My Byzantine Solidus Gallery

[cmcdon0923]

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

[Ron C2]

A couple nice solidii there.

[cmcdon0923]

Slowly working my way through the collection....a few more, here.....


Craig

[cmcdon0923]

Another small group uploaded.....only a handful more to go.


Craig

[Serendipity]

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.

[cmcdon0923]

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

[Kingston]

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?

[cmcdon0923]

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