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Wrong Assumptions: Maurice Tiberius Decanummium from Constantine in Numidia
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<p>[QUOTE="Marsyas Mike, post: 3604475, member: 85693"]Got an unidentified lot of four ancients from eBay yesterday, which I bid on because of the decanummium that didn't look too bad. I couldn't ID from the seller's photos - I figured it was a common Justinian. What was clear to me from the photo was that it came from Constantinople - a CON mintmark was very clear to see.</p><p><br /></p><p>That was the wrong assumption. When I got it in hand and started researching it, I found that it had been minted in Constantine, Numidia. The Maurice Tiberius decanummii (sp.?) from Constantinople have the Officina letter to the right of the I - the ones from Constantine in Numidia have a star on either side of the I.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'd never heard of that mint. I think this is also called Cirta -</p><p><br /></p><p>"In 412, Cirta was host to another important Christian council, overseen by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo" rel="nofollow">St Augustine</a>. According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Mommsen" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Mommsen" rel="nofollow">Mommsen</a>, Cirta was fully <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" rel="nofollow">Latin</a>-speaking and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Algeria" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Algeria" rel="nofollow">Christian</a> by the time the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandals" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandals" rel="nofollow">Vandals</a> arrived in AD 430.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta#cite_note-18" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta#cite_note-18" rel="nofollow">[18]</a> Under the emperor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I" rel="nofollow">Justinian I</a>, the city walls were reinforced and the city was named capital of its region with a resident commander (<i><i>dux</i></i>). Cirta was part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exarchate_of_Africa" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exarchate_of_Africa" rel="nofollow">Byzantine Africa</a> from 534 to 697."</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The coin is nicely struck, with a pretty green patina that is unfortunately a bit thick, making it hard to read the obverse inscription:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]964858[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's the obverse legend:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]964857[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>And it's chunky!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]964856[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Maurice Tiberius </b></p><p><b>Decanummium</b></p><p><b>(582-602 A.D.)</b></p><p><b>Constantine in Numidia Mint </b></p><p>DN MAVRI Tb PP AVG, crowned and cuirassed bust facing / Large I, star to left, pellet-cross-pellet above, star to right; mintmark CON in exergue.</p><p>SB 578; DOC 262.</p><p>(4.28 grams / 18 mm)</p><p><br /></p><p>Any other Constantine, Numidia Byzantines out there? I couldn't find any others on Coin Talk, but searching "Constantine" is not very helpful, as you can imagine. Any information about the mint would be helpful too - a cursory online search didn't turn up much.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Marsyas Mike, post: 3604475, member: 85693"]Got an unidentified lot of four ancients from eBay yesterday, which I bid on because of the decanummium that didn't look too bad. I couldn't ID from the seller's photos - I figured it was a common Justinian. What was clear to me from the photo was that it came from Constantinople - a CON mintmark was very clear to see. That was the wrong assumption. When I got it in hand and started researching it, I found that it had been minted in Constantine, Numidia. The Maurice Tiberius decanummii (sp.?) from Constantinople have the Officina letter to the right of the I - the ones from Constantine in Numidia have a star on either side of the I. I'd never heard of that mint. I think this is also called Cirta - "In 412, Cirta was host to another important Christian council, overseen by [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo']St Augustine[/URL]. According to [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Mommsen']Mommsen[/URL], Cirta was fully [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin']Latin[/URL]-speaking and [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Algeria']Christian[/URL] by the time the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandals']Vandals[/URL] arrived in AD 430.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta#cite_note-18'][18][/URL] Under the emperor [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I']Justinian I[/URL], the city walls were reinforced and the city was named capital of its region with a resident commander ([I][I]dux[/I][/I]). Cirta was part of the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exarchate_of_Africa']Byzantine Africa[/URL] from 534 to 697." [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirta[/URL] The coin is nicely struck, with a pretty green patina that is unfortunately a bit thick, making it hard to read the obverse inscription: [ATTACH=full]964858[/ATTACH] Here's the obverse legend: [ATTACH=full]964857[/ATTACH] And it's chunky! [ATTACH=full]964856[/ATTACH] [B]Maurice Tiberius Decanummium (582-602 A.D.) Constantine in Numidia Mint [/B] DN MAVRI Tb PP AVG, crowned and cuirassed bust facing / Large I, star to left, pellet-cross-pellet above, star to right; mintmark CON in exergue. SB 578; DOC 262. (4.28 grams / 18 mm) Any other Constantine, Numidia Byzantines out there? I couldn't find any others on Coin Talk, but searching "Constantine" is not very helpful, as you can imagine. Any information about the mint would be helpful too - a cursory online search didn't turn up much.[/QUOTE]
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