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Author Topic: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery  (Read 1455 times)

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Offline cmcdon0923

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My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« on: February 21, 2023, 11:16:39 pm »
I have finally (!) started uploading images of my collection of Byzantine solidi to a gallery I actually started several years ago.  Previously there were a few coins in the gallery, just as placeholders, that used the auction house / dealer images. 

I finally got around to shooting my own images, and am going to get them all uploaded over the next week or so. The images were taken with the goal of showing what the coin actually looks like in the metal, without strategically placed lighting or other post processing manipulations.  Most commercial images make these pieces of history look like modern proof coinages.  I would rather see a true image, warts and all.

Hopefully you will enjoy the collection.  Here is the direct link:    https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=6652


Craig

Offline Ron C2

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2023, 11:22:18 pm »
A couple nice solidii there.
My Ancient Coin Gallery: Click here

R. Cormier, Ottawa

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2023, 11:55:01 pm »
Slowly working my way through the collection....a few more, here.....


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2023, 11:25:11 pm »
Another small group uploaded.....only a handful more to go.


Craig

Offline Serendipity

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2023, 05:55:05 pm »
Brilliant Byzantine collection! I thoroughly enjoyed browsing through your solidi collection. I’ve only got one Romanus III gold histamenon in my collection at the moment which I acquired last year.

Romanus III Argyrus (12 Nov 1028 - 11 Apr 1034 AD), Gold Histamenon Nomisma, DOC III-2 1d, Morrisson BnF 43/Cp/AV/01, Ratto 1972, Sommer 43.2.2, SBCV 1819, Wroth BMC 2, EF, weight 4.45g, maximum diameter 25.0mm, die axis 180°, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 12 Nov 1028 - 11 Apr 1034 AD; obverse + IҺS XIS RЄX-RЄϚNANTIҺm (Jesus Christ, King of Kings), Christ Pantokrator, bearded, enthroned facing on square-backed throne (Type IIa), with nimbus cruciger, wearing pallium and colobium, raising right hand in benediction and holding Book of Gospels by upper edge on left knee with left, pelleted double border surrounding; reverse ΘCЄ bOHΘ'-RωmAҺω (God-Bearer, help Romanus), MΘ (Mother of God) above center, Virgin, nimbate, standing facing on right, wearing pallium and maphorium, raising left hand in benediction and crowning with right Romanus III, bearded, standing facing on left, wearing crown with cross and pendilia, sakkos and modified square pattern loros with four pellets on fold, holding right hand on breast and globus cruciger in left, pelleted double border surrounding; scarce.

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2023, 12:26:12 am »
Very nice coin, Serendipity !

So far I haven't progressed into the successor coins of the solidus.  I still have a few I'd like to add before moving on into those issues.

And thank you for the kind words regarding my collection.  I still have a handful to post, but I either don't have a photo that I am happy with, or I need to pull the coins from the bank for some missing information to be included in the posts.



Craig

Offline Kingston

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2023, 09:40:07 am »
Very nice, they all look great. Inspiring as I am currently on a similar collection. Do you have a specific objective in mind to complete it (e.g., period or theme) or not necessarily?

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2023, 10:45:05 pm »
Thank you Kingston.  I appreciate the compliments.

I don't really have any hard and fast objectives, as to be completely honest, ancients aren't really even my main collecting interest. That being said, I've probably bought 10x the number of ancients as I have in my primary area of interest, over the last 12 months. 

Obviously I'd like as many emperors as possible, but I absolutely know that there are a decent number of them that I will never own, simply because of their cost.  I will probably also stop with the end of the issuance of solidi.


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2023, 11:53:28 pm »
I was able to acquire this solidus of Constantine VI, with his mother Irene as Regent.  I figure it's probably as close as I'll get to a portrait of Irene.


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2023, 05:19:22 pm »
And one more....

I have two coins I still need to pull from the bank and reshoot, then everything will be up to date.


Craig

Offline Ron C2

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2023, 12:05:44 pm »
you're really got some great examples posted here, including many emperors I'd like to have examples of :)

My nascent byzantine gold gallery (including a couple pre-byzantine period eastern mint solidii) can be found here if you have an interest:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=7669
My Ancient Coin Gallery: Click here

R. Cormier, Ottawa

Offline Virgil H

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2023, 02:03:06 pm »
You have a beautiful collection.

Virgil

Offline Kingston

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2023, 02:22:20 am »
Quite expensive to get a standalone Irene coin. I think I will do the same as you did and aim at a Constantine VI with Irene coin - more affordable and equally good looking!

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2023, 12:25:57 am »
Quote
You have a beautiful collection.

Thank you Virgil.  I appreciate your kind compliments.


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2023, 09:02:20 pm »
I attended the annual Texas Numismatic Association (TNA) convention in Arlington, earlier today, and came across this coin at the table of Nick Economopoulos.  It's a solidus from the first reign of emperor Justinian II

The coin is very lustrous, and well struck with complete legends all around.  It is also essentially full standard weight, indicating no clipping.


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #15 on: June 10, 2023, 12:22:13 am »
I just uploaded the last of the coins from my collection of Byzantine solidi.

I was finally able to get the coins from the bank to fill in some missing information for the last few coins before uploading them.  I was also able to fill in some missing weights and diameters for a few coins, that I didn't have in my records.

It was actually a fun process, which allowed me to spend some time with each of the coins.  And as a result, I've identified one or two that I will want to upgrade with better condition pieces.  These were mostly some of my earlier purchases when I was still in a "I need one of those" collector mode.

I've also looked at the emperors I still need.  Some of them will be relatively easy to find, and a few others, not so much.

I also may look at adding a brief one paragraph bio for each emperor, to make the galley a bit more educational as opposed to just a picture gallery.

I hope y'all enjoy looking at the coins as much as I did getting the gallery to this point.


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2023, 11:56:05 pm »
My latest purchase....Constantine IV

Offline Din X

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #17 on: August 26, 2023, 03:00:41 am »
I am not sure if it really makes sense to make better pcitures of the Theophilus.
It is a Beirut forgery, Imho they are cast fakes and some with little modified flan shape.
They are so COMPLETELY identical that I even thought that one of them was sold several times but 4,08g, 4,38g and 4,51g speak against the same coin.

They share:

1.Same scratches on obverse and reverse (red arrows!)

2. same centering and flan shape, on yours it is sightly modified (a little bit huger fla) that you can see that part of the dotted border is  missing due to bad centering of the authentic mother, so your coin can not be the authentic mother. (pink arrow ca 10 o clock on obverse )

3. Same flat struck areas on obverse and reverse on all coins (blue arrow)

4. No new details, they all have the same details from authentic mother



Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #18 on: August 26, 2023, 03:41:32 pm »
OUCH !!!!!

Well that's definitely not something I wanted to hear! 

The coin was bought out of a NYINC sale back in January 2017, complete with NGC encapsulation.  Unfortunately I cracked it out upon receipt.  I kept the NGC tag that it came with, but I doubt that's going to be of any value since I removed the coin from it's tomb.

I'll contact the auction house on Monday to see if I have any recourse, but I'm not going to hold my breath.


Craig

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #19 on: August 26, 2023, 07:32:42 pm »
I have created a FAKE COINS REPORT for this item.  I've never done one before, so if I did anything incorrectly, please let me know and I will correct it ASAP.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=132137.0

Offline Virgil H

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #20 on: August 29, 2023, 12:26:38 am »
As for the dealer, even though you cracked it out of its case, I think you have a good case if a reputable company because of the photos that will be available at the NGC site versus the details provided by Din X and your actual coin. I think it would be hard for them to refute unless they absolve themselves with the fact that NGC encapsulated it. I certainly wouldn't blame the dealer for selling this since it was encapsulated, but they should also make it right by you. In any case, good luck.

Virgil

Offline Dominic T

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #21 on: August 29, 2023, 07:59:16 am »
 I just quickly check on Acsearch, and it’s scary to see that I quickly found many specimens sold in the last 10 years by big Auction houses with the same characteristics showed by Dinx. Is it possible to determine which one is the authentic mother host ?
DT

Offline cmcdon0923

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #22 on: August 30, 2023, 03:08:21 pm »
In looking back at my purchase records. It references coming out of a collection auctioned back in July of 1997, so these fakes had already been around for at least 20 years when I bought it.

I spoke with the auction house, and they have offered to submit the coin to NGC, as opposed to my doing it.  This is due primarily due to my having removed it from the slab.  Them presenting it for refund may carry a bit more weight than just some two-bit collector trying to do it.  Stay tuned........


Craig

Offline Ron C2

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #23 on: August 31, 2023, 06:46:03 am »
Well it’s good the auction house is working with you on the issue.
My Ancient Coin Gallery: Click here

R. Cormier, Ottawa

Offline Dominic T

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Re: My Byzantine Solidus Gallery
« Reply #24 on: August 31, 2023, 08:11:20 am »
In looking back at my purchase records. It references coming out of a collection auctioned back in July of 1997, so these fakes had already been around for at least 20 years when I bought it.

The Beirut forgers school was active from the 1950s to the time of the Civil War of the 1980s, and might have begun their operations again more recently in the 2000’s. They seem to have used die transfer technology and a high degree of technical craftsmanship when creating their counterfeits.
DT

 

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