7.66g, 27mm This came in a mostly unremarkable lot of Byzantine coins, but I immediately recognized it as something special. At first glance I spotted the Arabic countermarks on both sides, but after further inspection I realized that it was also overstruck on an older Byzantine coin. Beyond that, I’m not quite sure what I have. Can anyone more familiar with Byzantine coins tell me what I’m looking at here? I believe it is a Michael IV era anonymous follis overstruck on a standing figure or figures type. I know that the countermarks were published in the Mardin Hoard, but that’s not a source that I have access to. I see a nimbate Christ on the obverse with an Arabic countermark in the left field; on the reverse, I see the usual cross and inscription, but there appears to be an undertype with a crowned head on the left side, about 9 o’clock. Directly to the right of that head is another Arabic countermark. At the bottom, there are some indistinct shapes. Regardless, quite a history on this one!
I'm with ff2 - a hot mess, but what a terrific coin. With Byzantines, the messier the better. I like it!
