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Author Topic: Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.  (Read 5060 times)

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Offline Simon

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Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« on: January 04, 2003, 03:32:25 am »
Hi, Here is one that has had me stumped for a while. The design is very crude and unlike any other I have seen. I believe the obverse to be the Virgin but the coin has no legend on either side so it could be Jesus. If anyone has any ideas about this coin please comment. AE 14/17mm



Thanks !

Simon
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5633 My main collection of Tetartera. Post reform coinage.

Offline Simon

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Re: Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2003, 04:01:29 am »
Anybody have any ideas about this, could this be a latter denomination? As I stated before it is so crude compared to my other tetarterons maybe it is a ancient imitation? :-/
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5633 My main collection of Tetartera. Post reform coinage.

teltomat

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Re: Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2003, 12:50:30 pm »
Maybe it's a Judean coin.

Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2003, 03:07:06 pm »
No, its got images on it.
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Offline Simon

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Re: Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2003, 04:30:53 am »
No I agree, it has to be a late byzantine coin ( After Alexius I ) or an ancient imitation. I have about 40 tetarterons and this one is similar but cruder in the portrait style and a little heavier than most. I am going to get a new reffrence book soon and maybe that will answer the question. I will note it on the board when the question is solved. :-/
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5633 My main collection of Tetartera. Post reform coinage.

Offline wegm

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Re: Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2003, 06:21:00 pm »
I've poked through some references (Dumbarton Oaks, Sear, Wroth) and have come up empty handed. Though the striking and design of the scyphates gets pretty abysmal, the tetarterii always seem pretty consistent, even the stuff alleged to "unknown Greek" mints. The only thing I can say is that it is definitely "Byzantine" - i.e. if not of an actual Imperial mint, of a nation in the empire's orbit (what Obolensky called the "Byzantine Commonwealth") ???.

Offline Simon

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2003, 07:20:35 am »
I have not given up on solving this little mystery. I received a reply from another board citing it to be Alexius I Dumbarton Oaks 39.4 (illustrated in Vol. 4, Part 2, Plate VI , and after finally seeing the reffrence , yes the crudeness and the emperors portrait are similar but the obverse ,if it is the virgin is not in the orans position.

The only other clue I can add to the mystery is I purchased this coin from a dealer in Cyprus.

I
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yafet_rasnal

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2003, 12:39:34 pm »
Perhaps a coin from an usurper emperor located in Cyprus. I know for sure there're this kind of coins.

Offline LordBest

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2003, 01:13:09 pm »
There was an usurper in Cyrpus alright, Isaac Comnenus. But, regular Byz coins circulated in Cyprus and there have been quite a few hoards found in Cyprus of which the usurpers coinage makes up a very small percentage. :)
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yafet_rasnal

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2003, 01:16:22 pm »
Yes i know about it ...but if he isn't able to find it on byz coinage books then the possibilities of an usurper raise.
I think vercingetorix is needed  ;D

Offline LordBest

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2003, 01:24:01 pm »
Yeah, crude and unlisted certainly adds to the chances of it being a coin of the usurper. ;) "The Usurper" by the way was what he was called by the Byzantines and the Crusaders which ultimately beat the buggery out of him. What a title. ::)
                                        LordBest. 8)

Offline Simon

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2003, 06:34:29 pm »
I just got DOC Vol iV and it confirms what I suspected, some of Alexius Tetartera were made of a diffrent metal, Lead. This coin might be made of lead. How do I test what the coin is made of without hurting the coin?

I wish and dream it was an Isaac I.
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byzcollector

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2003, 08:49:02 pm »
Small advice though it may be, lead corrodes "white". That may be a small indictor.

Offline LordBest

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2003, 11:57:48 pm »
Not to mention the weight. ;)
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solidus

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Re:Strange Tetarteron, A Little Help.
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2003, 10:39:29 pm »
It's a copper tetarteron of AlexiusI from the Thessalonika mint, S. 1930.  Sear doesn't have a picture, but Hendy does: plate 8 No 9.  However, that picture is not as nice as your coin.

 

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