A friend recently gifted me this nice Byzantine coin of Constantine VII. It legends are stronger than usual. Only a very small fraction are nicer than this one. Constantine VII, 913-959 Struck 945-950 26-25 mm. 9.22 grams. Facing bust of Constantine VII, holding globus cruciger in left hand CONST bA - SIL ROM around ["N" looks like "h" on these coins] "Constantine, emperor of the Romans" Four line reverse legend: CONST/EҺ ΘЄO bA/SILЄVSR/ROMЄOҺ "Constantine, in God (by the grace of God), ruler of the Romans" Sear 1761. The story of coins of this emperor is on my webpage: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/ConVII.html In April 2019 I started a thread on Constantine VII and Romanus I: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/constantine-vii-replaces-romanus-i-byzantine.337736/ and linked it to my web page on them. Since then I have had several occasions to improve the page, and just now I reorganized it to make it easier to read. If you care to know why the reign of Constantine VII had coins struck for Romanus I during it and why so many Romanus I coins are overstruck by the above type, you can see the coins and read the story there. Byzantine copper coins are not often in high grade, but they often have great stories! Show us some Byzantine copper! Here is the web page again: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/ConVII.html
Don't have a copper of Constantine VII but I do have this piece of silver: Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, with Romanus I and Christopher, 913-959. (AR Miliaresion, 25 mm, 3.15 g, 12 h), Constantinople. IҺSЧS XRISTЧS ҺICA Cross potent set on three steps; below, globe. Rev. +ROmAҺO' / XPISTOFOR' / CЄ COҺSTAҺ' / ЄҺ X'ω ЄVSЄ/b' bASIL' R' in five lines. DOC 18. SB 1754.
Wow , what a wonderful gift from a special friend . Pictured below are a couple of my favorite Byzantine coppers .
That's a great looking Constantine VII @Valentinian ! I purchased this one for the interesting multiple strikes. It isn't beautiful but it's kinda cool
For le moment my only acquisition in 2022: Constantine VII and Zoe. This photo is not very good, another one of better quality will be made as soon as possible. CONSTANTINE VII and ZOE Follis Constantinople, 914-919 S 1758 9.06 g - 25 mm +COҺSꞆAҺꞆ' CЄ ZOH b', Facing busts of Constantine VII and Zoe, holding patriarchal cross between them. +COҺS/ꞆAҺꞆIҺO' CЄ ZOH bA/SILIS RO/mЄOҺ
That's a great example! I have one that I got fairly cheap. It wasn't properly identified. Not nearly as nice as yours though.
That's a Really solid example, @Valentinian. ...Along with all the other amazing ones. I've always half wanted a decent follis of Contantine VII, both for being 'born to the purple' and for his substantial reputation as a scholar. Other emperors ran more to dabbling in that direction; Constantine was the real deal.
My 1761 most certainly is not nicer but it follows the furryfrog02 example demonstrating why many of these are less than beautiful. It is overstruck on a Sear 1760 of Romanus I in such a way that the two reverse legends are pretty much equal and, fortunately, the +RWM of the undertype is very clear. The obverse is less clear and graphic but shows the cross on the head of the undertype at 10 o'clock. Also at 6 o'clock we see +RW from the start of the obverse legend. There are traces of the lower part of the undertype bust including at 1 o'clock the rather large globe held by Romanus on these coins. While I agree with your statement, my most interesting related coin shows Constantine VII and Romanus II (Sear Byzantine 1751) but is as un-copper as you can get. It is plated in gold over a silver core. Gold sticks better to silver and the weight would be less likely to attract attention so spending a bit more on the core might lower your chances of being caught. I would appreciate someone clear on the question to discuss the SB 1751 listing as Romanus II rather than the BMC listing as Romanus I based on the right figure being shorter??? Byzantine coins can be fun but finding a role model for our politicians in the bunch would be very hard.
Eastern Roman Empire coins are rarely beautiful. Here is a set of Constantinople issued tetartera I put together in the last twenty years. Several are out of scale but extremely nice acquisitions.
I've trotted these two out previously, but they are atypical and some may find them of interest. Here are two of my favorite Anastasii: 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't bad.” And below, a corresponding decanummium: Anastasius I. Constantinople. 512-17. Decanummium. 4.30 gr. 20 mm. hr. 6. Sear 28A; Hahn 21. Triton XV, lot 1573.
