Inscriptions

[Michael M5]

Hello my name is Michael and is it possible for someone to give me the name of a book that will tell me what the Inscriptions are on Byzantine Coins.  Thank you.

[cmcdon0923]

In very general terms, often the legend will name the ruler(s) who issued the coin. The denomination and date are often also present along with the mint of origin.  Other times it's simply a legend expressing a statement of some type, as on the reverses of the Anonymous Follis series.

Is there a specific type of Byzantine coinage you're focusing on, as different types can contain different combinations of these components.

Start by taking a look at the Byzantine coins listed for sale here on FORVM for some examples.  Joe often translates some of the legends so you can begin to see what various legends mean.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=byzantine

[Obryzum]

David Sear's book has some information on legends.  The DOC books, which are now available online, have a lot more information.  Grierson's single volume book Byzantine Coins has some information, but this is quite limited.

Legends changed quite a lot during the Byzantine period.  Legends were more standardized at first, but the standardization and consistency broke down towards the end.  Coins from the Paleologan period are quite variable for example.  The legend might change from die to die, with blundered legends and missing letters.