About a year ago a favorite dealer had two very nice Byzantine silver coins and I was completely lacking in anything similar to them. The cheaper was $350 and the nicer twice that. I could not convince myself I was that interested. Friday another dealer had a lesser example of the lesser type for a much, much lower price. Realizing that I was unlikely to find one any better at a price I would accept, I bought it. The coin has a major fault. It has been clipped removing silver from the edges crowding a bit of the right side reverse legend and has a bit of wear. John I Tzmisces 969-976 AD AR miliaresion portrait of John on globe in center of cross crosslet + IhSUS XRI STUS ҺICA *around and IШ - AҺ inside circle / + IШAҺҺ’/ЄҺ XШ AVTO/CRAT, ЄVSЄЬ’/ЬASILЄVS/RШMAIШ' Show your Byzantine silver.
As you wish! Byzantine Empire Eastern Roman Empire Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine AR Hexagram 22.0 mm x 6.28 g Constantinople mint. 610-640 AD Obv. dd NN HERAKLIUS et hERA CONST Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine seated facing on double throne Rev. Large DEUS ADIUTA ROMANIS Cross potent above three steps (God Help the Romans) ref# S 798
Great coin Doug, I would have snapped it up in an instant! I wouldn't have known about the clipping it you hadn't told me - I would have assumed an off-center strike. Evidently you had a great show - so far, I want each and every one of your new coins.
yeah, the clipping is very subtle...i wouldn't have noticed either. no byzantine silver...on my list...
So jealous right now. @dougsmit that is an incredibly interesting coin. Yours too @Ancientnoob. Real winners! I've been wanting some Byzantine silver for a while, but I keep only finding bronzes for sale. At the rate I'm going it may be a while before I add a Byzantine coin. Limiting myself to silver and high grade billon can be such a bummer sometimes. I'm starting to wonder why I made that stupid rule.
While I agree with that question, I might suggest you also consider a very low gold content electrum scyphate that has a gray color. These vary a lot and are not all that expensive.
Electrum csyphate? I'm not familiar with that. Do you have an example? I know there is electrum with gold hues or somewhat silvery with a deluded golden hint, but not sure I'm familiar with the coins you are referring to with the gray color, or that term you used to describe them.
Interesting Byzantine miliaresion... for a "lesser example", it looks quite nice to me. Did these get very thin for their size? I haven't gone very far into collecting Byzantine coins, but a hexagram was too cool not to get. BYZANTINE EMPIRE Heraclius, with Heraclius Constantine AR Hexagram. 6.42g, 25mm. Constantinople mint, AD 615-638. DOC 64; Hahn MIB 140; Sear Byzantine 798. O: ∂∂ NN hЄRACLIЧ Єτ hЄRA COnS, Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine seated facing on double throne, each crowned and holding globus cruciger; cross between. R: ∂ЄЧS A∂IЧτA ROmANIS, cross potent on globe above three steps; K to right.
hhttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://ele...hWFGz4KHZnrBLcQ_AUICSgE#imgrc=fuN6GuSI-GEZEM: It is hard to tell from catalog photos but when you see them in the trays you will see a color variation from coin to coin. Electrum is a mix of metals with no consistent proportions. The above link shows some that look AR but I am not sure that is not part the photography. I only have one and I picked it to look gold so it is no good for this. Of course there is my flat John VIII below which really is silver but my comment was to point out that there is a curved silver color option for your silver specialty.
Gotta like the Byzantine silver, so much variety and denominations. Scyphates are the cup shaped Byzantine coins made in all metals. Andronicus II/Michael IX Constantinople AR Basilikon 1295 to 1320 AD Obvs: IC - XC KVRIE BOHΘE, Christ enthroned. Revs: AVTΩKPATO-PEC PωMAION, Andronicus and Michael holding labarum between them. 20mm, 1.70g Isaac II 1185 to 1195 AD Electrum aspron trachy Obvs: The Virgin enthroned facing, nimbate and wearing pallium and maphorium; she holds infant Christ. Revs: Archangel Michael, beardless and nimbate on right and Issac on left. Michael holds jeweled scepter and crowns emperor. 26x30mm, 3.2g Constantinople mint Commemorating Constantinople 5th/6th c. AD Mint: Constantinople AR Scripulum Obvs: Helmeted, draped, and cuirassed bust of Constantinopolis right. Revs: Large K. 13x15mm, 1.07g
Great OP-additions, Mentor ... congrats!! Ummm, how 'bout this baby? (does it qualify as Byzantine Silver?) ARMENIA, Cilician Armenia. Royal. Levon I. AR Tram 1198-1219 AD Diameter: 22 mm Weight: 2.75 grams Obverse: Levon seated facing on throne decorated with lions, holding cross and lis-tipped scepter Reverse: Two lions rampant back-to-back, each with head reverted; between, cross pattée set on spear Reference: AC 289
Ummm, or how 'bout this humble example? ... does it belong in this thread? => it is listed as "BI" in the ol' metal category Isaac II BI Trachy 1185-1195 AD Mary with baby Christ & Isaac II
