This was an unofficial coinage in the early years after the Perian invasion in
Syria in the early 7th century. Folles, with Phocas as a
consul (
Sear 672), but bearing the years of reign I and II, were known earlier; Henri
Pottier mentions them in
his monograph. Judging by the
quality of the workmanship, craftsmen from the closed
Antioch Mint were involved in their appearance. These folles, despite their “original” appearance, are no longer an imperial issue; rather, I represent an attempt to saturate the regional market with the usual copper coin in the realities of the Perian occupation.
Samples from the
Pottier's monograph:
