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<p>[QUOTE="Voulgaroktonou, post: 4535925, member: 84047"]We have for years posted a blog on this date on our library web site. But I failed to do so this year! Thanks, RomanCollector, for the reminder!</p><p><br /></p><p>There have been numerous studies of the fall of Constantinople, but one of the most convenient for English readers is Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453. The quoted sections that follow are from his wonderful book. On Monday the 28th, realizing the end was near, the emperor encouraged his small force by reminding them what they were fighting for. “To his Greek subjects he said that a man should always be ready to die either for his faith or his country or for his family or for his sovereign. Now his people must be prepared to die for all four causes. He spoke of the glories and high traditions of the great Imperial city. He spoke of the perfidy of the infidel Sultan who had provoked the war in order to destroy the True Faith and to put his false prophet into the seat of Christ. He urged them to remember that they were the descendants of the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome and to be worthy of their ancestors. For his part, he said, he was ready to die for his faith, his city, and his people.”</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>That evening the last Christian service was held in the great church of Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia, that for a thousand years had been the heart of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox put aside their bitter doctrinal differences. “Priests who held union with Rome to be a mortal sin now came to the altar to serve their Unionist brothers. The Cardinal was there, and beside him bishops who would never acknowledge his authority; and all the people came to make confession and take communion, not caring whether Orthodox or Catholic administered it. There were Italians and Catalans along with the Greeks. The golden mosaics, studded with the images of Christ and his saints and the emperors and empresses of Byzantium, glimmered in the light of a thousand lamps and candles; and beneath them for the last time the priests in their splendid vestments moved in the solemn rhythm of the Liturgy. At this moment there was union in the Church of Constantinople.”</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Coins of this last Roman emperor are very rare, but a small hoard of them entered the market in 1991. Thanks go to my wife Susan who urged me to purchase one of the eighth stavrata at the time. That coin, the 6th and last coin in the photo below, is no. 129 in Bendall's publication of the hoard in "Revue Numismatique" 1991, p. 134-142 and plates XIII-XVII. A few years ago, a second specimen of this coin came into my collection. It is the 5th coin in the photo, and is no. 110 in Bendall's article.Their obverses depict the image of Christ, while the emperor's portrait appears on the reverse. They are diminutive, modest silver coins, but their history speaks volumes.</p><p><br /></p><p>A few silvers of the Palaeologids.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. John V. Constantinople. 1379/91. Stavraton. 8.03 gr. 25.5 mm. hr. 6. Sear 2510; DO 1266-67.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Manuel II. Constantinople. 1391/95. Stavraton. 7.94 gr. 25.3 mm. hr. 4. Sear 2548; DO 1308-9.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Manuel II. Constantinople. 1391/95. Half Stavraton. 3.43 gr. 20.5 mm. hr. 7. Sear 2550; DO 1312. LHS Numismatics AG 97 (Despot Sale) May 10, 2006, lot 353.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. John VIII. Constantinople. 1425/48. Stavraton. 7.09 gr. 25 mm. hr. 12. Sear 2564; DO 1636-8 var. NFA Feb. 1955. It was expensive - $10!</p><p><br /></p><p>5. Constantine XI. Constantinople. 1449/53. Eighth Stavraton. 0.63 gr. 12.7 mm. hr. 11. Sear -; DO 1789. Bendall, “The coinage of Constantine XI” (Revue Numismatique 1991, pp. 134-142), #110 (this coin).</p><p><br /></p><p>6. Constantine XI. Constantinople. 1449/53. Eighth Stavraton. 0.63 gr. 13 mm. hr. 12. Sear -;DO 1789. Bendall, “The coinage of Constantine XI” (Revue Numismatique 1991, pp. 134-142), #129 (this coin).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1123160[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Voulgaroktonou, post: 4535925, member: 84047"]We have for years posted a blog on this date on our library web site. But I failed to do so this year! Thanks, RomanCollector, for the reminder! There have been numerous studies of the fall of Constantinople, but one of the most convenient for English readers is Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453. The quoted sections that follow are from his wonderful book. On Monday the 28th, realizing the end was near, the emperor encouraged his small force by reminding them what they were fighting for. “To his Greek subjects he said that a man should always be ready to die either for his faith or his country or for his family or for his sovereign. Now his people must be prepared to die for all four causes. He spoke of the glories and high traditions of the great Imperial city. He spoke of the perfidy of the infidel Sultan who had provoked the war in order to destroy the True Faith and to put his false prophet into the seat of Christ. He urged them to remember that they were the descendants of the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome and to be worthy of their ancestors. For his part, he said, he was ready to die for his faith, his city, and his people.” That evening the last Christian service was held in the great church of Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia, that for a thousand years had been the heart of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox put aside their bitter doctrinal differences. “Priests who held union with Rome to be a mortal sin now came to the altar to serve their Unionist brothers. The Cardinal was there, and beside him bishops who would never acknowledge his authority; and all the people came to make confession and take communion, not caring whether Orthodox or Catholic administered it. There were Italians and Catalans along with the Greeks. The golden mosaics, studded with the images of Christ and his saints and the emperors and empresses of Byzantium, glimmered in the light of a thousand lamps and candles; and beneath them for the last time the priests in their splendid vestments moved in the solemn rhythm of the Liturgy. At this moment there was union in the Church of Constantinople.” Coins of this last Roman emperor are very rare, but a small hoard of them entered the market in 1991. Thanks go to my wife Susan who urged me to purchase one of the eighth stavrata at the time. That coin, the 6th and last coin in the photo below, is no. 129 in Bendall's publication of the hoard in "Revue Numismatique" 1991, p. 134-142 and plates XIII-XVII. A few years ago, a second specimen of this coin came into my collection. It is the 5th coin in the photo, and is no. 110 in Bendall's article.Their obverses depict the image of Christ, while the emperor's portrait appears on the reverse. They are diminutive, modest silver coins, but their history speaks volumes. A few silvers of the Palaeologids. 1. John V. Constantinople. 1379/91. Stavraton. 8.03 gr. 25.5 mm. hr. 6. Sear 2510; DO 1266-67. 2. Manuel II. Constantinople. 1391/95. Stavraton. 7.94 gr. 25.3 mm. hr. 4. Sear 2548; DO 1308-9. 3. Manuel II. Constantinople. 1391/95. Half Stavraton. 3.43 gr. 20.5 mm. hr. 7. Sear 2550; DO 1312. LHS Numismatics AG 97 (Despot Sale) May 10, 2006, lot 353. 4. John VIII. Constantinople. 1425/48. Stavraton. 7.09 gr. 25 mm. hr. 12. Sear 2564; DO 1636-8 var. NFA Feb. 1955. It was expensive - $10! 5. Constantine XI. Constantinople. 1449/53. Eighth Stavraton. 0.63 gr. 12.7 mm. hr. 11. Sear -; DO 1789. Bendall, “The coinage of Constantine XI” (Revue Numismatique 1991, pp. 134-142), #110 (this coin). 6. Constantine XI. Constantinople. 1449/53. Eighth Stavraton. 0.63 gr. 13 mm. hr. 12. Sear -;DO 1789. Bendall, “The coinage of Constantine XI” (Revue Numismatique 1991, pp. 134-142), #129 (this coin). [ATTACH=full]1123160[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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