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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Voulgaroktonou, post: 3971631, member: 84047&quot;]For over 40 years my friends have teased me for my love of Byzantine coins, to which they have given the acronym UBC = “ugly Byzantine coins”. Even my wife, also trained as a Classicist, questions my taste when I wax eloquent over the latest stavraton to arrive in the post. So it&#039;s nice to see the appreciation others have for them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are a few of my favorites. In advance I apologise for some of my photos. Many of them want reshooting. Also, they are not always arranged to scale, so please note the descriptions.</p><p>For all images, proceed from left to right and from top to bottom.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>1. Anastasius I. Constantinople. 512-17. Half follis. 9.62 gr. 24.5 mm. hr. 8. Sear 25A; Hahn 20a (this coin). Ex Vecchi 8, Dec. 4, 1997, lot 401. Published in The Celator, April 1999, “A Pair of holed rarities”. When the weights of the follis and its fractions were doubled in 512, the mint evidently considered that the increased size of the flans would allow for a figural reverse type, here a seated representation of Constantinople holding a globus cruciger. Examples exist for the type on the follis, its half, and quarter, but it evidently did not give satisfaction, and examples are extremely rare today. I will not live long enough (or be able to afford) a follis, should one come on the market, so I will be content with that line from Meatloaf, “Two out of three ain&#039;t bad.”</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Anastasius I. Constantinople. 512-17. Decanummium. 4.30 gr. 20 mm. hr. 6. Sear 28A; Hahn 21. Triton XV, lot 1573.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Anastasius I. Nicomedia. 512-17. Follis. 16.86 gr. 33.5 mm. hr. 7. Sear 37; Hahn 44. On this very rare issue (the 4th and finest known example) the officina letter under the mark of value has been replaced by a monogram of the emperor&#039;s name.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Justinian I. Alexandria, 538-65. 33 nummi. 14.67 gr. 30 mm. hr. 1. Sear 246; Hahn 164. Sternberg 21, lot 551.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045083[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>1. Leontius. Constantinople. 695/6. Follis. 7.65 gr. 28.1 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1334; Hahn 32. Private treaty, ex Protonotarios collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Justinian II. Constantinople. 705/11. Follis. 8.08 gr. 30.2 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1426; Hahn 42a.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Justinian II. Constantinople. 705/11. Follis. 4.18 gr. 22.6 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1428; Hahn 43,2 (this coin). Private treaty, ex Protonotarios collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Theodosius III. Syracuse. 716/17. Follis. 9.18 gr. 34.2 mm. hr. 7. Sear 1496; Hahn 16. CNG 97, lot 781.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Leo III. Constantinople. 717/20. Follis. 7.22 gr. 25.6 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1513; Hahn 25. Private treaty, ex Protonotarios collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Leo III. Constantinople. 717/41. Decanummium. 1.44 gr. 19 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1521; Hahn 28. Berk 847 (this coin). Berk/England Sale Dec. 7, 1989, lot 288.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045084[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I have little interest in Byzantine gold, but am drawn to better quality bronzes, and have a fondness for the silver of all periods, but especially for that of the Palaeologid period.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some African fractional silver.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Justin II. Carthage. 565/78. Half siliqua. 1.11 gr. 17.1 mm. hr. 5. Sear 392; Hahn 32. Spink/Tasei/NAC 51 June 1, 1994, lot 212.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Tiberius II. Carthage. 578/82. Half siliqua. 1.06 gr. 16.4 mm. hr. 6. Sear 464; Hahn 20. Elsen 125, lot 527. This and the next 2 coins carry explicit Christian messages on the reverse. LVX MVNDI = Light of the world.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Maurice Tiberius. Carthage. 582/3. Half siliqua. 0.91 gr. 15 mm. hr. 9. Sear 551; Hahn 57. Bought during my lunch hour from Parthenon Coins, across from the British Museum. SALVS MVNDI = Salvation of the world.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Maurice Tiberius. Carthage. 602. Half siliqua. 0.73 gr. 13.1 mm. hr. 1. Sear 553; Hahn 61. Elsen List 199, lot 404. Alpha and omega flanking a cross.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Theodosius, son of Maurice Tiberius. Carthage. 590/602. 200 nummi. 0.64 gr. 14 mm. hr. 9. Sear 615A; Hahn 62. NAC 95, Oct. 26-7, 1995, lot 807.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Heraclius. Carthage. 610/41. 1/3 siliqua. 0.61 gr. 12.4 mm. hr. 7. Sear 869; Hahn 147. Vecchi 8 Dec. 4, 1997, lot 501.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045085[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Hexagrams</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Heraclius. Constantinople. 636/7. Hexagram. 4.58 gr. 24.3 mm. hr. 7. Sear 801; Hahn 145. CNG E 402, lot 584.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Heraclius. Ravenna. 637/41. Hexagram. 6.58 gr. 23 mm. hr. 6. Sear 903; Hahn 153. CNG E 344, lot 531 (there misattributed to Constantinople). Ravennate hexagrams are very rare. They are distinguished from those of the main mint by style, and by the Latin forms of the letters D, N, and V.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Heraclius. Constantinople. 637/41. Hexagram. 6.58 gr. 23 mm. hr. 6. Sear 803; Hahn 146. CNG E 355, lot 668.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Constans II. Constantinople. 647/51. Hexagram. 6.48 gr. 27.1 mm. hr. 6. Sear 991; Hahn 144.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Constantine IV. Constantinople. 674/81. Hexagram. 6.54 gr. 24.9 mm. hr. 7. Sear 1170; Hahn 67.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Justinian II. Constantinople. 692/95. Hexagram. 6.43 gr. 24.5 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1259; Hahn 40. CNG E 445, lot 524.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045087[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ceremonial Silver, 7th century. These extremely rare coins are known for most issues and reigns of the 7th century, but in very small numbers. A few have been trickling on the market lately. They resemble the much more common hexagrams, but their weights are less well modulated (although these too vary among the hexagrams) and if possible, they are even more carelessly struck than the hexagram series. They also bear on the reverse 2 palm branches in place of the Deus adiuta Romanis inscription.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Phocas. Constantinople. 602/7. Siliqua. 1.21 gr. 18.9 mm. hr. 7. Sear 638A; Hahn 54. CNG E 437, lot 529.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Heraclius. Constantinople. 615/25. Miliarense. 4.34 gr. 22 mm. hr. 6. Sear 789; Hahn 129. CNG E 458, lot 590.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Heraclius. Constantinople. 638/41. Miliarense. 3.78 gr. 20 mm. hr. 6. Sear 791; Hahn 131. CNG E 458, lot 594.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Heraclius. Constantinople. 625/29. Siliqua. 2.20 gr. 20.2 mm. hr. 7. Sear 793; Hahn 133 var.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Constantine IV. Constantinople. 674/85. Miliarense. 4.42 gr. 21.3 mm. hr. 6. Sear 1165; Hahn 61. CNG 106, lot 876.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Anastasius II. Constantinople. 713/15. ½ siliqua. 0.78 gr. 14.6 mm. hr. 7. Sear - ; Hahn -; DO- (but since acquired). The attribution of this coin is based upon another example in NAC 23, Mar. 19, 2002, lot 1740.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045088[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The thin, broad miliaresion of the middle Byzantine period was patterned after the Arab dirhem and was first struck under Leo III. Although the denomination initially had a ceremonial purpose, being struck on the occasion of associating a junior colleague with the reigning Augustus, it served as an important part of the monetary system for the next 3 centuries. The obverse bears an inscription in 5 or 6 lines naming the emperor and colleagues, often qualified with one or more epithets, and terminating in the word “basileus” = “emperor”, or its plural. After Michael I was forced to recognize the imperial claims of Charlemagne in 811, the word “Romaion” = “of the Romans” was added to the inscription. While the ruler of the west might be called an emperor, only the basileus in Constantinople could call himself “emperor of the Romans”.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>1. Artavasdus. Constantinople. 742/3. Miliaresion. 1.73 gr. 20.9 mm. hr. 11. Sear 1545; DO 6. Elsen 125, lot 742. [The obv. and rev. are switched in my photo. The side with the 6 line inscription is the obverse.]</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Theophilus. Constantinople. 830/8. Miliaresion. 3.28 gr. 28.5 mm. hr. 11. Sear 1661; DO 10.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Michael III. Constantinople. 866/7. Miliaresion. 2.23 gr. 23.5 mm. hr. 12. Sear 1672; DO 7. CNG 51, lot 1677.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Constantine VII. Constantinople. 914/21. Miliaresion. 3.13 gr. 25.7 mm. hr. 12. Sear 1752; DO 16.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Romanus I. Constantinople. 931/44. Miliaresion. 2.87 gr. 23.5 mm. hr. 1. Sear 1755; DO 20.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045091[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Silver of the Palaeologids.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. John V. Constantinople. 1379/91. Stavraton. 8.03 gr. 25.5 mm. hr. 6. Sear 2510; DO 1266-67.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Manuel II. Constantinople. 1391/95. Stavraton. 7.94 gr. 25.3 mm. hr. 4. Sear 2548; DO 1308-9.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Manuel II. Constantinople. 1391/95. Half Stavraton. 3.43 gr. 20.5 mm. hr. 7. Sear 2550; DO 1312. LHS Numismatics AG 97 (Despot Sale) May 10, 2006, lot 353.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. John VIII. Constantinople. 1425/48. Stavraton. 7.09 gr. 25 mm. hr. 12. Sear 2564; DO 1636-8 var. Ed Gans Feb. 4, 1955.</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Constantine XI. Constantinople. 1449/53. Eighth Stavraton. 0.63 gr. 12.7 mm. hr. 11. Sear -; DO 1789. Bendall, “The coinage of Constantine XI” (Revue Numismatique 1991, pp. 134-142), #110 (this coin).</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Constantine XI. Constantinople. 1449/53. Eighth Stavraton. 0.63 gr. 13 mm. hr. 12. Sear -; DO 1789. Bendall, “The coinage of Constantine XI” (Revue Numismatique 1991, pp. 134-142), #129 (this coin).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1045093[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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