Beautiful Byzantines

More than I would pay, or my wife would let me. Actually, SHE persuaded me to buy the first one in 1992!

 

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Sear 2494; Lianta 832; Labarum 24940

 

A well-dressed Phocas:

Phocas. 602-610 AD. Æ 20 Nummi (25mm). Constantinople mint. 5th officina. Struck 603-610 AD. Obv: DN FOCA PERP AV(G), crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and cross. Rev: Large XX; above, star; CONЄ in exergue. DOC II 37c; SB 644.

 

And a Tiberius II Constantine:

Tiberius II Constantine. 578-582 AD. Æ Nummi – Follis (29 mm). Constantinople mint, 4th officina. Dated RY 4. Obv: Crowned facing bust, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter with cross. Rev: Large m; cross above, A/N/N/O on left, II/II on right. CONΔ in exergue. SB 430.

 

Here's my latest photo effort Byzantine-wise.

This is a very crude follis of what I think is of Heraclius. The year appears to be year 8.

I've searched online for a match, but without success. The coins of Heraclius show him with a long beard. This coin has him, it seems, with a more clipped version. Additionally, he is wearing pants and sporting what looks like an inverted delta on his chest. All he needs is a cape and a telephone booth to become the flying cape crusader.

Can anyone help ID this coin?

Thanks

6.8 grams
25.5 mm, 1 h.

 

Correction: on post 224 above, the indicated date should be RY 8 and on the right it should be: Ч/II. The reference should be SBCV 429.

 

Its Constans II, similar to the one below. Its one of the messiest byzantine coins ever produced due to multiple overstrikes. Mine is above par for what is typically found. Yours is actually nice in comparison to others...

Byzantine Empire: Constans II (641-668) Æ Follis, Constantinople, RY2 (Sear 1000; DOC 63; MIBE 162a)

Obv: Constantine II, beardless, standing facing, wearing crown topped with cross and chlamys, holding long cross and globus cruciger
Rev: Large m; A/N/A to left, N/Є/O/ς to right; A II in exergue



Here is one that was struck, flipped over and struck again...

Byzantine Empire: Constans II (641-668) Æ Follis, Constantinople, RY14 (Sear 1007; DOC 72; MIBE 170b) Obv: ЄNTϪT ONIKA; Constans standing, facing, bearded, wearing chlamys and crown with cross; In right hand, long cross, in left, globus cruciger
Rev: Large M; above cross or star, beneath Λ?, to left, A/N/A, to right, N/Є/O/ς; in exergue, XIIII
Dim: 20 mm, 3.12 g

 

Thank you. These are really nice examples.

 

Thanks.

I have difficulty, especially with a very crude coin such as this one, to distinguish the Greek 6 and Greek 7. Would you say the regnal year is 9 instead of 8?

Thanks again.

 

Speaking of multiple strikes, here's a follis of Heraclius, Constantinople, year 3, struck twice, with a 90 degree die shift. Additionally it appears to be struck over an earlier follis, probably belonging to Phocas.

 

The following are the Thessalonica pre-reform coinage of Alexius I Comnenus. Majority of Alexius I's coinage are interesting, but very complicated between the pre- and post-reform coinage. Its a series I would love to complete in the future, if possible...

Byzantine Empire: Alexius I Comnenus (1081-1118) Æ Follis, Thessalonica (Sear 1909; DOC 18)

Obv: MP - ΘV in field; Facing bust of Virgin Mary nimbate, wearing tunic and maphorion; holds beardless, nimbate head of Christ on breast
Rev: +ΛΛЄΞI ΔЄCΠΟTTШK; Full-length figure of Alexius wearing stemma, divitision, collar-piece, and jeweled loros of simplified type; holds in right hand labarum on long shaft, and in left, globus cruciger



Byzantine Empire: Alexius I Comnenus (1081-1118) Æ Follis, Thessalonica (Sear 1911; DOC 19)

Obv: Cross potent set on two steps; pellet at each termination of arm
Rev: CЄP CVN/ЄPΓЄI BA/CIΛЄI AΛ/ЄZIШ in five lines

 

Here's one of my favourite Byzantine overstrikes. Originally a follis minted in Thessaloniki and counterstamped in Sicily. You can see how it was also clipped to reduce the weight to its new standard.

Heraclius & Heraclius Constantine
AE Follis

631 A.D., Syracuse Mint, null Officina
6.76g, 25.5mm, 6H

Obverse: -,
Crowned and draped facing busts of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine; cross between; all within circular punch

Reverse: -,
SCLs within circular punch

Exergue: -

Provenance: Ex. Frank S. Robinson Auction 107, Lot 415

Reference: SBCV 883

 

I believe Ч stands for 6, thus year 8. My symbol may be incorrect, but it is the closest I can get to the "6" symbol.
At this link, CNG indicates the symbol on my coin is a "6."
https://tinyurl.com/y4wmo3jw

 

I found the below on line and I see your point

However, even Sear does not include this number. Instead, it shows "ς" for the number 6 as above (and as in the CNG description text) and ςi (without the dot over the i for number 7.

 

Another coin that I bought months ago. Anyone have any ideas on the attribution?

 

It turns out its a Half Follis of Leonitus that got overstruck...

Byzantine Empire: Leontius (695-698) Æ Half Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1335; DOC III.9; MIB III.33)

Obv: Crowned facing bust of Leontius, holding globus cruciger; cross to right
Rev: Large K; cross above, A/N/NO and A across fields, B below

 

Ooh! That's a great find Quant!

 

I had an inkling it was Leonitus when I bought the coin, but wasn't sure. The long cross on the globus cruciger threw me off a bit. Seems earlier issues of his half follis have a longer cross. Now I got to see what the undertype is!

 

A group of my favorite 12th century trachea.

 

A follaro of John VIII, pretty much how I got it (scratch, encrustations). Not so many of these out there.
Sear 2568; 15 mm; 0.78 gr