Today, Dumbarton Oaks’s Online Catalogue of Byzantine Coins launched. This makes me very happy! I had heard that the catalogues would be updated, but this is everything I could want when researching such a large collection. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?
I have a few issues with my first visit based on a couple 'test' searches that found a lot less than I hoped. The photos of the two sides were separate large (4000x4000). They had 18 coins of Justinian II (my first search) with a few coins of other rulers that were not from the search parameters. https://www.doaks.org/resources/coins/catalogue#b_start=0&c6=justinian+ii I have one that was a rough match of one of theirs. Their coin was rather low grade but the photo was excellent and too large to show here. https://www.doaks.org/resources/coins/catalogue/bzc-1974-5.16/@@images/image/zoom https://www.doaks.org/resources/coins/catalogue/bzc-1974-5.16/@@images/reverse_image/zoom This is mine but year 2 compared to their year 8. OBVERSE Frontal bust of Justinian II wearing chlamys and crown with cross on circlet. Globus cruciger in right hand. No inscription. REVERSE with cross above, Γ below, N|N|O in left field, and H in right field. ACCESSION NUMBER BZC.1974.5.16 RULER Justinian II DATE OF REIGN 685–695, 705–711 METAL Copper DENOMINATION Half Follis MINT Constantinople DATE 691/692 DIAMETER 22.0 mm WEIGHT 4.34 g RELATION OF DIES 12:00 SHAPE Flat COMMENTARY This coin was struck on a triangular flan. Cf. DOC 2.2:586, no. 24. MIB 3:265, no. 47 (citing this coin as DO [n.a.]). ACQUISITION HISTORY From Henry Weller, 19 April 1974 I was surprised they mentioned the triangular flan but did not see fit to mention it was a cut quarter of an earlier follis. A second search for Justinian I half follis did turn up one with a follis size obverse die which was commented upon. Excellent! It will take a while to warm up to their decision to show only obverses on their search results page but I applaud any museum willing to post anything. You can download electronic versions of the printed DO catalogs which seems like the better option here. Perhaps thing will go better with practice using the search facilities. We enjoyed our visit years ago. Then they had few coins on display but the grounds were beautiful and worth the trip across town.
That is a really interesting coin @dougsmit! I have been listening to The History of Byzantium podcast on my way to/from work and around the house doing chores. I'm just past the reign of Irene...I have found myself drawn to Byzantine coins lately but I find the research to be quite daunting. Maybe the family and I will take a trip down there in the fall when the weather cools off a bit. Too hot and humid right now.
I recommend Byzantine AE to you. It is an area where a person with a clue can find treasures in a junk box. There are high grade, popular common coins but there are others (mostly later) that are small, ugly, super rare and a challenge to ID. Of course my favorites are the messy overstrikes.
Wow those are a hot mess! Very cool I am hoping that someone will have a junk box at the Baltimore show in November that FFIVN and I can dig through.
Your right, they need more examples. This coin has been sold for years as Richard the Lionheart based on where they were found. It has had a few stories in the past associating it with other rulers. This catalog has it as uncertain ruler. I am not surprised. https://www.doaks.org/resources/coins/catalogue/BZC.2015.007
Looks like they have only uploaded the types they've acquired since the print volumes came out, but plan to add the whole collection eventually. I look forward to that, because the photos are a lot better than in the pdfs. (Agreed that we need to see the reverses in the search results.) Constantine IV decanummium overstruck on a Constans II follis - oh those wacky Byzantine bronzes!
The strength of the strike of the overtype suggests we would not see anything here had the centering been correct. Many overstuck coins go unnoticed because the mint workers did their job correctly at least on occasion. This is a wonderful coin from a Constans point of view on the obverse. Imagine what we would have had if the Constantine portrait were rotated so we could see his face. As is, it is a great coin. We must watch for the upgrade version.
Thanks, @dougsmit. Yes, if only the obverse were rotated! I like it that the undertype (SB 1014) has portraits on the reverse too, including Constantine IV in the middle. (Not my coin, though I should get one): Here's the missing face from on top (SB 1182, also not my coin):