Byzantine Follis (?)

Being a US type coin guy I don’t get many opportunities to mingle with the smart folks over here in the ancients forum. Just got home from a coin show and picked this up.

The depiction of Christ on this Byzantine coin just took my breath away (is follis correct?).. Anyway I wanted to share it over here if y’all don’t mind. I could look at this depiction of Christ forever.... The card in the flip attributes this to Constantine VIII, A.D. 1025-1028.

 

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That's a nicely preserved face on your Christ! Any "Christ follis" with a nose is a winner . What's the weight and size of your coin?

Here are some links for learning more about these "anonymous follis" Byzantine coins:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Anonymous Follis

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=anonymous folles

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ByzAnon/


A recent CT thread showing many of these coins and discussing the finer points of classification:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-anonymous-folles.322682/

 

Your post again has taken my breath away. I followed the links and it seems the reverse is loosely translated as “Christ King of Kings”..... Thank you very much for that.

 

Nice example @Randy Abercrombie - I've got a few of these anonymous folles but typically there is some wear on Christ's face. Also, your coin is nicely centered.

 

That is a great looking Byzantine, randy!

 

Here is my Byzantine Anonymous Follis. Attributed to Basil II and Constantine VIII

 

You asked about the weight and size.... I can tell you it weighs 10.89 grams. As far as a size..... Well I would say about the size of a US large cent.

 

Thanks. I was just curious because of the recent discussion about the subdivision of Anonymous Follis type A coins into Class A1, Class A2, and Class A3. Yours is an A3, if you agree with using the distinction in the first place (read the FAC pages and the CT discussion I linked and you'll understand what I mean).

 

Hey @Randy Abercrombie , yours looks a lot like this. Correct me if I am wrong:

Basil II and Constantine VIII, AE Class 2 anonymous follis. 976-1028 AD.
Obv: IC-XC to left and right of bust of Christ, facing, with nimbate cross behind head, holding book of gospels, sometimes with dots in centre of book's border, square in each limb of the cross
Rev: IhSUS XRISTUS bASILEU bASILE in four lines, ornament below. SB 1813.
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/byz/basil_II/sb1813.5.jpg

 

Your coin has one of the best Christ faces we have seen but is weak from insufficient flan at the top and edges. When you read the links, you missed the first line of the reverse reads "+Jesus". There are very few of these that approach perfect and your coin is a real keeper ....by a nose.

TIF asked this for a reason. Class A folles vary in weight from about 7 to over 20g. The link to the CT discussion discussed the matter so we don't need to repeat it here. Students of the series would be interested in the weight of yours. I would guess a bit under 10g making it one that some call A3 but others lump together with the heavier coin s called A2. Right? My best A2 is this 17.0g coin with a poor nose and very weak partial Emmanuel around the edges.

 

Yes sir! Spot on!

 

My BZ Trachy with Christ on it


BZ Manuel I Comnenus 1143-1180 CE Aspron Trachy 35mm 4g Christ Gospels Labaran globus cruciger Virgin maphorium SB 1966 scyphate

 

It is dead on 10.89 grams. I really should get calipers to be able to accurately gauge the diameter. I missed that top line. Must be that mine is worn high and possibly struck weak in that area.

 

Again.... My apologies for the lack of calipers.... Here is the size relative to a common US large cent.

 

That is a real winner you scored @Randy Abercrombie !

I don't have a picture of mine yet sadly...

 

Of interest to me is that I had believed for years that the traditional image of Christ was derived from the images painted by the rennaisanse masters some 3-5 decades after this coin was struck. This image appears quite “traditional” to me.

 

Basil II & Constantine VIII, (976-1028 A.D.)
Æ “Anonymous” Follis
Class A2
O: EMMANOVHΛ, Nimbate bust of Christ facing, wearing pallium and colobium and holding book of Gospels; IC – XC in fields to left and right.
R: + IhSЧS / [X]RISTЧ / bASILЄЧ / bASILЄ / ·, legend in four lines.
8.68g
26mm
SBCV 1793

 

A really great portrait of Jesus, nice capture!
Now you need some more ancients to keep him company.

John

 

Replace decades with CENTURIES! Great coin Randy, you've been bitten by the 'ancients bug.' Resistance is futile! You must now funnel all excess money toward ancient coins.

 

Ha!!! Matter of a few years difference there!!