Post your favorite Jesus Christ portrait.

Here is the whole medal. John Paul II

 

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Voulgaroktonou, Wow , your coin is a great rarity, thanks for posting . The example pictured below sold at CNG Triton VII for $5,750.00 .

 

This thread reminded me of a hockey puck that I got



This is the extract that I got from the information booklet.

MILLENNIUM OF RUSSIAN CHRISTIANITY The 3rd medal, the Millennium of Russian Christianity, commemorates the 1000 years of Russia's baptism into Christianity. In 988, Vladimir the Great, had the inhabitants of his capitol Kiev baptised. 1000 years later, Patriarch Pemin, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, sanctified the entire mintage of this series and presented the first two pieces of this medallion to President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev during the Moscow Summit May 30th 88

 

Oh my gosh, that's just great, I love a coin with a story to go with it. Ever notice how many of the portraits of JC look like he is hacked-off about something? Your coin in particular, looks like he just spent an hour in Las Vegas traffic getting cut-off, flipped the bird, and spit upon.

 

Here is one of my "goofy" Jesus coins...
AV Tremissis ND Cordoba Mint
Erwig
Visigoths Kings/ Spain

 

That's just great!! Looks like they had a design contest sponsored by the mint with nepotism deciding who won!

 

John, Your Tremissis of King Erwig, AD 642-687 is the finest example I've seen ! Historically this is a very important coin . As bizarre as this portrait appears it is the 1st portrait of Jesus Christ ever to appear on a coin, earlier than any portrait of Christ to appear on a Byzantine coin .

 

gxseries, The portrait of Christ on your Russian medal has been beautifully done . Christ appears very stern & judgmental & has been modeled after Byzantine examples.

 

Thank you!
I got that coin ANACS-63 from Macho&Chlopivic Auction. Lucky for me it went for 900 euros which is a deal in my eyes. At first I thought it was a portrait of Erwig, later after researching him, and his coinages, I got educated. Never too late to learn new things
John

 

Dear Al, Thanks for the kind word. I've tried to keep track of all recent sales on this rare type. One in the recent Triton XXIII sale, lot 925, hammered at $22,500. I have 2 of them, but at those prices, doubt I will buy any more - I have a wife, 3 dogs, and a horse to feed!

 

How did they decide the portrait is JC and not Erwig?

 

I think it was always known, even older reference books show that it is Jesus. When I first saw the coin, I thought it was Erwig. Then I looked it up and got enlightened. Erwigs portrait is on some coins from other mints. Later Kings also had the Jesus obverse. All Visigoth coins have very abstract portraits on their coins.

 

I thought it was an ancestor of Mr. Bill!

 

Mr. Bill? With ears like that? No way, dead ringer for Mr. Potato Head(!)

 

Received this one today:


Alexius AE Follis Christ
Bronze, 14x24 mm, 2.96 gm
Struck: AD 1081-1085 Constantinople
Obverse: Christ facing with cross behind head, gospels in left hand
Reverse: Cross with globule and pellets

Alexius Comnenus was the Byzantine Emperor from AD 1081 to 1118.

He had the misfortune to face the hordes of Crusaders who passed through his territory on the way to the Holy Land.

 

That is a most beautiful Baroque design by Giovanni Martino Hamerani from a period that abounded in high Vatican medal artistry. Here is another with a different portrait of Christ. It was sculpted by the father of Giovanni, Alberto Hamerani, the founder of this dynasty (in Italian, sorry), who was himself the son of a Bavarian goldsmith.



Papal States. Pope Clement X, 1670-1676. Year 1 = 1670. AE medal. Obv. Tiaraed bust right. Rev. Christ washing a simple Fisherman's feet. Sculpted by Alberto Hamerani (1620-1677). 40 mm, 29.80 gr.