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Constantine VII replaces Romanus I (Byzantine)
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<p>[QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 3496526, member: 44316"]Byzantine history is, well, Byzantine. The complicated reign of Constantine VII illustrates it. There are more twists and turns than I can recount here, but some events are key to understanding this coin which is clearly overstruck.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]926258[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The overtype is Constantine VII, 913-959.</p><p>27 mm. 6.14 grams.</p><p>Facing bust of Constantine VII, holding globus cruciger in left hand</p><p>CONST BA - S ... around</p><p>Four line reverse legend:</p><p>CONST/ENOEbA/SILEVSR/ROMEON ["N" looks like "h" on all of these coins]</p><p>Sear 1761.</p><p><br /></p><p>(This coin and the next came in the mail yesterday. It was great fun to sort out their story.)</p><p><br /></p><p>You can skip the next paragraph which identifies the undertype as Romanus I, Sear 1760 (the second next coin).</p><p><br /></p><p>Clearly the obverse is overstruck on a previous reverse, the final two lines showing:</p><p>SILEVSRW/OMEWN [Note: The omega form is like W here but like O on the Constantine VII.] Remembering that late Byzantine coins usually have 6:00 die-axis, flipping the coin over using the axis of the undertype we can see the top of the undertype's obverse was at 1:30 on the reverse. Yes, ILEVS RWM can be made out there to the right. At 3:00 in this orientation the beginning of the undertype's obverse legend is RWM ... for Romanus. This, and the details of the reverse, show the undertype is Sear 1760 of Romanus I (the second next coin).</p><p><br /></p><p>The books say Romanus I ruled 920-944, inside the reign of Constantine VII. How is that?</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is where it gets Byzantine.</p><p><br /></p><p>Leo VI, the wise, did not have a male heir until his fourth wife presented him with Constantine VII. (Having four wives got Leo in a lot of trouble with the church.) When Leo died there were historical complications I omit. Then Constantine VII became emperor while still a minor, with his mother Zoe as regent.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]926262[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Constantine and Zoe. 914-919. Note Zoe is larger.</p><p>You can see the name "Zoe" as "ZOH" in the middle line of the reverse ("H" is "eta" in Greek).</p><p>Sear 1758.</p><p>Obverse Legend: + CONSTAN CE ZOH b</p><p>Reverse: +CONS/TANTINO/CE ZOH bA/SILIS RO/MEON</p><p><br /></p><p>Invasions by the Bulgarians required the help of an able military man and the admiral Romanus I pushed himself into the role of regent and co-emperor, forcing out Zoe. He issued coins in his own name.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]926267[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Sear 1760, in the name of Romanus, under Constantine VII.</p><p>Obverse legend: + RWMAn BASILEVS RWM</p><p>Reverse: +RWMA/N'ENBEW bA/SILEVS RW/MAIWN</p><p><br /></p><p>He promoted his oldest son, Christopher, who was already an adult military man, to co-emperor and then his other two sons too. Constantine VII was moved down the list of heirs. However, Christopher died and Romanus became despondent, seeming not to care for his other two sons, and wrote a will that would have given the empire (back) to Constantine VII. The sons conspired and overthrew him, forcing him to take vows and join a monastery. Shortly thereafter, the populace backed Constantine VII and overthrew the sons and forced them to join their father (in 945).</p><p><br /></p><p>So, you can understand that it was time to call in the coins of Romanus I and restrike them as coins of Constantine VII, which explains the overstrike on the first coin. That type was issued from 945 to c. 950, when Constantine VII began to issue coins with his own young child, Romanus II:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]926278[/ATTACH]</p><p>Constantine VII and Romanus II, c.950-959 [That is, until Constantine VII died.]</p><p>CONST CE ROMAN b ROM</p><p>Their facing busts.</p><p>CONST'/CE ROMAN/EN XRIST/b ROMEO</p><p><br /></p><p>Sear 1762 under Constantine VII.</p><p><br /></p><p>They may not be beautiful. They may not be high grade. But Byzantine copper coins have great stories!</p><p><br /></p><p>Show us a Byzantine coin, maybe with an overstrike.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 3496526, member: 44316"]Byzantine history is, well, Byzantine. The complicated reign of Constantine VII illustrates it. There are more twists and turns than I can recount here, but some events are key to understanding this coin which is clearly overstruck. [ATTACH=full]926258[/ATTACH] The overtype is Constantine VII, 913-959. 27 mm. 6.14 grams. Facing bust of Constantine VII, holding globus cruciger in left hand CONST BA - S ... around Four line reverse legend: CONST/ENOEbA/SILEVSR/ROMEON ["N" looks like "h" on all of these coins] Sear 1761. (This coin and the next came in the mail yesterday. It was great fun to sort out their story.) You can skip the next paragraph which identifies the undertype as Romanus I, Sear 1760 (the second next coin). Clearly the obverse is overstruck on a previous reverse, the final two lines showing: SILEVSRW/OMEWN [Note: The omega form is like W here but like O on the Constantine VII.] Remembering that late Byzantine coins usually have 6:00 die-axis, flipping the coin over using the axis of the undertype we can see the top of the undertype's obverse was at 1:30 on the reverse. Yes, ILEVS RWM can be made out there to the right. At 3:00 in this orientation the beginning of the undertype's obverse legend is RWM ... for Romanus. This, and the details of the reverse, show the undertype is Sear 1760 of Romanus I (the second next coin). The books say Romanus I ruled 920-944, inside the reign of Constantine VII. How is that? Here is where it gets Byzantine. Leo VI, the wise, did not have a male heir until his fourth wife presented him with Constantine VII. (Having four wives got Leo in a lot of trouble with the church.) When Leo died there were historical complications I omit. Then Constantine VII became emperor while still a minor, with his mother Zoe as regent. [ATTACH=full]926262[/ATTACH] Constantine and Zoe. 914-919. Note Zoe is larger. You can see the name "Zoe" as "ZOH" in the middle line of the reverse ("H" is "eta" in Greek). Sear 1758. Obverse Legend: + CONSTAN CE ZOH b Reverse: +CONS/TANTINO/CE ZOH bA/SILIS RO/MEON Invasions by the Bulgarians required the help of an able military man and the admiral Romanus I pushed himself into the role of regent and co-emperor, forcing out Zoe. He issued coins in his own name. [ATTACH=full]926267[/ATTACH] Sear 1760, in the name of Romanus, under Constantine VII. Obverse legend: + RWMAn BASILEVS RWM Reverse: +RWMA/N'ENBEW bA/SILEVS RW/MAIWN He promoted his oldest son, Christopher, who was already an adult military man, to co-emperor and then his other two sons too. Constantine VII was moved down the list of heirs. However, Christopher died and Romanus became despondent, seeming not to care for his other two sons, and wrote a will that would have given the empire (back) to Constantine VII. The sons conspired and overthrew him, forcing him to take vows and join a monastery. Shortly thereafter, the populace backed Constantine VII and overthrew the sons and forced them to join their father (in 945). So, you can understand that it was time to call in the coins of Romanus I and restrike them as coins of Constantine VII, which explains the overstrike on the first coin. That type was issued from 945 to c. 950, when Constantine VII began to issue coins with his own young child, Romanus II: [ATTACH=full]926278[/ATTACH] Constantine VII and Romanus II, c.950-959 [That is, until Constantine VII died.] CONST CE ROMAN b ROM Their facing busts. CONST'/CE ROMAN/EN XRIST/b ROMEO Sear 1762 under Constantine VII. They may not be beautiful. They may not be high grade. But Byzantine copper coins have great stories! Show us a Byzantine coin, maybe with an overstrike.[/QUOTE]
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