Just won this interesting lot

I do not usually bid on lots like this, but the provenance sold me on it.



Lot of five coins. Lot of five coins. Syracuse unless stated. V-VI cent., Æ -mm., -g. Heraclius with Heraclius Constantine, follis. Spahr 54ter*. Sear 884; Constans II, follis. Spahr 113* (the author sees an Î, but could be a B). Sear 1103; Constans II, follis. Spahr 117. Sear 1107; Constantine V and Leo IV, follis. Spahr 333*. Sear 1569; Leo V and Constantine, follis. Spahr 373. Sear 1636.
About Very Fine-Very Fine.
From the Spahr collection. Sold with the original collector's ticket.
Ex: Naville Numismatics Auction 41 Lot 671, June 24 2018.


From the Auction house:

"For the Byzantine section, Naville Numismatics is proud to offer for sale the Spahr collection of Sicilian Byzantine coins. Rodolfo Spahr (Catania 3.11.1894-Binningen 15.12.1981), son of Johann Rudolf and Anna Ida Schweizer, was born in Catania where his father had a businness in textiles. He spent his infancy there and eventually served in the Swiss army. A love for his birth town spurred him to study the history of Sicily, and in due course he went on to produce two books (Le monete siciliane dagli Aragonesi ai Borboni [1282-1836], 1959 (rist. 1982) and Le monete siciliane dai Bizantini a Carlo I d’Angiò [582-1282] 1976) that, still to this date, remain the fundamental reference works for every collector of Sicilian coins from the Middle Ages to the closure of the mint of Palermo. He also wrote many articles that were published in the Bollettino del Circolo Numismatico Napoletano. Naville Numismatics hopes that collectors interested in this period will relish this opportunity to own specimens formerly belonging to this collection and that they will share the same emotions felt by their previous owner."


Post your byzantine coins of Syracuse or any Byzantine coins.

 

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Wow! You don't run across Sicilian Byzantine coins every day and certainly not with a provenance like this!

I only have eastern ones, like this Tiberius II and Anastasia half-follis from Thessalonica:


Tiberius II Constantine AD 574-582 and Anastasia.
Byzantine Æ half-follis, 5.02 g, 20.4 mm, 7 h.
Thessalonica, AD 579.
Obv: dmTibCONS TANTPPAV, Nimbate Tiberius and Anastasia seated facing on double throne; he holds globus cruciger, she a scepter.
Rev: Large K; above, cross; to left, A/N/N/O; to right, regnal indicator V (=5); beneath, TЄS.
Refs: Berk 398; DOC 23; SB 439.

 

Thanks @Roman Collector, I feel lucky to have won the lot. Btw I like your Tiberius II.

 

Nice lot! I really like those.

 

Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine...Constantinople mint...

 

All my Byzantine thus far. None of Syracuse though.

 

Nice haul @Orfew ... sorry, I am purdy ignorant concerning those Byz people... They look great, and congrats on the fantastic score.

For funzies, I checked my database for anything REMOTELY like yours... nada.

But I will drop my "Special K" just because I have a Byzantine.


Ooops, sorry, the Byzantines did not make that...

Here we go!

BZ Justin I 518-527 CE Copper Folles Antioch 20 nummia K monogram

 

Very cool lot @Orfew ! I have one lonely Byzantine in my collection.


Manuel I, AD 1143-1180
Billon trachy, 30mm, 2.7g, 6h; Constantinople mint, AD 1167-1183.
Obv.: Christ, bearded, seated facing on throne without back, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, colobium, Gospels in left; no stars; in field / IC – XC
Rev.: MANYHΛ ∆ECΠ; the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) standing facing at right, crowning the emperor standing at left, holding labarum and globus cruciger; M above Mary's outstretched hand.

 

This Heraclius of Sicily (SCL) Sear 883 was overstruck on an earlier Sear 869 of Constantinople. It arrived loose in an envelope having cut is way out of a 2x2 envelope with its sharp as a chain saw edges.


Another very similar coin leaves the question of which is the one to keep. Each has good points and bad.

 

I like them both. If given the chance I would keep both.

 

That looks like an interesting group with a noteworthy provenance, Orfew. Nice catch!

I have one which was a random snack-priced pickup a few years ago.


BYZANTINE EMPIRE, Leo V Armenius
2.09g, 18.1mm. SICILY, Syracuse, AD 813-820. Sear 1638. O: Frontal bust of Leo V with cross crown and Loros, holding cross in his right hand. R: Frontal bust of Constantine with cross crown and chlamys, holding cross in his right hand.

 

Nice Leo @zumbly . It is nice to see another Byzantine coin from Sicily.

 

I joined you in picking up one of these today. I mostly wanted the Nicephorus I/Stauracius in mine, but I will be interested to see if the Justinian II isn't too trashy.

Constans II, half follis year 10. Spahr 120*. Sear 1113; Constans II and Constantine IV, follis. Spahr 138bis*. Sear 1109; Constans II with Constantine, Heraclius and Tiberius, follis. Spahr 159*. Sear 1110; Justinian II, first reign, follis. Spahr 218*. Sear 1298; Nicephorus I and Stauracius, follis. Spahr 351*. Sear 1612.

I especially like your #1 (like Doug's, the countermark edition). Funny how they mixed up #4 & 5 in the photo of the reverses.

I have a few Sicilian Byzantines. Here are some:

 

Anastasius

Justin I

Justinian I

Heraclius

 

Great lot

 

Very nice @Severus Alexander . I am glad you were able to get one of these lots. I really like the second one, the Constans II.

 

Is Hic Dicatur a genuine Ancient, or merely a replica ???

 

Its a modern fake. It is far too round to be real.

 

I accept your expertise, Orfew !!!

 

That's an interesting Byzantine group @Orfew !

I have an overstruck Heraclius SB#884 like yours!