Bellow is my newest addition to my collection, a coin that is listed in Sear as a Latin Produced Half Tetarteron. This coin was the most elusive of the three, ting coin, very small die 12mm.I purchased it from a German auction house that listed it as an unknown. The obverse is Christ standing, right hand in benediction the left holding gospels. The reverse is an unknown ruler standing with Labarum in right hand and Globus cruciger with cross on top. 1.65gm and around 17mm ( Put it away before measurement.) SBCV-2060. The other two are in better condition and far more attractive, in fact the SBCV-2058 , I personally believe to be the most beautiful coin produced after the fall of Constantinople in 1203. The third example depicts two saints of the time St Helena and St Constantine. The debate over these issues will remain unsolved, none of the academics seem to agree on where they were minted Constantinople or Thessalonica or even if they were issued by the Latins or the Bulgarians. I will keep the under Michael Hendy's attribution, the 12th century coinage was his world. For further reading on the details of Latin Coinage both trachea and tetartera ( Bottom of page) I recommend Ross's excellent web site The Bulgarian & Latin Imitative Types (glebecoins.net) Fell free to post imitative coinage from the time period, Bulgarian or Latin or?
Sorry, @BenSi, I've posted the only imitative example I have decent pictures of about half a dozen times. But Huge thanks for the link! ...It's always bracing, particularly in various medieval series, to see this level of ongoing speculation converge with this level of expertise. There's so much we don't know --and might, eventually!
Excellent half tetartera, BenSi. Your coins are from an interesting and troubled time, for the Byzantine Empire, after the catastrophic sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204. The 3rd coin is my favorite. It has beautiful portraits of Saint Helena and Saint Constantine. It's interesting, how Saint Helena and Saint Constantine are wearing Byzantine crowns. Saint Helena is wearing a female Byzantine crown, and Saint Constantine is wearing a male Byzantine crown. And the glossy black patina is outstanding. And it has a nice shape. And it is well centered. I also like the 2nd coin a lot. It has a beautiful portrait of Mary. It is well centered, with a beautiful green patina, and a nice shape. I don't have any tetartera or half tetartera at all, yet. However, I have this Latin Rule trachy coin. Latin Rule In Constantinople, date = 1204 AD to 1261 AD, maximum diameter = 20 mm, weight = 1.12 grams, Sear 2035, obverse has Jesus Christ standing on a dais, reverse has Emperor standing holding labarum and globus cruciger. The coin has been clipped, which is typical.