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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Black Friar, post: 3209965, member: 76221&quot;]My recent under $50, actually much less, is this Byzantine follis (bronze)&nbsp; from Byzantine Trebizond from the joint reign of Alexius I (d.1118 ad) and Michael I (1204-1213 ad) and is very rare. </p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse has an image of Christ, the reverse has an image of St. Demitrius, Alexius&#039; patron saint. I found no auction records of a sale.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>It was issued during the period when the Byzantine empire disappeared from 1204-1261 due to the 1st Crusade in which French knights and knights from all over Europe (ie.mercenaries) took over the empire and set up separate fiefdoms. </p><p><br /></p><p>These Christian knights had no problem making war on the Orthodox emperors as they viewed anyone that was not under the Roman popes were heretics.&nbsp; The original intent of the First Crusade was to liberate the Holy Land from Islamic persecution.&nbsp; I guess all&#039;s fair in war. Don&#039;t worry, subsequent Crusades would remedy that oversight.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Alexius went to Tribizond and became the &quot;emperor&quot; of that region of the former empire.&nbsp; The Byzantine Empire was restored in 1261 under Michael VII and lasted till 1453 a mere 39 years before Chris Columbus &quot;discovered&quot; America for the benefit of Queen Isabella.&nbsp; Folks, she owned the entire area of North and South America as her personal property. Ferdinand &quot;got&quot; nada.</p><p><br /></p><p>I hope you enjoyed this missive.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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