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Constantine VII replaces Romanus I (Byzantine)
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<p>[QUOTE="BenSi, post: 3496680, member: 95174"]I have been reexamining some coins in my collection, your post gave me an excuse to share.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both of these coins are of the same issue but very different. They were issued by the last emperor of Constantinople before the fall to the Latins of the 4th crusade in 1203 AD. He ruled from 1195 to until he fled the capital in 1203. His Name Alexius III,</p><p><br /></p><p>Now beyond the visual differences in the two coins one changes coin history ever so slightly.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both of these coins are minted in Constantinople, they were the last of the Metropolitan Tetartera, these tetartera minted in the capitol were worth more than the coins from Thessalonica because they had a small silver content to them. The Metropolitan tetartera are far rarer than the coinage that covered the country side. In fact, Phillip Grierson thought they were for ceremonial use only. We now know from documents and additional finds that they were part of the coinage system and not just ceremonial use. By the reign of Alexius III the silver content had dropped so low in billion trachea it was theorized that the Metropolitan denomination became obsolete and no longer issued.</p><p><br /></p><p>In Dumbarton Oaks catalog IV Michael Hendy had dated the last Metropolitan tetartera being minted in 1197, two years after Alexius III took the throne. This was based on the coinage before 1197 did not contain the family name that Alexius III adopted, Comnenus.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first coin fits that description the title on the left side leaves off the family name. As did all of the coins minted before 1197 regardless of denomination did. The coin itself is extremely rare, I have been fortunate to acquire two examples.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]926379[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>ALEXIUS III ANGELUS-COMNENUS METROPOLITIAN TETARTERON S-2014 DOC 4 CLBC 8.4.1 </b></p><p>OBV Bust of Virgin nimbate, orans, wearing tunic and maphorion, turned to r. Manus Dei in upper r. field</p><p><br /></p><p>REV Bust of emperor wearing stemma, divitision, collar piece, and jeweled loros of a simplified type; holds in r hand labarum headed scepter and in l. Globus cruciger.</p><p>Size 18/19mm</p><p><br /></p><p>Weight 2.7gm</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Well This second coin breaks the date theory because of those last letters on the left side are the abridged Comnenus name so the coin was minted after 1197 AD</p><p>[ATTACH=full]926380[/ATTACH]</p><p>ALEXIUS III ANGELUS-COMNENUS METROPOLITIAN TETARTERON S-2014 DOC 4 CLBC 8.4.1</p><p><br /></p><p>Size 18/21mm</p><p><br /></p><p>Weight 2.7gm</p><p><br /></p><p>Dumbarton Oaks Catalog lists 1 known example with weight of 3.38gm and a size of 19mm</p><p><br /></p><p>Strange how different both coins appear to be in style. I acquired the last one over 15 years ago I have seen one other example and it too had the Comnenus name attached.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="BenSi, post: 3496680, member: 95174"]I have been reexamining some coins in my collection, your post gave me an excuse to share. Both of these coins are of the same issue but very different. They were issued by the last emperor of Constantinople before the fall to the Latins of the 4th crusade in 1203 AD. He ruled from 1195 to until he fled the capital in 1203. His Name Alexius III, Now beyond the visual differences in the two coins one changes coin history ever so slightly. Both of these coins are minted in Constantinople, they were the last of the Metropolitan Tetartera, these tetartera minted in the capitol were worth more than the coins from Thessalonica because they had a small silver content to them. The Metropolitan tetartera are far rarer than the coinage that covered the country side. In fact, Phillip Grierson thought they were for ceremonial use only. We now know from documents and additional finds that they were part of the coinage system and not just ceremonial use. By the reign of Alexius III the silver content had dropped so low in billion trachea it was theorized that the Metropolitan denomination became obsolete and no longer issued. In Dumbarton Oaks catalog IV Michael Hendy had dated the last Metropolitan tetartera being minted in 1197, two years after Alexius III took the throne. This was based on the coinage before 1197 did not contain the family name that Alexius III adopted, Comnenus. The first coin fits that description the title on the left side leaves off the family name. As did all of the coins minted before 1197 regardless of denomination did. The coin itself is extremely rare, I have been fortunate to acquire two examples. [ATTACH=full]926379[/ATTACH] [B]ALEXIUS III ANGELUS-COMNENUS METROPOLITIAN TETARTERON S-2014 DOC 4 CLBC 8.4.1 [/B] OBV Bust of Virgin nimbate, orans, wearing tunic and maphorion, turned to r. Manus Dei in upper r. field REV Bust of emperor wearing stemma, divitision, collar piece, and jeweled loros of a simplified type; holds in r hand labarum headed scepter and in l. Globus cruciger. Size 18/19mm Weight 2.7gm Well This second coin breaks the date theory because of those last letters on the left side are the abridged Comnenus name so the coin was minted after 1197 AD [ATTACH=full]926380[/ATTACH] ALEXIUS III ANGELUS-COMNENUS METROPOLITIAN TETARTERON S-2014 DOC 4 CLBC 8.4.1 Size 18/21mm Weight 2.7gm Dumbarton Oaks Catalog lists 1 known example with weight of 3.38gm and a size of 19mm Strange how different both coins appear to be in style. I acquired the last one over 15 years ago I have seen one other example and it too had the Comnenus name attached.[/QUOTE]
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