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Author Topic: The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion  (Read 1712 times)

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Offline Constantine XI

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The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion
« on: November 07, 2019, 06:31:24 pm »
I have always been so intrigued by the mysterious Sear 134. Apparently it has the combined value of 36 solidi! The reverse featured Justinian on a horse following Victory. Does anyone know its provenance and why it was lost? Also, are there any known pictures or drawings of it? It sounds like a magnificent medallion created for a very special event or person. The reign of Justinian was full of events worth celebrating and he was always one to self aggrandize. Perhaps made to commemorate the conquest of North Africa? Just a guess..... 

Offline joma-tk

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Re: The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2019, 02:34:35 am »
Here is a drawing of it

tk

Offline shanxi

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Re: The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2019, 05:54:47 am »

Offline curtislclay

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Re: The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2019, 10:55:25 am »
Wroth, BMC Byzantine I, p. 25:

Photographed from an electrotype in the BM of the original, which was formerly in the French Collection. The only known original was found in 1751 at Caesarea in Cappadocia. It passed into the French Collection, but was melted down by the thieves who plundered the coin cabinet in 1831. A mould, fortunately taken from the original before this date, has been preserved in the BM and from this electrotypes have been made for the French and English collections. The original weighed 'cinq onces deux gros', equivalent to 36 solidi or half a Roman pound (Babelon, Mélanges, pp. 312 and 321).

Wroth suggests a probable date of before 538 because the bust type resembles solidi struck up to that date, and a possible connection to the triumph celebrated by Belisarius at Constantinople for his conquest of Africa in 534.


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Offline vercingetorix

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Re: The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2020, 03:31:05 pm »
This is actually not the largest Byzantine medallion to be produced. Gregory of Tours mentions 1lb gold medallions sent by Tiberius II to the Frankish king Chilperic.
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Offline *Alex

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Re: The mysterious Sear 134-The 36 Solidi medallion
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2020, 12:09:55 pm »
Here is a photo from an electrotype of the coin.

Alex.


 

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