fantastic coins and write up MM! i have several byzantine coins, but only this one poor maurice tiberius follis. this was one of the first byzantine coins i purchased...
Sometime today when I get some time i'll post my Tremissis of Justinian I Interestingly enough, that denomination was created by Magnus Maximus
Maurice Tiberius was an excellent emperor and I was deeply sad when I first time read about how he ended his last days and what he witnessed at the end. He managed to establish a solid peace with the Persians, whose Shah actually had Maurice Tiberius as his father-in-law as the Shah married Maurice’s daughter. Maurice Tiberius even tried to unify the various Christians doctrines like those of monophysitians and Nestorians which mainly existed in Middle East. Phocas in contrary was a disaster because not only did his actions triggered a war with the Persians he also persecuted monophysitians and Nestorians which actually made the Arab conquest a bit easier some decades later. The persecution of the monophysitians and Nestorians under Phocas, combined with the plague that hits urban empires like Byzantium and Sassanid harder than the nomadic forces of Arabs, and the fact that Byzantines and Persians fought a long war and exhausted them made the Arabs’ conquest easy. And while the Sassanid Empire ceased to exist by the Arabs they had more trouble of shutting down Byzantium due to Constantinople’s walls. – After that the Medieval era of Byzantium began and it peaked under the Macedonian Dynasty particularly under Basil the Bulgar-Slayer’s reign. Anyway. I do own 2 folles of Maurice and as well 2 half folles one greek and one latin with difference grade. Look beneath. – That folles minted in Theopolis was my first purchase.
Sweet coins, Herberto. I really like the Latin legend on that Follis! I agree, the death of Maurice is truly tragic! I personally can't imagine having to watch your six sons getting beheaded in front of your very eyes. Even worse is that most of them had not even gotten to their teens yet. Truly an ignoble end to such a great Emperor.
Wow => that's a very sweet OP Mo-Tibs example!! (congrats, Mag-Max) ... I have an example to toss into your thread ... Maurice Tiberius Æ Follis Theoupolis (Antioch) mint 582-602, Dated RY 9 (590/1) Diameter: 28 mm Weight: 11.34 grams Obverse: Crowned facing bust, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter Reverse: Large m; cross above, A/N/N/O Ч/IIII; τHЄЧP’ Reference: DOC 160; MIBE 95Ab (Arditarion from CNG later corrected this and stated that it is actually a 95Cb); SB 532 Other: 6h … sweet brown patina
I just have this Decanummi of Maurice Tiberius, along a Pentanummum of Justin I which is marked Chi- Rho ( scarce ).