On October 5th, 610 the Patriarch of Constantinople crowned Heraclius emperor exactly 1411 years from yesterday... He ruled from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas. Heraclius's reign was marked by several military campaigns. The year Heraclius came to power, the empire was threatened on multiple frontiers. Heraclius immediately took charge of the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628. The first battles of the campaign ended in defeat for the Byzantines; the Persian army fought their way to the Bosphorus but Constantinople was protected by impenetrable walls and a strong navy, and Heraclius was able to avoid total defeat. Soon after, he initiated reforms to rebuild and strengthen the military. Heraclius drove the Persians out of Asia Minor and pushed deep into their territory, defeating them decisively in 627 at the Battle of Nineveh. The Persian king Khosrow II was overthrown and executed by his son Kavad II, who soon sued for a peace treaty, agreeing to withdraw from all occupied territory. This way peaceful relations were restored to the two deeply strained empires. Heraclius lost many of his newly regained lands to the Muslim conquests. Emerging from the Arabian Peninsula, the Muslims quickly conquered the Sasanian Empire. In 634 the Muslims marched into Roman Syria, defeating Heraclius's brother Theodore. Within a short period of time, the Arabs conquered Mesopotamia, Armenia and Egypt. Heraclius entered diplomatic relations with the Croats and Serbs in the Balkans. He tried to repair the schism in the Christian church in regard to the Monophysites, by promoting a compromise doctrine called Monothelitism. The Church of the East (commonly called Nestorian) was also involved in the process. Eventually this project of unity was rejected by all sides of the dispute. He died in 641, in many ways a broken man because his conquests and victory over the Sassanians were counterbalanced by the emergence of the Muslim threat, which would trouble the empire in future centuries with on-again, off-again warfare. Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine, AE 40 nummi Constantinople mint. Heraclius solidus, Constantinople mint... Please share your coins of Heraclius, in any metal...
Hmmm... having a mere bronze portrait issue of this ruler, I hate to directly follow two posts that each have nice, pretty gold issues, but... Heraclius. AD 610-641. AE dodecanummium. Alexandria mint. ca. AD 613-618. Obv.: dd NN h hERAC (or similar); Heraclius on left, Heraclius Constantine right, each wearing chlamys and crown topped with cross. Rev.: Large I B with a Cross potent on two steps; exergue: AΛEΞ Diam.: 16.2 mm. Weight: 5.21 gr. Atttrib.: Sear 853. DOC 189.
Ok, I'm off work so now I can share one of my favorite Byzantine coins! Issued starting in 615 under Heraclius in order to help cover the costs of the war with the Sassanids, the hexagram was minted using silver that was primarily confiscated from the church. They were named "hexagram" for the weight of approximately 6 grams and were probably valued at 12 hexagrams to 1 gold solidus. I particularly like the reverse inscription "Deus adiuta Romanis" or "May God help the Romans" which probably refers to the dire straights the Byzantine empire was at the time. Mine isn't particularly beautiful but it was within my budget Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine 615-638 AD Hexagram Obverse: dd NN hERACLIUS Et hERA CONSt, Heraclius on left and Heraclius Constantine on right, seated facing on double-throne, each holding cross on globe in right hand, small cross above Reverse: dEUS AdIUtA ROmANIS (sometimes ROIMANIS or ROMANIAS), Cross-potent on globe above three steps (no field marks) 23.4mm/6.54g
Here are some coins of Heraclius. 45,46,47.). Heraclius (and Heraclius Constantine)610 - 640 AD. All solidi from Constantinople. #45 is from early in the reign, estimated by Berk as circa 610-613 AD. His son Heraclius Constantine was made co-Emperor in 613 AD. Berk-114. 4.45 grams. Purchased from Harlan Berk 6/1993. For AMT #46 shows a very young Heraclius Constantine. The die work is excellent. Capital “I” in the reverse field. Purchased from CNG, electronic auction 55 lot 168. On 12/2002 for AHM #47 is Berk-123. S-749. The rulers are a bit older. There is a pellet to the right of the cross. Purchased 8/1989 from Tom Cederlind for RSI 48,49,50,51.). Heraclius various coins. #48 is a Solidus from Ravenna, distinguished by style and by the heavy annulus border on the reverse. Berk says circa 613-4AD, 4.46 grams, Hahn-110 c2, same dies. Purchased from Harlan Berk 6/1993 for OIM #49 (above) solidus from Constantinople features Heraclius, Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas standing. The reverse has a Heraclian monogram to the left of the cross potent. Probably 639-41 AD. From Roma Numismatics, London e-sale 59 lot 1035 on 11 July 2019. Also 4.46 gms. GBP 441 approx MMM #50 (below) is very similar, with addition of an epsilon to the right of the cross potent. Hahn 53, 4.48 gms. From Harlan Berk, 3/1990, lot 36 for OTT #51 is a tremissis from Constantinople. Purchased at auction from Superior Galleries 30 May 1990, lot #7378. Amazing huge flan of standard tremissis mass circa 1.4 gms. The impressive annular border is reminiscent of the Ravenna mint, but it is probably from the capitol IMO.
We have a bunch of gold, only 1 silver, and only 1 bronze. I don't have any other silvers, DEFINITELY don't have any gold, but I can add another bronze. I haven't shared this coin on CT either. It is pretty rough (as is the norm for most of my Byzantine coins) but it was minted in a fairly uncommon mint; Isauria. This mint was set up during Heraclius' advance on the Sassanid Persians and was used to cover the military's expenses during the campaign. It didn't last long, as the Sassanids advanced and retook the territory. Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine Follis 617-618 AD Isaura Mint Obverse: blundered or fragmentary legend JJ N hERACL E hRA, Heraclius on left and Heraclius Constantine on right, busts facing, both wearing crown and chlamys, cross between their heads Reverse: Large M, ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year (GII or GIII only) to right, officina letter A below, mintmark ISAYR
Not really. if by year you mean a mean period of 365.2494 days. Between then and now, the calendar slipped 10 or 11 days which were removed when the various countries changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. For example, if you lived in England, 1752 was 11 days short. If you lived in Italy, 1582 was 10 days short. https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/colonialresearch/calendar.
Not really. if by year you mean a mean period of 365.2494 days. Between then and now, the calendar slipped 10 or 11 days which were removed when the various countries changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. For example, if you lived in England, 1752 was 11 days short. If you lived in Italy, 1582 was 10 days short. https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/colonialresearch/calendar.
Great writeup on this important emperor, and that's a very nice solidus! Here is Heraclius as a ticked-off Hagar the Horrible: And here he is on a countermark:
Lovely write-up and coins @ancient coin hunter (and everyone else)! Heraclius is easily one of my favourite characters of the post-classical era, a perservering man at a watershed moment in history, and one who worked so hard and long only to have it all swept away before his eyes. I have a solidus from the inception of his reign, however as we've been treated to enough gold already in this thread I'd like to also share a coin in silver from the nadir of his riegn, and one in base metal from it's zenith. Heraclius. 610-641. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.49 g, 7h). Constantinople mint, 5th officina. Struck 610-613. Draped and cuirassed facing bust, wearing plumed helmet and holding cross / Cross potent on three steps; Є//CONOB. DOC 3b; MIB 5; SB 731. Lustrous, some striking weakness, minor obverse die rust. EF. HERACLIUS with HERACLIUS CONSTANTINE (610-641). Hexagram. Constantinople. Obv: δδ NN ҺЄRACILЧS ЄT ҺЄRA CONST. Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine seated facing on double throne, each holding globus cruciger. Rev: δЄЧS AδIЧTA ROMANIS. Cross potent set upon globus set upon three steps; K to right. BYZANTINE. Terra-cotta “True Cross” Pilgrim’s Token. Circa 7th century. (16mm). Greek cross with the letters H|N/E|I in the angles / Blank
