Hello everyone, I was digging through my little hoard of Roman bronze coins to determine what to keep and what to sell, when I stumbled upon this coin. This coin is a very rare issue of Emperor Heraclius struck in the City of Rome. Due to the nature of the Byzantine-Sassanid war of 602-628, Italy was a backwater that was left to it’s own defense. Indeed, the last Emperor to actively send military and financial support to the Italian peninsula was Emperor Tiberius II Constantine, way back in the 570’s. As a result of neglect from the Byzantines, the Italian country side was mostly in control of the Lombard dukes with ethnic romans relegated to the lower classes. However the Eastern Romans controlled the City of Rome, most of the coast, and much of the southern part of Italy. I vaguely remember buying this coin at my town’s local antique/coin shop back in 2012-13 for 35 bucks. I didn’t realize this until recently, but I had acquired a very rare coin worth hundreds of dollars; one sold at CNG for $605 a few years back. Please feel free to post your Eastern Roman coins from the Italian peninsula.
Very envious! Congrats! Byzantine Italian coins are one of my focuses, so I have plenty (mostly the more common ones-easier on the limited budget), but I’ll just post my favorites: Justinian I, Byzantine Empire AE follis Obv: D N IVSTINI-ANVS P P AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, bust right Rev: Large M, cross above, cross to left, star to right, all within wreath Mint: Rome Mintmark: ROMA (in exergue) Date: 537-542 AD Ref: : SB 293 Justinian I, Byzantine Empire AE half-follis Obv: D N IVSTI-NIANVS, diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: Large K, star to left, cross to right, all within wreath Mint: Rome Date: 537-542 AD Ref: SB 301 Tiberius II Constantine, Byzantine Empire AE half-follis Obv: Dm TIb CONSTANT PP A, crowned, cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe and shield Rev: Large X-dot-X, cross above Mint: Rome Mintmark: ROM Date: 574-582 AD Ref: SB 476
