On this Day (May 29th) 1453 Constantinople Fell to the Ottoman Turks

It would be difficult to over emphasize the importance of Byzantium in the preservation of Western Civilization.

 

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Just a few centimeters to go

 

Two coins from Constantinople:


Justinian AE Follis
Bronze, 30 mm, 17.98 gm, Struck: AD 527-538, Sear 158
Obverse: Justinian facing right, D N IVSTINI-ANVS PP AVG
Reverse: Large letter 'M', star left, cross top, cross right, G under 'M', CON below (Constantinople mint)

Philip Grierson's book Catalogue of late Roman coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (Dumbarton Oaks, 1992) places the Constantinople mint for bronze coins near the "Golden Gate". Gold coins were minted at the "Great Palace".


The Golden Gate, Castle of the Seven Towers, Yedikule, Istanbul


Justinian Solidus Victory
Gold, 21 mm, 4.43 gm
Struck: AD 527-537 Constantinople
Obverse: Justinian facing 1/4 right, holding spear over shoulder
Reverse: Victory standing facing holding cross and globe

There was some discussion on another forum about whether the spear the emperor is holding is an ordinary spear or the Christian holy relic, the "Holy Lance of Longinus" or "Spear of Destiny", which was the lance that a Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross. The Spear was supposed carried into battle by the Emperor Constantine, among others.

 

Funny how Orban’s cannon proposal was rejected by the Eastern Romans, so the Ottomans snatched them up…

 

yup,,.sumpin sure is missing there...maybe they didn't realize the gravity of it all....otherwise, seems like it'd been a case of a glass house owner killing the rock maker

 

BOOM!

 

..haha...ironically. Orban was killed by one of his own cannons before he got his pay...><

 

Hence... BOOM!