread. I will start with the 2 that I received today.

John I, Tzimisces
969-976 AD
Class A1 Anonymous Follis
Obverse: +EMMANOVHA IX-XC, Bust of Christ facing with nimbus cross with two dots in each limb of the cross, holding book of Gospels decorated with a border of dots and dot in center
Reverse: IhSUS XRISTUS bASILEU bASILE in four lines, sometimes with adornments above and/or below.



Constantine VII
AE Follis
913-959 AD
Constantinople mint
Obverse: CONST bASIL ROM, crowned bust of Constantine facing, with short beard and wearing vertical loros, holding akakia and cross on globe
Reverse: CONST-EN QEO bA-SILEVS R-OMEON, legend in four lines

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I just posted my most recent Byzantine to another thread here:
Dot top between h and S - 5.5g 20x23mm


It would be good to give weight and measurements for an A1. I believe there is also a thread here discussing overstrikes on these coins. Yours seems messy at the reverse top so it might be worth investigating.

 

@dougsmit the coin in question is 6.75g by my scale and approximately 23/24mm.

 

Byzantines are.... an acquired taste.

Alright furryfrog, challenge accepted. I just got this one today; Basil II I think.

Rasiel

 

Ooooo gold. I like that we are upping the game! haha. Beautiful coin

Ok, we have John I, Tzimisces and Basil II in a row, Constantine VIII should be easy. I would love to see if we could make an unbroken line from at least Constantine VII to Constantine VIII. Of course, I will accept any other Byzantine rulers as well Come on people, don't let me down!

 

OK, here are 3 emperors on one coin: Heraclius, Heraclius Constantine, & Heraclonas .

 

@Al Kowsky you never cease to amaze. Do we know which was in the middle? Was it Heraclius Constantine? Because his beard game is strong. I am in awe...both of the coin and the beard!

 

+ here is Constantine viii (also on the right side of your coin)

 

Thanks for the mention @furryfrog02, and I'm glad your coins arrived safely.

I find quite a beautiful charm in overstruck coins from the Byzantine era because it is clear evidence of the turmoil facing the Romans at the time those coins were struck.

 

Lets throw a Phocus solidus into the mix .

 

Furry this could have been an epic thread if you started off with Arcadius (or maybe Constantine XI going backwards!) and asking for readers to post in sequence.

Hell, why not :- )
Let's do this!



Now who's down for Eudoxia??

Rasiel

 

I didn't even think of that.
Ok, hows about we do that?! We have Arcadius! Let's go!

 

I will pitch in with some of mine...

 

How I imagine @panzerman


Beautiful coins though. I can only make out a few of the names though

 

some more....

 

I Wish!
anyhoo/ here are the emperors
1/ Constans III
2/ Constans III
3/ Basil II/ Constantine VIII
4=5/ Andronicus II
6/ Maurice Tiberius (Carthage Mint)
7/ Constantine IV
8/ Arcadius (Sirmium Mint)
9/ Arcadius (Thessalonika Mint)
10/ Constantine VII and Christopher

 

Next six/
Nicephorus I / Stuaricus
Pulcheria
Justinian I
Justin II
Leo III/ Constantine V

I am off to grab something to eat....

 

furryfrog02, You are right, the longest beard belongs to the senior emperor Heraclius .

 

Anastasius


and a thousand plus years later

John VIII


No, I do not have a Costantine XI.

 

Byzantine, Leo V and Constantine 813-820 AD, AE Follis, SBCV - 1635