Byzantine coinage has a lot of collecting themes, including the following series of coins. Around the time of Leo III, the follis underwent a change where the ANNO and the Regal Year is replaced with XXX and NNN on the sides of the large value mark M. Lambros and Wroth indicated that the Xs and Ns were a short-hand for Χριστος νικα repeated three times, but DOC indicates that it is purely decorative as the regal year fell out of use and thus was used as a filler. I am not too convinced about that argument, but here are a few of these types of coins: Byzantine Empire: Leo III (717-741) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1516) Obv: LЄON S CON; Two busts facing, Leo on left, bearded, and Constantine, usually slightly smaller, on right. Each wears chlamys with conspicuous tablion and crown with cross, and holds akaka in right Rev: Large M; X/X/X - N/N/N across field, cross above, A below Byzantine Empire: Leo IV (775-780) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1586) Obv: Crowned facing busts of Leo IV and Constantine VI, each wearing chlamys; cross in field above Rev: Crowned facing busts of Leo III and Constantine V each wearing loros, set on horizontal bar; B A across field; below, M above A, flanked by X and N Byzantine Empire: Theophilus (829-842) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1666) Obv: ✷ ΘЄOFIL ЬASIL; Crowned and draped bust of facing, holding patriarchal cross and akakia Rev: Large M; cross above, X/X/X to left, N/N/N to right, Θ below So go ahead and post some Xs and Ns with a bit of an M or anything else you like!
I really like that Theophilus! Great design, well centered, and well struck. Not something I have seen too often with Byzantine coins.
Here are a few more... Byzantine Empire: Leo V (813-820) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1630) Obv: LЄOҺ S C-OҺSC; Crowned facing busts of Leo and Constantine, each wearing chlamys Rev: Large M; cross above, X/X/X to left, N/N/N to right, A below Byzantine Empire: Michael I Rhangabe (811-813) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1617) Obv: mIXAHL bASILЄ; Crowned facing bust, wearing loros, holding globus cruciger and scepter Rev: Large M between X/X/X and N/N/N; cross above; A below Byzantine Empire: Michael II the Amorian (821-829 CE) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear-1642) Obv: mIXAHL S Θ ЄOFILOS; Crowned facing busts of Michael, wearing chlamys, and Theophilus, wearing loros; cross above Rev: Large M; cross above, X/X/X to left, N/N/N to right, Θ below Byzantine Empire: Theophilus (829-842) Æ Follis, Syracuse (Sear-1681) Obv: Crowned bust facing, wearing loros holding globus cruciger Rev: Large M; X/X/X to left, cross above, N/N/N to right, Ө below
Those are beautiful, after the new year I'll have to go for a few Byzantine coins as I have none at the moment
