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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;FitzNigel, post: 2732012, member: 74712&quot;]I feel like I haven&#039;t been posting much on the forums lately, but I certainly haven&#039;t been out of the game!&nbsp; I will hopefully have some fun treasures to post in the coming weeks, but I had a little breakthrough today with a coin from an uncleaned lot I bought back in 2015</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]621422[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">Byzantine Empire</font></p><p><font size="3">Alexius I Comnenus, r. 1081-1118</font></p><p><font size="3">Thessalonica mint AE Tetarteron, 18.69 mm x 3.6 grams</font></p><p><font size="3">Obv.: [TW KOMHN]. Crowned facing bust of Alexius, wearing loros, holding cross-tipped sceptre and cross on globe</font></p><p><font size="3">Rev.: Jewelled cross with globe at each end, X in centre, on two steps, C Φ A Δ in the corners, clockwise from first quadrant</font></p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve had this coin for some time, and while the reverse stands out clearly, the obverse is nearly obliterated.&nbsp; While I initially thought it was Byzantine, I had trouble finding any byzantine coins which fit the description.&nbsp; As I was looking through coins of the Crusader States, I noticed a Follis of Baldwin II of Edessa which looked quite a bit like this coin, and became ecstatic when it seemed what little I could see on the obverse fit the description.&nbsp; The only problem was the reverse had clear letters in each of the quadrants formed by the cross, and none of the letters really fit with Baldwin II.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]621439[/ATTACH] </p><p><font size="3">This is what I thought I had...&nbsp; CNG 295, Lot: 96.&nbsp; <b>CRUSADERS, Edessa. <i>Baldwin II. </i></b>Second reign, 1108-1118. Æ Follis (21mm, 3.58 g, 9h). Light series. Struck circa 1110-1118. Baldwin standing left, wearing conical helmet and chain-armor, holding globus cruciger and resting hand on hilt of sword / Cross fleuronnée. Metcalf, <i>Crusades</i>109-12 ; CCS 10.</font></p><p><br /></p><p>Since Baldwin&#039;s coins were often counterstruck on other coins, I thought I ought to check out the Byzantine coins of the same era one more time.&nbsp; Sure enough, here was Alexus Comnenus with the exact reverse, and the obverse of his Tetarteron fit much better with what I could see that Baldwin II.&nbsp; While it&#039;s a shame it&#039;s not Baldwin, it&#039;s still an interesting coin with a lot of history behind it (and not a bad buy for $0.15!).</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, just thought I would share since this has been on my mind most of the day.&nbsp; I&#039;m glad to have finally identified it, even if it wasn&#039;t quite as exciting as I&#039;d hoped...&nbsp; Feel free to pile on with whatever you&#039;d like - Crusaders, Misattributions, 11th/12th century, what have you![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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