A new coin of Constantine VIII, The longest reigning Roman/Byzantine Emperor of all time.. Having been crowned co-emperor by his father at the age of 2.. Constantine VIII seems not to have been credited with doing anything of note during the next 63 years he spent as co-emperor. Here you can see Constantine VIII just moments before becoming sole Emperor, (on the left). And immediately after becoming sole Emperor (on the right) And when he finally did become the sole emperor at the age of 65, he is credited with… having spent his time watching horse races and playing checkers.. When near death he finally allowed his now 50 year old daughter Zoe to marry (which produced no further heir)
Great coin @arnoldoe ! I believe the Byzantine empire was still in good shape during this time thanks to Basil the Bulgar-Slayer's reign. But things would get rough soon after Constantine VIII's reign.
I got a sneak preview of this coin, and want to reiterate my admiration for it. Fantastic portraits on both sides! This type is high up on my want list. The only coin I have to represent Constantine VIII is this miliaresion with Basil II. Constantine is on the right:
One of the few times Byzantine rulers had some realism put into their portraits. Absolutely gorgeous!
That is an amazing coin @arnoldoe the kind that becomes the star of a collection. I'm not sure what I like more, the obverse or reverse. Congrats on such a great acquisition.