Here is an Byzantine electrum coin with the emperor and St. George. The next electrum piece is the emperor and St. Demetrius (os). The last coin is a gold (not electrum) coin with St. Constantine. The last object is a seal of Michael Atouemes, sebastos, 2nd half of the 13th century with St. Michael. Of course Christ and Mary are also on Byzantine gold coins. Tomorrow is the feast day in the west of St. Nicholas, arguably the most popular saint in both the east and west together. Yet, he does not appear on Byzantine gold or Byzantine coins of any sort that I am aware of. He does appear on Byzantine seals. Why is he not on the gold and other coinage?
Very nice coins, seal and post. If there was a St. Nicholas coin it would be very popular, especially at this time of the year.
I have seen at least one coin of St. Nick. If I remember right it was 16th or 17th century German. Maybe a Batzen but I'm not sure. It didn't sell for more than $50. I wish I had bought it. Nice coins by the way.
The guy on ebay said this was a rare issue of Basil II. But your implication is that I was scammed. Was I??
I was unaware of those. Most of the true Byzantine coins with Nicholas are Michael VIII but none gold or electrum.
Nice coins @Gary Waddingham ! It would have been cool if the Byzantines had struck a St. Nick type but I guess they didn't.
Here is the St. Nicholas coin. Here also is a map of the Byzantine empire under Michael VIII taken from Sear's book on Byzantine coins. It has shrunk considerably. The Byzantines usually used military saints such as Demetrius (os), George, Michael the Archangel, George, and Theodore {who was originally one saint and became Theodore the General (Stratelates) and St. Theodore the recruit (Tyro) for class reasons}. A mighty empire needed military saints. They were often portrayed with swords in hand. A Byzantine soldier killing a man in the field was required to do thirty days penance (psychologically and spiritually useful whatever you might think). From the seventh century on, Muslim armies were full of young men promised willing virgins in paradise, a distinct recruiting edge. Perhaps Michael VIII used St. Nicholas because he was the last resort of the weak. He was the patron saint of sailors, children and prostitutes, all categories of people who were at the will of factors not of their own making.
Wow, that I did not know! Enemy combatants were generally not considered "innocent" & so exempted from "thou shalt not kill." (A necessary move at the time of Constantine if Christianity was going to be an Imperial religion.) But I guess it was still considered a sin, if a lesser one.
Not a coin, but came across this interesting article on St. Nick the other day: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/12/holidays-saints-religion-tombs-burials/
