Coins and Antiquities Consignment Shop
  10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!! Please Call Us If You Have Questions 252-646-1958 Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!! Internet Challenged? We Are Happy To Take Your Order Over The Phone 252-646-1958 Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!!

×Catalog Main Menu
Fine Coins Showcase

Antiquities Showcase
New & Reduced

Mar 28, 2024

Mar 27, 2024

Mar 26, 2024

Mar 25, 2024

Mar 24, 2024

Mar 23, 2024

Mar 22, 2024

Mar 21, 2024

Mar 20, 2024

Mar 19, 2024

Mar 18, 2024

Mar 17, 2024
Judean & Biblical Coins

Mar 16, 2024

Mar 15, 2024

Mar 14, 2024

Mar 13, 2024

Mar 12, 2024

Mar 11, 2024

Mar 10, 2024

Mar 09, 2024

Feb 09, 2024
Medieval & Modern Coins

Feb 01, 2024
Medieval & Modern Coins

Jan 20, 2024

Jan 19, 2024
Judean & Biblical Coins

Nov 19, 2023
Medieval & Modern Coins

Oct 24, 2023

Oct 14, 2023
Medieval & Modern Coins

Oct 09, 2023

Oct 05, 2023

Sep 29, 2023

Sep 26, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Sep 22, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Sep 21, 2023

Sep 12, 2023

Sep 10, 2023

Sep 06, 2023

Sep 03, 2023

Aug 16, 2023

Aug 01, 2023

Jul 12, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Jul 11, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Jul 10, 2023

Jul 07, 2023

Jul 05, 2023

Jul 04, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Jul 03, 2023

Jul 02, 2023

Jun 16, 2023

Apr 27, 2023

Apr 12, 2023

Apr 01, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Mar 28, 2023

Mar 27, 2023

Mar 26, 2023

Mar 24, 2023

Mar 22, 2023

Mar 18, 2023

Mar 17, 2023

Mar 16, 2023

Mar 14, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Mar 12, 2023

Mar 08, 2023

Feb 19, 2023

Feb 18, 2023

Feb 17, 2023
Judean & Biblical Coins

Feb 05, 2023
Themes & Provenance

Jan 21, 2023

Jan 18, 2023

Dec 09, 2022

Nov 22, 2022
Judean & Biblical Coins

Nov 21, 2022

Oct 22, 2022
Judean & Biblical Coins

Oct 08, 2022

Sep 29, 2022

Sep 16, 2022

Sep 15, 2022

Aug 31, 2022
Judean & Biblical Coins

Aug 29, 2022
Judean & Biblical Coins

Jul 19, 2022

Jul 12, 2022

Jul 05, 2022

Jun 04, 2022

Jun 02, 2022
Medieval & Modern Coins

Apr 22, 2022

Apr 04, 2022
Themes & Provenance

Mar 18, 2022
Judean & Biblical Coins

Mar 14, 2022
Judean & Biblical Coins

Mar 13, 2022

Mar 10, 2022

Mar 04, 2022

Oct 15, 2021

Oct 14, 2021

Sep 25, 2021

Apr 21, 2021

Books, Supplies & Services
   View Categories
Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Byzantine Coins| ▸ |Comnen Dynasty| ▸ |Nicephorus Basilacius||View Options:  |  |  | 

Nicephorus Basilacius, Usurper, Summer 1078 A.D.

After Michael VII was dethroned, General Nikephoros Basilakes waited at Thessalonica for Nikephoros III and Nikephoros Bryennios to battle for the throne, after which he intended to crush the exhausted victor and take the throne himself. General Alexios Komnenos, however, surprised and defeated Basilakes in a night attack eighteen miles from the city. Basilakes fled back to Thessalonica where he attempted to defend the city, but he was seized by his own soldiers and delivered to Nikephoros III who ordered that Basilakes be blinded.

|Nicephorus| |Basilacius|, |Byzantine| |Empire,| |Nicephorus| |Basilacius,| |Usurper,| |Summer| |1078| |A.D.,| |Anonymous| |Class| |N| |Follis||follis|
Until 1976 this type was regarded as anonymous (Class N) because neither of the two known specimens had a visible legend. In 1976, Grierson published a new specimen with a legend naming the ruler, Nicephorus (Grierson, P. "Nicephorus Bryennius or Nicephorus Basilacius?" in NumCirc LXXXIV.1 (January 1976), type a). There were two candidates, Nicephorus Bryennius and Nicephorus Basilacius, both usurpers, Bryennius in 1077 - 1078, and Basilacius in Thessalonica for a few months during 1078. In 1992, Roger Bland published an example with the legend on the obverse right side reading POCBAC, which has been accepted as proving this type was struck by Basilacius (Bland, R. "A Follis of Nicephorus Basilacius?" NC 1992, p. 175 ff. and pl. 36, B). Our coin has a nearly complete inscription, among the best of all the specimens known to Forum.
SH87639. Bronze follis, DOC III-2 p. 706, N.1 (anonymous class N follis); Grierson 1976, type a; Bland Basilacius pl. 36, B; SBCV 1903A; Sommer 58.1, VF, near complete inscription with at least part of each letter visible, crude, overstruck with severe undertype effects, bumps, scratches, corrosion, weight 5.607 g, maximum diameter 29.6 mm, die axis 180o, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, summer 1078 A.D.; obverse +NIKHΦO-POC BACΛE, facing bust of Christ, nimbus cross with plain arms, wearing tunic and himation, right hand raised in blessing, Gospels in left, IC-XC flanking across field; reverse patriarchal cross on base; barred IC - XC / NI-KA (Jesus Christ conquers) in the quarters; among the best examples known to Forum of this extremely rare and always crude overstruck type!; extremely rare; SOLD


|Nicephorus| |Basilacius|, |Byzantine| |Empire,| |Nicephorus| |Basilacius,| |Usurper,| |Summer| |1078| |A.D.,| |Anonymous| |Class| |N| |Follis||follis|
Until 1976 this type was regarded as anonymous (Class N) because neither of the two known specimens had a visible legend. In 1976, Grierson published a new specimen with a legend naming the ruler, Nicephorus (Grierson, P. "Nicephorus Bryennius or Nicephorus Basilacius?" in NumCirc LXXXIV.1 (January 1976), type a). There were two candidates, Nicephorus Bryennius and Nicephorus Basilacius, both usurpers, Bryennius in 1077 - 1078, and Basilacius in Thessalonica for a few months during 1078. In 1992, Roger Bland published an example with the legend on the obverse right side reading POCBAC, which has been accepted as proving this type was struck by Basilacius (Bland, R. "A Follis of Nicephorus Basilacius?" NC 1992, p. 175 ff. and pl. 36, B). Our coin has a different more complete but blundered and obscure inscription on the obverse right side.
BZ99035. Bronze follis, DOC III-2 p. 706, N.1 (anonymous class N follis); Grierson 1976, type a; Bland Basilacius pl. 36, B; SBCV 1903A (Ex. Rare); Sommer 58.1, F, uneven strike, overstruck with strong undertype effects, weight 5.863 g, maximum diameter 30.7 mm, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, summer 1078 A.D.; obverse +NIKHΦW-POC BACIΛE (or similar), facing bust of Christ, nimbus cross with plain arms, wearing tunic and himation, right hand raised in blessing, Gospels in left, IC - XC flanking across field; reverse patriarchal cross on base; IC - XC / NI-KA (Jesus Christ conquers) in the quarters; from a Las Vegas dealer; extremely rare; SOLD


|Nicephorus| |Basilacius|, |Byzantine| |Empire,| |Nicephorus| |Basilacius,| |Usurper,| |Summer| |1078| |A.D.||follis|
After Michael VII was dethroned, General Nikephoros Basilakes waited at Thessalonica for Nikephoros III and Nikephoros Bryennios to battle for the throne, after which he intended to crush the exhausted victor and take the throne himself. General Alexios Komnenos, however, surprised and defeated Basilakes in a night attack eighteen miles from the city. Basilakes fled back to Thessalonica where he attempted to defend the city, but he was seized by his own soldiers and delivered to Nikephoros III who ordered that Basilakes be blinded.
SH60637. Bronze follis, DOC III-2 2c (Nicephorus Bryennius); SBCV 1890, VF, green patina with nice earthen highlighting, overstruck, weight 3.498 g, maximum diameter 23.9 mm, die axis 0o, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, 1078 A.D.; obverse IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Jesus Christ), facing bust of Christ, nimbus with cross ornamented with five pellets in each limb, wearing tunic and himation, right hand raised in blessing, scroll in left; reverse jeweled patriarchal cross set on base, each arm ends in three pellets, X at lower intersection, C - B / N - B (ΣTAYPΕ BOΗΘΕI NIKΗΦOPΩ BAΣIΛAKΗ - May this cross aid victory for Basilacius) in quarters; extremely rare; SOLD










REFERENCES

Bates, G. Archaeological Exploration of Sardis: Byzantine Coins. Sardis Monograph 1. (Cambridge, 1971).
Berk, H. Eastern Roman Successors of the Sestertius. (Chicago, 1987).
Berk, H. Roman Gold Coins of the Medieval World, 383 - 1453 A.D. (Joliet, IL, 1986).
Bland, R. "A Follis of Nicephorus Basilacius?" NC 1992, p. 175 ff. and pl. 36, B.
Grierson, P. Byzantine Coins. (London, 1982).
Grierson, P. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol III, Part 2: Basil I to Nicephorus III, 867-1081. (Washington D.C., 1973).
Grierson, P. "Nicephorus Bryennius or Nicephorus Basilacius?" in NumCirc LXXXIV.1 (January 1976), pp. 2 - 3.
Morrisson, C. Catalogue des Monnaies Byzantines de la Bibliothèque Nationale II, 711 - 1204. (Paris, 1970).
Ratto, R. Monnaies Byzantines et d'autre Pays contemporaines à l'époque byzantine. (Lugano, 1930).
Sabatier, J. Description générale des monnaies Byzantines. (Paris, 1863).
Sear, D. Byzantine Coins and Their Values. (London, 1987).
Sommer, A. Die Münzen des Byzantinischen Reiches 491-1453. Mit einem Anhang: Die Münzen des Kaiserreichs von Trapezunt. (Regenstauf, 2010).
Tolstoi, I. Monnaies byzantines. (St. Petersburg, 1913 - 14).
Wroth, W. Catalogue of the Imperial Byzantine Coins in the British Museum. (London, 1908).

Catalog current as of Friday, March 29, 2024.
Page created in 1.984 seconds.
All coins are guaranteed for eternity