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<p>[QUOTE="Voulgaroktonou, post: 4174936, member: 84047"]It's not always easy deciphering the monograms on these tiny coins, especially when the differences between them are subtle, as with these 2 reigns. And add to that the often careless striking...But you're right, in that given the often abscence of an obverse inscription, the monogram is often all we have to go on. I'm currently studying a group of several hundred 5th c. nummi from Theodosius II to Basiliscus, and some of them that exist in many varieties such as those of Leo I, are wearing out my eyes! The monogram of Anastasius on the left is built around the initial letters AN in a block formation, with the right upright stroke of the N doing double service as a lunate sigma. An omicron sits at the apex of the A, while a "v" shaped upsilon tops the sigma, whose top horizontal line also represents T. So the name in the genitive case ANACTACIOV is more or less spelled out. Whew...(I had to work on Byzantine seals years ago, and while I admit they are invaluable to the historical record, I also find their monograms challenging.) On the 2nd and 3rd. coins of Justin, the monogram is similar in form to that of Anastasius, but the abscence of the A is significant. The N forms the center of it, with again, an omicron at the upper left, and the right upright stroke serves multiple use as I, T, Sigma, and upsilon: IOVCTINOV. Although I lack an example, Hahn also notes another Antiochene nummus (NN67). Its monogram is cruciform and I think is a little easier to decipher. I hope all this makes sense. While I have been trying to write this, my 3 dogs have been going off every few minutes with barking fits alerting me to the horrible dangers of people strolling past our house! </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1074746[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1074786[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Voulgaroktonou, post: 4174936, member: 84047"]It's not always easy deciphering the monograms on these tiny coins, especially when the differences between them are subtle, as with these 2 reigns. And add to that the often careless striking...But you're right, in that given the often abscence of an obverse inscription, the monogram is often all we have to go on. I'm currently studying a group of several hundred 5th c. nummi from Theodosius II to Basiliscus, and some of them that exist in many varieties such as those of Leo I, are wearing out my eyes! The monogram of Anastasius on the left is built around the initial letters AN in a block formation, with the right upright stroke of the N doing double service as a lunate sigma. An omicron sits at the apex of the A, while a "v" shaped upsilon tops the sigma, whose top horizontal line also represents T. So the name in the genitive case ANACTACIOV is more or less spelled out. Whew...(I had to work on Byzantine seals years ago, and while I admit they are invaluable to the historical record, I also find their monograms challenging.) On the 2nd and 3rd. coins of Justin, the monogram is similar in form to that of Anastasius, but the abscence of the A is significant. The N forms the center of it, with again, an omicron at the upper left, and the right upright stroke serves multiple use as I, T, Sigma, and upsilon: IOVCTINOV. Although I lack an example, Hahn also notes another Antiochene nummus (NN67). Its monogram is cruciform and I think is a little easier to decipher. I hope all this makes sense. While I have been trying to write this, my 3 dogs have been going off every few minutes with barking fits alerting me to the horrible dangers of people strolling past our house! [ATTACH=full]1074746[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1074786[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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