From Wikipedia: "Maurice (Latin: Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus; Greek: Φλάβιος Μαυρίκιος Τιβέριος Αὔγουστος) (539 – 27 November 602) was Eastern Roman Emperor from 582 to 602. A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians. Once he became Emperor, he brought the war with Sasanian Persia to a victorious conclusion: the Empire's eastern border in the Caucasus was vastly expanded and for the first time in nearly two centuries the Romans were no longer obliged to pay the Persians thousands of pounds of gold annually for peace. Maurice campaigned extensively in the Balkans against the Avars – pushing them back across the Danube by 599. He also conducted campaigns across the Danube, the first Roman Emperor to do so in over two centuries. In the West, he established two large semi-autonomous provinces called exarchates, ruled by exarchs, or viceroys, of the emperor. In Italy, Maurice established the Exarchate of Ravenna in 584, the first real effort by the Empire to halt the advance of the Lombards. With the creation of the Exarchate of Africa in 590, he further solidified the power of Constantinople in the western Mediterranean. His reign was troubled by financial difficulties and almost constant warfare. In 602, a dissatisfied general named Phocas usurped the throne, having Maurice and his six sons executed. This event would prove cataclysmic for the Empire, sparking a twenty-six year war with Sassanid Persia which would leave both empires devastated prior to the Muslim conquests. His reign is a relatively accurately documented era of Late Antiquity, in particular by the historian Theophylact Simocatta. The Strategikon, a manual of war which influenced European and Middle Eastern military traditions for well over a millennium, is traditionally attributed to Maurice." I just received confirmation that I won this solidus of Maurice in Frank Robinson's latest auction. It will make a great addition to my historical figures collection, and is my fourth gold Byzantine coin. I really like these and might go after a few more really soon. I really like the obverse of this coin. the portrait is well detailed. Please post your coins of Maurice, Byzantine gold coins, or any Byzantine coins at all.
Nice one @Orfew! Welcome to the even darker side, Byzantine Tiberius II Constantine 578 to 582 AD Mint: Constantinople AV Tremissis Obvs: δ M COSTANTINVS P P AV, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. Revs: ЧICTOR TIbЄRI AЧG, Cross potent. CONOB 16x18mm, 1.49g Maurice Tiberius 597 to 601 AD Mint: Carthage AE Pentanummium Obvs: DN MAVR TIb PP AV, Diademed, cuirass and paludamentum. Revs: Cross potent over · ϵ ·, N to left, M to right. 13x15mm, 2.27g
Me too!!! Congrats on a terrific solidus!! I haven't really been collecting Byzantines since I returned to ancients....but here's a few I did pick up cheaply-----a Justin half follis and a Leo VI the Wise, Follis....and a very worn example of Maurice Tiberias:
40 nummi piece of Maurice. Came from an uncleaned lot - definitely the biggest and heaviest of the bunch.
Nice job @Orfew ... you are stepping into some very cool YELLOW disks! Me love YELLOW! I am very weak here. So, I will grunt out a couple BYZ disks... BYZ Manuel I Comnenus 1143-1180 CE Aspron Trachy 35mm 4.6g Christ Gospels Labaran globus cruciger Virgin maphorium SB 1966 scyphate BYZ Andronicus II - Michael IX AD 1295-1320 AR Basilikon 22mm 2.1g Constantinople Christ enthroned - Andronicus l Michael r labarum DOC V 1 Class VIII
Lovely coin! ꝹByzantine Empire Maurice Tiberius, r. 582-602 A.D. (595-596 A.D.) Theoupolis / Antioch Mint AE Follis/40 Nummi, 27.35 mm x 11.4 grams Obv.: dꝹ N MAVΓI CN P AUT. Crowned bust of Maurice Tiberius facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa with his right hand and eagle-tipped scepter in his left Rev.: ANNO left, XIIII right, tHEUP’ in exergue. Large M center, cross above, Γ below Ref.: SBCV 533
Oh wow, awesome solidus @Orfew ! Gold strike! Here is my favorite MT coin... Maurice Tiberius, 587-588 AD, Decanummium O: Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust left; DNMA (VRI)CI, IND ς (zeta, date year 6) in ex. R:Cross set on three steps; N M flanking; X in exergue. Carthage mint. SB 566. 18 mm, 3.9 g.
Some people call him a space cowboy Some call him the gangster of love Some people call him Maurice Tiberius... The only Byzantine photo I have at hand is this follis of Justin II (565-578) from the mint of Cyzicus:
I took a new photo of the coin. I cannot believe how much detail is preserved. IMHO this photo is a much better rendering than the auction photo. Please click on the photo to see it full size.
It's nice seeing posts on Byzantine coins. Too many of my collector friends think my taste in things Byzantine is a little curious. Let them so think! A few of my Maurice Tiberius silver coins follow. And one of his son Theodosius.
"The even darker side." Nice, I like it! You did well on that one, for sure Orfew - great coin! Also love the Antioch/Theoupolis style portraits (@Mikey Zee and @FitzNigel), and @Voulgaroktonou: your stuff is always incredible. In stark contrast to the nice style on the gold and Antioch folles, here's my Nikomedia year 8, the sort of thing that gives Byzantine a bad name here on CT: A bit nicer in Constantinople (year 10): (I also have a nice decanummium that I picked up recently in a group lot, but no photo yet.) Here's the jerk who succeeded him:
Maurice Tiberius Solidus of 22 Siliquae 4,12gram and 21mm, Sear 529: Note that the exergue says "OB+*", and not "CONOB" - According to David Sear, if my mind serves me right, he said that this smaller Solidus has only been found outside Byzantine Empire's border and that it suggests it was used in foreign trade. - David Sear even argues that that particularly 22 Siliqua Solidus is minted in Antioch. And here some private amateur photos with 2 follis and 3 half follis of Maurice: Reverse
