Featured Byzantine Gold of the 12th Century, A collector’s playground.

I have 17 of the Manuel I Comnenus, but they weigh less than 3 grams. Do any of the know what type of denomination they’re called?

 

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I have 17 of the Manuel I Comnenus, but they weigh less than 3 grams. Do any of the know what type of denomination they’re called?

 

I have 17 of the Manuel I Comnenus, but they weigh less than 3 grams. Do any of the know what type of denomination they’re called?

 

Hi @ENGLEBERT ROY , need more info. Can you post a picture? The weight alone does not help without descriptions of the coins. Maunel coins are the most common for that time period and he created a great variety of coins in gold, mixed gold , mixed silver and copper.

 

A new one to add, not perfect but has character. It also fills an empty spot of the collection.


Alexius I Comnenus. 1081-1118. AV Hyperpyron (35mm, 4.45 g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck 1092/3-1118. Christ Pantokrator enthroned facing / Alexius standing facing, holding labarum and globus cruciger; manus Dei above, pellet on shaft, six pellets in loros end. DOC 20c.1; SB 1912. Deposits in devices, flattened, long thin central flan crack. VF.

From the Todd Hansen Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 57 (4 April 2001), lot 1502.

It differs from SBCV-1913 because of the size of the ornamentation (balls) on the Globus Cruciger, on SBCV-1913 they are greatly exaggerated.

 

It is becoming Infrequent to find new additions to the collection.

Here is a new one, it differs from last years acquisition of a Manuel hyperpyron by being a product of the Thessalonica mint. The product of gold from the Thessalonica mints are hard to come by.

This coin differs from the Constantinople issue by some small details, notable the legend on the obverse has KE and the reverse only has one cross on the globe instead of a dual cross. The coin is also a bit deeper than the concaved coins of Constantinople.

Thessalonica Mint
Sear 1971 / DOC 1f
Gold, 4.52 grams, 29 mm

The coin was authenticated and graded by David Sear. EF. I looked online and I could only find 2 examples sold in the last decade.

Here is a side by side comparison of the Constantinople issue ( top ) and the Thessalonica issue.
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SBCV-2009 Alexius III Electrum Aspron Trachy. A very nice example from HJB . One step closer to the conclusion of the collection.


Alexius III; 1195-1203 AD. Constantinople, EL Aspron Trachy, 4.31g. Sear-2009. Obv: Christ enthroned facing, nimbate, raising r. hand and holding Gospels in l.; IC - XC to l. and r. of his head. Rx: Alexius and St. Constantine standing side by side, holding cruciform scepter between them.. Mint State

 

Your coins are spectacular!

 

Thank You, but not all. This coin I have had trouble finding, so I bought a not so nice example until a nice one comes up. I now have two coins to find for Manuel I Comnenus both electrum aspron trachea, to complete his rule.


Manuel I Comnenus, 1143-1180. Aspron Trachy (Electrum, 30 mm, 4.42 g, 5 h), Constantinopolis, circa 1143-1152. O / ЄM/MA - N૪/HΛ Nimbate bust of Christ facing, wearing tunic and pallium, raising his right hand in benediction and holding scroll in his left; in fields, IC - XC. Rev. MAN૪HΛ [...] / MP - ΘV Manuel standing facing on the left, wearing crown, divitision and jewelled loros, holding akakia in his right hand and patriarchal cross in his left together with Virgin Mary standing facing on the right, nimbate, wearing pallium and maphorium and raising her left hand in benediction. SB 1957. Flan crack and with numerous scratches, otherwise, very fine.

If you have Byzantine gold to share please do.

 

Here are a few coins of Justin I and his nephew Justinian

The first coin shows Justin. His portraits tend to be rather rough in style, and one must wonder if this is a reflection of the man’s character. He was said to be illiterate, although since he served as commander of the Excubitores before being elevated to the throne, this may be a slur based on his uncouth origin as an Illyrian. (Apologies to any Illyrians reading this. If you can read.) The Ancient Greeks regarded the Illyrians as barbarians and pirates. By Justin’s time the Illyrians were largely Romanized and Latin-speaking, but retained a suggestion of being rough hill tribesmen. Justin and his wife Euphemia followed the teachings of the Coucil of Chalcedon (451 AD) in contrast to his predecessor Anastasius’ Arian sympathies. Constantinople mint.

The second coin is an early coin of Justinian. Justin associated his brilliant nephew as co-Emperor, and Justinian played in active role in governing before Justin’s death in 527 AD. Constantinople mint.

The third coin shows Justinian facing forward in the style which would become the rule for Byzantine coins for centuries afterward. Constantinople mint.

The last two coins are solidi struck by Justinian in Carthage. The rev inscription ends in iota alpha which is an indication year (year 11) from Carthage. Specifically 547/8 AD. The early gold coinage from the newly recovered province was episodic, and struck in response to military requirements.

 

Great thread!

To be sure, Byzantine gold coins are far more available than, say, Roman aurei or even solidi, and they offer a wide range of styles and themes at generally a fraction of the price.

Here are my threesome:

Constans II and Constantine IV, solidus, 654-659 AD, Constantinople.



Issac I, AV histamenon, 1057-1059, Constantinople.



Andronicus II, Michael IX, AV hyperpyron, 1303-1320, Constantinople.

 

@BenSi started this terrific thread and knows more about these coins than I do, but for a beginner's guide to the reform of Alexius which introduced the hyperpyron, see my page:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/Alexius.html

It covers the copper coins, too.

 

Your page is an excellent write up, a perfect place for anyone interested in the time period to start. The rule of Alexius was a revival time of sorts, during the reform coins became more attractive again. I hope you continue to write more @Valentinian

 

I lost several coins I needed at the latest Morton and Eden auction, I was more than disappointed, I was in the middle of the Pacific when the auction was on and my prebids were beaten.
I did however manage to acquire an unbid on coin, It was a coin I needed but the fact it had been clipped originally dissuaded me. Now that I have the coin in hand I made the decision it will not be a filler, It is an attractive example and it will be part of my permanent collection.

Manuel I, Comnenus (1143-1180), electrum aspron trachy, Thessalonica, Virgin enthroned facing, holding before her, nimbate head of the infant Christ facing, rev., Manuel and St. Demetrius standing facing, holding labarum between them; 1.89g (DO 9.5; S. 1974), four minor flan cracks, very fine Ex European Ambassador Collection, formed in the 1950s and 1960s.

When doing my research I ran into an article that delt with why these examples were clipped, the article was written by Robert D Leonard Jr. The article called
(99+) Andronicus Comnenus's Invasion Money of 1181-1182 | Robert Leonard - Academia.edu

It surmised that Electrum Aspron trachea from the reign of Manuel and John II had been clipped and hammered into shape to roughly half the weight of the normal denomination by Andronicus, to pay an army of mercenary's under the pretense of saving Alexius II the young ruler of the Empire from his mis deeding guardians. Andronicus successfully does take the city and becomes his new guardian. So these clipped coins were technically issued by Alexius II.

This article is an interesting theory and if true would make these clipped coins the only known coins of Alexius II.

 

Another one to check off the list. I have been traveling and I was very happy to have this one waiting for me when I got home.

As this thread was originally created it was showing an affordable path to Byzantine gold. This coin eluded me for some time. recently several came to market, I lost on the first one by 20 euro because I was traveling in the Pacific and the auction was in Europe, I slept through it. I was very frustrated. Luckily only a week later another came to market and I won it for considerably less than the first one.

It is a rare coin because it was one of the first coins of the new denomination Alexius I Comnenus created. Electrum Aspron Trachy. I always figured the coins of Alexius were rarer because the following rulers recycled them. The Electrum trachea (Mix of gold a silver) of Alexius I started at 7 carats, his son John II down to 5 carats and Manuel around the same at 5 carats, As the century continued the gold content dropped to 2.5 carats and ending at Alexius III down to very little or no gold at all.

The coin was the second highest denomination, 3 of these were equal to a Hyperpyron.

My example was graded as choice Fine with a flan crack, It weighs 4.3gm and 30.07 mm It also has full legends.

SBCV-1915