Byzantine coins with a cross above the head

Here is an educational website of mine on the unusual copper Byzantine coins of Anastasius, Justin, and Justinian that have a cross above the profile head.

http://esty.ancients.info/ByzCross/Cross-above-head.html

Here is one very nice example of Justin (AD 518-527) from the Nicomedia mint (NIKM):

Note the bold cross above his head. Few Byzantine coins have this cross.
Reference: Sear 84. 30 mm. 16.81 grams.

This collection was assembled over the last 50 years by a friend of mine who wondered why a small fraction of Byzantine right-facing profile busts had a cross above the head (most coins, even of those types, do not). Unfortunately the answer remains unknown, but I put the data he assembled on the web for all to ponder. I hope it has all the data about the coins that scholars might need if they investigated the question.

Now that the scholarly information is available, he is interested in selling the collection, and I agreed to do it for him.

 

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Very interesting Warren, thank you. I find it particularly interesting since I do the same thing with Sogdian coins, picking out the varieties with crosses for a subcollection.

 

Wow i like that coin, color and details are awesome.

 

Great looking coin.

 

very nice,
excellent patina

 

neat indeed!

i have this decanummium with a cross on the front, but it is a facing bust not a profile..i don't really know if that is weird or not?

 

Byzantine coins with crosses on them are the norm. The collection and its web site focus on only those usual coins with both
1) profile busts (that is, prior to Justinian's reform of AD 538 which thereafter used facing busts), and
2) a cross above the head.
http://esty.ancients.info/ByzCross/Cross-above-head.html

 

yeah, i see that now looking at the few coins i have...none of my profile coins have a cross on the obverse, most of my facing coins of the period do.

 

I don't particularly like Byzantine's, but this one interests me.

 

Hey Warren ... close enough?

Byzantine Empire, Sassanian occupation of Egypt Æ 12 Nummi
Khusro II
Date: Circa 618-628 AD
Measure: 19.66 mm
Weight: 8.26 grams
Obverse: Cuirassed bust of Khusro facing, wearing crown with simple cross, star to left, C to right
Reverse: Cross on globe between I-B, AΛEΣ in exergue
Attribution: DOC 191; SB 855

 

Facing bust! Normal!

 

I have a Theo II with cross above, but not any Byzantines with that feature.

 

Hmmm... I have all 3 of your Emperors listed, Warren. But none have the cross over their profiled bust. I probably should have acquired them from your site...

 

Okay, thanks