This is my best guess for this particular trachy. What do you think? The three jewels in the collar make it tricky for me to find.
Lot of variety with most types in terms of dress and not important to SB#. Similar to your reverse Isaac II 1185 to 1195 AD Billon aspron trachy Obvs: MP OV, The Virgin enthroned facing, nimbate and wearing pallium and maphorium; she holds infant Christ. Revs: I CAA KI OC/ ΔЄC ΠO TH C, Isaac standing and facing, wearing crown, holding cruciform scepter, and being crowned by Manus Dei 27mm, 3.9g Constantinople mint Ref: Sear 2003
The coin is based of of Isaac II SBCV-2003, however it is missing a lot of visual info ( Isaac Inscription) to determine if it is a later imitation or an official issue. Can you provide a size and weight? Also how about a full shot of each side. Don't focus on being so close so we can get a different perspective.
Its a Bulgarian imitation of an Isaac II trachy. Here is a comparison: Byzantine Empire: Isaac II Angelus, 1st Reign (1185-1195 CE) BI Aspron Trachy, Constantinople (Sear 2003; DOC 3b) Obv: MP - ΘV in upper field; Virgin nimbate, wearing tunic and maphorion, seated upon thrown with back; holds beardless, nimbate head of Christ on breast Rev: ICAAKIOC ΔЄCΠOTHC in two columnar groups; Full-length figure of emperor wearing stemma, divitision, collar-piece, jeweled loros of simplified type, and sagion; holds in right hand scepter cruciger, and in left, anexikakia; Manus Dei in upper right field Second Bulgarian Empire: Anonymous (12th-13th century) BI Trachy (Raduchev & Zhekov 1.1.3; Youroukova & Penchev 157; DOC IV Type B2) Obv: MP - ΘV in upper field; Virgin nimbate, wearing tunic and maphorion, seated upon throne with back; holds beardless, nimbate head of Christ on breast Rev: ICAAKIOC ΔЄCΠΟΤC in two columnar groups; Full-length figure of emperor wearing stemma, divitision, collar-piece jeweled loros of simplified type, and sagion; holds in right hand scepter cruciger, and in left, anexikakia. Manus Dei in upper right field Dim: 2.82g; 24mm
These are lovely coins, even with the bad strikes. Here is mine (or a Bulgarian imitation?): Isaac II Angelus Billon Aspron Trachy (1185-1195 A.D.) Constantinople Mint [MP - ΘV], Mary seated with head of infant Christ / [I CAA KI O]C left, DEC PO TH [C] rt. Isaac, standing with sceptre and akakia, hand of God upper rt. SB 2003; BMC 19-31. (2.69 grams / 23 mm)
Should I understand that the one below is an imitation? I got it because I wanted a decent portrait of Isaac II. Maybe the Bulgarians managed a better portrait than the Byzantines... The coin is 2.9x gr. For the second Isaac II, I posted it some time ago and got help with the attribution, because of the double-strike.
I would say the top coin is a Bulgarian, the second coin is regular issue. I am basing that on the collar,
