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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robinjojo, post: 8052186, member: 110226&quot;]Here are a couple of imitations of Byzantine folles:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>1. An imitation of a follis of Constantine VIII, 11th century.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex Stephen Huston</p><p><br /></p><p>8.86 grams</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1394521[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>2. Here&#039;s what I think is a Sasanian imitation of the folles of Heraclius, early in the 7th century.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Stylistically the obverse figures are quite different from what one normally encounters with those of Heraclius.&nbsp; Normally the two figures are full length, while the figures on this coin are around 2/3rds length or so.&nbsp; The legend, as it is, is illegible.</p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse mimics the design that appear on the folles of Heraclius, but there seems to be some anomalies.&nbsp; This coin has ANO instead of ANNO.&nbsp; The lettering for CON is odd, with a very thick C and stick-like N.&nbsp; Overall is it crude, even by the standards of Heraclius&#039; folles.&nbsp; That, plus it is not apparently struck over an earlier follis, a common feature of Heraclius&#039; folles.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The Byzantines were at war with the Sasanians (Persians) from 602 to 628.&nbsp; Early in the war the Sasanian forces were able capture a good chunk of Anatolia, advancing up to Nicomedia.&nbsp; Could this coin be one of the imitations made by the Sasanians during this phase of the war?&nbsp; The reignal year 4 suggests that this might be the case.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here&#039;s a map that shows the movement of the opposing forces over the course of this war.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1394583[/ATTACH] </p><p>By Mohammad Adil at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9639188" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9639188" rel="nofollow">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9639188</a></p><p><br /></p><p>This coin was part of group lot 1736 from Roma E-Sale 88.&nbsp; This lot had a well known fake of a Justinian I follis, year 12, but also some really nice and interesting coins as well.</p><p><br /></p><p>Byzantine/Sasanian Empires, 610-629 AD</p><p>Imitation AE Follis of a follis of Heraclius</p><p>with Heraclius Constantine, 610-641.</p><p>Obverse: Crude three quarters figures of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine facing, cross between figures and one above; garbled legend.</p><p>Reverse: Large central M, Γ below, ANO IIII on left and right sides, CON in exergue. </p><p>Contemporary imitation struck during the Sasanian occupation of Syria.</p><p>Very nice for this normally very crude coin.&nbsp; Scarce.&nbsp; Good VF</p><p>From group lot 1736, Roma E-Sale 88&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p>25mm, 4h, 7.9 grams</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1394558[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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