Post your Byzantine coins!

Welcome Christina! Very nice coins, Byzantine coins are relatively affordable, so you will have much fun learning their history.
I am Greek myself so Ancient Greek and Byzantine coins are the only ones I collect and that interest me a lot

Some of my Byzantine coins:

This one I just posted in another thread, but I will share it again, why not.

Andronicus II Palaeologus, 1282-1328. AV Hyperpyron Nomisma. Constantinople mint, 1282-1294.
Obverse: Bust of the Virgin orans within the city walls furnished with six groups of towers; in lower field, CZ-ZC sigla.
Reverse: ANΔPO/NIKOC E/ XΩ T C/IΛIΠ/TICO IC/XC Andronicus on left, nimbate and kneeling right blessed by Christ standing facing on right, with decorated nimbus, holding Book of Gospels; between them fleur-de-lis; to right, C/N.
Reference: DOC 225 var (sigla). PCPC 91B Sigla 77 var. SB 2326.
25mm, 4.28g


Alexius I Comnenus, 1081-1118. Histamenon Nomisma, Constantinopolis mint, 1081-1092.
Obverse: Christ seated facing on square-backed throne, wearing nimbus, pallium and colobium, rasing his right hand in benediction and holding book of Gospel in his left; in fields, IC - XC.
Reverse: + AΛЄZIω ΔЄC[ΠΟΤ Tω KM] Crowned bust of Alexius I facing, wearing loros, holding labarum with his right hand and globus cruciger in his left.
Reference: SB 1893.
4.40g; 28mm


John II Comnenus Æ Tetarteron. Thessalonica, AD 1118-1143
Obverse: Nimbate standing figure of Christ, holding book of Gospels; IC and XC in fields.
Reverse: John standing facing wearing crown, holding cruciform sceptre and globus cruciger; legend around.
Reference: Sear 1945; MBC 62-6.
3.58g; 20mm


John II Comnenus Æ Tetarteron. Thessalonica, AD 1118-1143.
Obverse: Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator.
Reverse: Half-length facing bust of John, holding cross-tipped scepter and globus cruciger.
Reference: DOC (15); Sear 1953.
4.32g


Maurice Tiberius. AE Decanummium/10 Nummi. Constantinople mint, 3rd officina, 582-602.
Obverse: Crowned, draped, and cuirassed bust facing
Reverse: Large I; cross above, star to left; Γ//CON.
Reference: DOC 65c; MIBE 73c; SB 499.
2.93g

And what about a Byzantine lead seal? I really enjoy these as well. Often there is even more interesting historical background about these seals than coins.


Konstantinos, spatharokandidatos, First half 11th century. Lead Seal.
Obverse: Θ / ΔI/M/H-[T]P,/OC Nimbate facing bust of Saint Demetrios, holding a spear over his right shoulder, and resting a shield on his left arm.
Reverse: +KЄ RΘ, / KωNCTA / NT,N, CΠ,Θ/…KAΔΔ in four lines.
Reference: Unpublished in the standard references.
13.75g; 25mm

Spatharokandidatos was a mid-ranking Byzantine court dignity that ranked below that of dishypatos and above that of spatharios among the dignities intended for "bearded men" (i.e. non-eunuchs). Its distinctive insigne (brabeion) was a golden chain (maniakion) worn around the chest. The dignity was associated mostly with mid-level ranks, such as notarioi and lower judges. In the lists of offices known as the Taktika, the dignity corresponds to specific positions in the lower tier of the senior civil and military hierarchy, such as those of asekretis (senior secretary) and kleisouraches (commander of a frontier district).

 

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@Pavlos, that seal, especially, is magnificent. Not to mention your remarkable fluency with the inscriptions.

 

@Pavlos, sometimes those small coins can pack a wallop. I like that Decanummium, a lot!

 

I love your alexius trachy! I'm greek on my fathers side which is what drew me to greek history and later byzantine history. I have never been to greece though, maybe one day! beautiful collection!

 

Christina, Allow me to offer some advice from personal experience, only buy Byzantine gold coins from a trusted source who will guarantee authenticity. Last year I won the coin pictured below from a well known international auction house, it turned out to be a modern die struck FAKE ! I did get my $1,400 back, but it shows the best fakes are fooling the experts working in the big auction houses .


Romanus III Argyrus, AD 1028-1034, Constantinople Mint, AV Histamenon Nomisma: 4.47 gm, 22 mm, 6 h. Rare variant showing the Virgin without nimbus. Sear 1820.

 

welcome. + nice coins,

here are some of my Byzantine coins, 9th-10th century Epigraphic Follises

 

...Yes, @Christina Pernock, @Pavlov's Alexius trachy is another stunner, just starting with both legends. I was more or less transfixed by his lead seal. Glad you got around to that.

 

Welcome! Byzantine coins, or coins from very late in the Roman Empire's history as I like to call them, are truly fascinating. They tell one of the greatest stories of all time. The struggle of the Great Roman Empire to survive.

Leo VI the Wise
AE Follis

886 - 912 A.D., Constantinople Mint, null Officina
7.72g, 28.0mm, 6H

Obverse: +LЄOҺ bASILЄVS ROM',
Bust of Leo VI facing, with short beard, wearing crown ornamented with cross and chlamys, holding akakia in his left hand

Reverse: +LЄOҺ/ЄҺ ΘЄΟ bΑ/SILЄVS R/OmЄΟnҺ,
Legend in 4 lines

Exergue: -

Provenance: Ex. Leu Numismatik Web Auction 5, Lot 1307

Reference: SBCV 1729

 

A couple more. I can't get enough of the Byzantine period.

The Emperor Justinian and his determination to liberate all lost provinces. If he could of, he would have had France and Britannia retaken. Alas, plague and economic disaster forced him to settle for Africa, Hispania and a depleted Italia. This follis minted in the major city of Nikomedeia, is due for a re-picture.

Justinian the Great
AE Follis

540 - 541 A.D., Nicomedia Mint, 1st Officina
23.31g, 39.0mm, 6H

Obverse: D N IVSTINIANVS PP AVG,
Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Justinian I facing, holding globus cruciger and shield decorated with horseman motif; cross to right

Reverse: -,
Large M; A/N/N/O - X/II/II (R.Y. 14) across field, cross above, A below

Exergue: NIKO

Provenance: Ex. Numismatik Naumann Auction 60 Lot 593

Reference: SBCV 201

We see the same story of debasement happen all over again here; where inflation forces the government to re-structure the coinage once again, and re-tariff the coins. This happened earlier on during the crisis of the third century when the silver double denarius became a pitiful tiny copper coin. Dicoletian added the Nummus, a large 10g coin tariffed at multiple of the older denomination. That was debased to a pitiful copper coin by the 5th century. Anastasius and his extraordinary management of the Empire's finances once again re-structured the coinage and introduced the follis, tariffed at 40 of the tiny Nummi. Justinian enlarged the coin, as seen above, showing the prosperity of the Empire at the time. Plague, war, and disaster forced the start of another session of debasement and the follis was reduced from a whopping 23g to about half of that, 12g, by the time of the Roman Emperor Maurikios. Luckily, Maurice fought successful campaigns against the Persians, finally bringing the fight on their turf in targeted invasions that would make even Galerius get goosebumps.

Maurice Tiberius
AE Follis

588 - 589 A.D., Constantinople Mint, 2nd Officina
12.24g, 29.0mm, 6H

Obverse: D N MAVRI[C] TIBER P P A[VG],
Crowned and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger and shield

Reverse: -,
Large M between A/N/N/O and ϚI (R.Y. 7), cross above, B below

Exergue: CON

Provenance: Ex. CNG Electronic Auction 457, Lot 513, Ex. Jack A. Frazer Collection, Ex. Ponterio 76 (1 August 1995), Lot 481

Reference: SBCV 494

Fast forward a few centuries later, and a tonne of lost territory, the Romans were once again the superpower of the world as they began their renewed expansion. It is during the reign of the great Roman Emperor Basil that we see coins without the name, or portrait, of the Emperor minted (originally started by a predecessor, John Tzimiskes). Here we see the icon of Christ Pantocrator on the obverse, and the legend, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, on the reverse. The face on Christ is often worn down, partly as a sign of reverence the Romans held toward the icon as they would touch the image of Christ and kiss it. This particular example retains the facial features.

Basil II & Constantine VIII
AE Follis

1023 - 1028 A.D., Constantinople Mint, null Officina
9.69g, 28.0mm, 6H

Obverse: +ЄMMANOVHΛ/IC - XC,
Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator

Reverse: +IҺSЧS/XRISTЧS/ЬASILЄЧ/ЬASILЄ,
Legend in four lines; decoration above and below

Class: A3

Type: 41

Ornament:

Nimbus:

Book:

Provenance: Ex. Numismatik-Naumann Auction 64, Lot 830 (part of)

Reference: SBCV 1818

 

Manuel Trachy , one of my favorites.

 

That is a benignly insane range of seriously fine folles, @arnoldoe. If I had access to anything better than Wildwinds, or even the online Dumbarton Oaks catalogue (which Someone here posted links to --Please, Holler!), I'd be looking them up. ...You have got some Stuff up in here.

 

Beautiful coins all!

My Byzantine collection is more of a footnote to my Roman collection; I have no intention to venture much past Justinian, although I will keep interesting coins that either come to me in mixed lots, or that I can win for peanuts at auction.

My favorite thing about Byzantine is that the early gold can usually be bought for about melt value; I love flipping to my page of gold solidii, especially knowing that they only cost a few dollars over melt.

Zeno


Anastasius


Justinian


Phocas


Constantine IV


That's not to say that I don't also have some bronze -





(And a bunch more I still need to image - goes to show where my priorities are!)

 

See https://coins.labarum.info/en/catalog - a better Wildwinds...

 

Some examples from the independent states formed after the Fourth Crusade in the territories of the Eastern Roman Empire that were not occupied by the Latins.


Nicaea:


THEODORE II KOMNENOS-LASCARIS as Emperor of NICAEA (1254-1258)
AE26mm, 3.13g, billon aspron trachy, Magnesia mint, cca. 1255/6.



Thessalonica:


THEODORE KOMNENOS-DOUKAS Despot (1224-1230) and Emperor of THESSALONICA (1227-1230)
AE28mm, 4.34g, billon aspron trachy, Thessalonica mint, cca. 1229-1230.



Trebizond:


MANUEL I MEGAS KOMNENOS as Emperor of Trebizond(1238-1263)
AR22mm 2.72g silver asper, minted at Trebizond, cca. 1240s-1260.

 

Consider the following example of a half follis, or 20 nummi, coin. Denoted by the greek numeral K, this one was minted in another major city, Kyzikos. If you look at a map, you'll realize why Cyzicus was such an important city being strategically located at a narrow bit of land and having excellent access to the sea. The people in Kyzikos were quite crafty. You can see how they used the 'K' of the denomination as part of the mint mark 'Kyz'. Very crafty indeed.

Justinian the Great
AE 1/2 Follis

538 - 539 A.D., Cyzicus Mint, null Officina
11.68g, 32.8mm, 12H

Obverse: D N IVSTINIANVS PP AVG,
Emperor, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right

Reverse: -,
Large K, ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year to right

Exergue: YZ

Provenance: Ex. eBay 2019

Reference: SBCV 208

 

It would be an insult to pass up this coin at ten times the price (maybe a lit more?). The great off center on the obverse includes an edge of another circle design suggesting that more than one design was cut into the same anvil. To me that is technically fascinating.

I have always wanted one of those double K coins. My Nikomedia lines up the NI with the big K but that could be just an accident while the KYZ is definitely someone being 'crafty'. I have to wonder if the cutter at Nikomedia saw a Kyzikos coin and said, "Hey, I can do that, too!"

 

Many thanks, @Quant.Geek! (I had trouble even downloading all of the Dumbarton Oaks; @BenSi is the one who posted the links: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/i-love-a-byzantine-bargin.343564/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+cointalk+(CoinTalk+Update))
But Meanwhile, on the Labarum site, I already found a tetarteron of Isaak II that's better than mine! It's bookmarked, under a variant of 'Better Than Wildwinds.' Thanks again, Lots!

 

I do like that mintmark trick, @Caesar_Augustus! Never saw that before!

 

Welcome, @Christina Pernock

Two months ago, i purchased for 24 EUR shipped these 4 tetarterons:

While the other 3 are irrelevant, the upper left is a quite rare Alexius I, SB 1930. On their way, they made a stop in Bruxelles and liked the city so much, that they decided to remain there. God and Bpost know why; I would understand Amsterdam, but Bruxelles?!

Anyway, instead of finding a younger and more beautiful replacement, i bought this one, which, despite its slug Halloween costume, is also an SB 1930, 3.6 grams.

It came with a younger Mary orans of John II, SB 1946, a bit fatter at 4.7 grams.

I really need to look hard for a decent top 10 this year. Buying slighly more expensive coins would surely help.

 

@catadc, on your page about the last part....