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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;furryfrog02, post: 4640524, member: 41219&quot;]This just arrived in the mail a few minutes ago. I put a low bid on it and was surprised to win at $20. </p><p>I think it is pretty interesting since it shows Constantine VII along with his mother, Zoe, who was his mother, regent, and consort to his father Leo VI (Leo the Wise). </p><p><br /></p><p>Zoe Karvounopsina (Zoe of the coal-black eyes) is a pretty interesting character in Byzantine history. She was Leo VI&#039;s 4th wife. But they were only married after Constantine VII&#039;s birth and by a cooperative priest, since Leo VI wasn&#039;t supposed to have married more than 3 times.</p><p><br /></p><p>Constantine VII&#039;s name, Constantine Porphyrogenitus (meaning born in the Purple) was supposed to legitimize him as an heir since Zoe was not Leo&#039;s legitimate wife at the time. </p><p><br /></p><p>When Leo VI died in 912, his brother, Alexander expelled Zoe from the palace. During his short rule, he started a war with Bulgaria but when he died in 913, Zoe returned for a short period before being exiled to a convent in Constantinople. </p><p><br /></p><p>However, after things went poorly with the Bulgarians, Zoe was able to come back to the palace and regain her position as regent to Constantine VII, where she stayed until 919 when she was finally overthrown by Admiral Romanos Lekapenos who then married his daughter to Constantine VII and forced Zoe to return to the convent.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is the coin that depicts Constantine VII and his mother Zoe.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Constantine VII and Zoe</p><p>AE Follis</p><p>Constantinople</p><p>913-959 AD</p><p>Obverse: CONSTANT CE ZOH b, crowned facing busts of Constantine, unbearded, on left, wearing loros, and Zoe, wearing chlamys, on right, holding patriarchal cross between them </p><p>Reverse: CONS / TANTINO / CE ZOH bA / SILIS RO / MEON, legend in five lines</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1146819[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Let&#039;s see some other coins that depict mothers and their sons. I know there have to be some good ones out there.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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