Fine Coins Showcase
Antiquities Showcase
Show Empty Categories
Shop Search
Shopping Cart
My FORVM
Contact Us
About Forum
Shopping at Forum
Our Guarantee
Payment Options
Shipping Options & Fees
Privacy & Security
Forum Staff
Selling Your Coins
Identifying Your Coin
FAQs
zoom.asp
Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Byzantine Coins| ▸ |Byzantine Rarities||View Options:   | | | |
The portrait on this coin was based on an icon believed by the people of the time to bear a miraculous resemblance to Christ’s actual appearance.SH21619. Gold solidus, DOC II-2 2b, Wroth BMC 1, Morrisson BnF 15/Cp/AV/12, Tolstoi 1, Ratto 1705, Hahn MIB 2b, Sommer 17.3, SBCV 1415, EF, weight 4.239 g, maximum diameter 19.2 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 705 - 711 A.D.; obverse O N IhS ChS REX REGNANTIYM, bust of Christ facing, curly hair, short beard, wearing pallium and colobium, Gospels in left, cross behind head; reverse IYSTINIANYS ET TIbERIYS PP A, Justinian (on left) and Tiberius, half-length facing, each wears crown, divitision and chlamys, holding cross potent on three steps in center; very rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Justinian II, 10 July 685 - Late 695 and Summer 705 - 4 November 711 A.D.
The portrait on this coin was based on an icon believed by the people of the time to bear a miraculous resemblance to Christ's actual appearance.SH70977. Gold tremissis, DOC II-2 6b; Wroth BMC 4; Morrisson BnF 15/Cp/AV/16; Tolstoi 7; Ratto 1708; Hahn MIB 6b; Sommer 17.5; SBCV 1421, EF, tight flan, weight 1.306 g, maximum diameter 15.5 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 2nd reign, with Tiberius, 705 - 711 A.D.; obverse D N IhS ChS REX REGNANTIYM (or similar), bust of Christ facing, short curly hair, short beard, wearing pallium and colobium, Gospels in left, cross behind head; reverse IYSTINIAN ET TIbERIY PP A (or similar), Justinian on left and Tiberius on right, half-length facing, each wearing crown, divitision and chlamys, holding cross potent in center; ex Harlan Berk; rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Maurice Tiberius, 13 August 582 - 22 November 602 A.D.
Most references attribute this type to Antioch. Although this type is not listed in DOC I, Grierson attributes all solidi with this wide-faced portrait to Antioch. Hahn attributes the type to Constantinople.SH90884. Gold light weight solidus, 20 siliquae; SBCV 531, Hahn MIB 14, Sommer 7.61, Adelson 88 - 89 corr. (rho-cross scepter), DOC I -, Wroth BMC -, Morrisson BnF -, Tolstoi -, Ratto -, gVF, uneven strike, tight flan, weight 3.390 g, maximum diameter 20.7 mm, die axis 180o, 10th officina, Constantinopolis or Antioch mint, 583 - 602 A.D.; obverse D N MAVRIC - TIb P P AVG, helmeted, draped, and cuirassed bust facing, globus cruciger in right hand, shield in left, helmet with arc ornament in front and plume; reverse VICTORIA AVGG I (victory of the two emperors, 10th officina), angel standing facing, long cross in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand, OBXX in exergue; Forum knows of only seven other examples of this extremely rare type, from the Robert Watcher Collection; extremely rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Focas, 23 November 602 - 5 October 610 A.D.
Hahn and Berk attribute this style variation to Thessalonica. Other reference fail to distinguish the type from similar Constantinople issues. Hahn identifies the Greek number following the reverse legend as the regnal year.SH86280. Gold solidus, MIBEC p. 181 and pl. 31, N3; Berk Gold 109; other references do not distinguish this type from Constantinople issues, Choice EF, well centered and struck, graffiti on reverse, weight 4.362 g, maximum diameter 20.5 mm, die axis 180o, probably Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, c. 607 A.D.(?); obverse o N FOCAS PERP AVC, bust facing, bearded, wearing cuirass, paludamentum, and crown with cross on circlet and without pendilia, globus cruciger in right hand; reverse VICTORIA AVCC E (victory of the two emperors, 5th officina? or regnal year 5?), angel standing facing, staurogram staff in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand, CONOB in exergue; graffiti reading ƆMΘ (retrograde, Greek additive number 249?) or less likely ΘEC (Thessalonica?); ex Numismatik Naumann auction 58, lot 626; very rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Romanus II (Sole Reign?), 959 - 963 A.D.
This type with the obliterated reverse legend has been attributed as an emergency issue struck at the beginning of Romanus' sole reign. David Sear notes, "Perhaps the Byzantine mint had received no clear instructions from the new regime and simply resorted to this stopgap expedient pending further directives from the palace.SH36155. Gold solidus, Füeg SNR 76, pl. IV, B4; cf. DOC III Constantine VII 15.22, gVF, weight 4.422 g, maximum diameter 20.8 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, obverse IhS XPS REX REGNANTIVM, bust of Christ facing with nimbus cruciger, tunic and himation, right raised in blessing, gospels in left; reverse CONSTANT CE ROMAN AUGG b R (obliterated), crowned facing busts of Constantine VII (left) in loros and Romanus in chlamys, holding long patriarchal cross between them; very rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Romanus II (Sole Reign?), 959 - 963 A.D.
This type with the obliterated reverse legend has been attributed as an emergency issue struck at the beginning of Romanus' sole reign. David Sear notes, "Perhaps the Byzantine mint had received no clear instructions from the new regime and simply resorted to this stopgap expedient pending further directives from the palace.SH33684. Gold solidus, Füeg SNR 76, pl. IV, B4; cf. DOC III Constantine VII 15.22, EF, weight 4.379 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, obverse +IhS XPS REX REGNANTIVM', bust of Christ facing with nimbus cruciger, tunic and himation, right raised in blessing, gospels in left; reverse CONSTANT CE ROMAN AUGG b R (partially obliterated), crowned facing busts of Constantine VII (left) in loros and Romanus in chlamys, holding long patriarchal cross between them; superb portrait of Christ; very rare; SOLD
Theodora, 21 April 1042 - 12 June 1042 and 11 January 1055 - 21 August 1056
Zoe and Theodora, the two elderly daughters of Constantine VIII ruled jointly for 7 1/2 weeks (21 Apr - 12 Jun 1042) following the deposition of Michael V. They were unfit for rule and did not get along. The senator Constantine Monomachus was selected as a husband for Zoe ascended the throne as Constantine IX. Theodora held sole rule for a year and a half after the death of Constantine IX until her death (11 Jan 1055 - 21 Aug 1056). She nominated Michael Stratioticus, a civil servant, as her successor.BZ89542. Gold histamenon nomisma, DOC III, part 2, 1c; SBCV 1837, Wroth BMC 4 var. (pellets in nimbus); Morrison BnF 1 var. (same); Ratto -, Sommer -, VF, broad flan, bumps and scratches, die wear, weight 4.186 g, maximum diameter 24.8 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, sole reign, 11 Jan 1055 - 21 Aug 1056; obverse + IhS XIS REX REGNANITInm (Jesus Christ, King of Kings), Christ Pantokrator standing facing on dais, wearing nimbus cruciger with no pellets, pallium and colobium, right hand raised in benediction, book of Gospels cradled in left arm, double border; reverse + ΘEOΔwPA AVΓOVCTA (Theodora, Empress), Theodora (on left) and the Virgin (on left) standing facing, jointly holding labarum between them with pellet on shaft, Theodora with right hand on breast, wearing crown with pendilia, saccos with cross and loros; the Virgin nimbate, wearing pallium and maphorium, M - Θ (mother of God) flanking her head; from the Robert Watcher Collection; rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Anastasius II Artemius, 3 June 713 - November 715
Anastasius II was originally named Artemius and was an imperial secretary. After the Opsician army in Thrace had overthrown Philippicus, they acclaimed Artemius as Emperor. He chose Anastasius as his regnal name. Soon after, Anastasius II executed the officers who were directly involved in the conspiracy against Philippicus. As the advancing Umayyad Caliphate surrounded the Empire, after diplomacy failed, he undertook the restoration of Constantinople's walls and the rebuilding of the Roman fleet. The death of the Caliph al-Walid I in 715 gave Anastasius an opportunity to turn the tables. He dispatched an army under Leo the Isaurian, afterwards emperor, to invade Syria, and he had his fleet concentrate on Rhodes with orders not only to resist the approach of the enemy but to destroy their naval stores. These troops of the Opsician theme, resenting the Emperor's strict measures, mutinied, slew the admiral John, and proclaimed as emperor Theodosius III, a tax-collector of low extraction. After a six-month siege, Constantinople was taken by Theodosius. Anastasius, who had fled to Nicaea, was eventually compelled to retire to a monastery in Thessalonica. In 719, Anastasius headed a revolt against Leo III, who had succeeded Theodosius. The attempt failed and Anastasius was put to death.SH86351. Gold solidus, Füeg Nomismata 2.F.3 (same rev. die), Morrisson BnF 20/Cp/AV/2, DOC II- 2e (not in coll. refs. W.), Wroth BMC 4, Hahn MIB 2, Sommer 19.1, SBCV 1463, gVF, areas not fully struck, tight flan and reverse slightly off center cutting off tops of some legend, bumps and marks, weight 4.318 g, maximum diameter 19.8 mm, die axis 180o, 6th officina, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 3 Jun 713- Nov 715; obverse d N APTEMIVS ANASTASIVS MVLA, facing crowned and draped bust, globus cruciger in left hand, akakia in right hand; reverse VICTORIA AVSV S, cross potent, on base and three steps, CONOB in exergue; ex Gorny & Mosch auction 196 (7 March 2011), lot 3134 (misattributed); scarce emperor; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, John VII Palaeologus, as Regent for Manuel II 1399 - 1402 A.D.
| John VII was first made junior emperor in 1376 to 1379, after his father, Andronikos IV, usurped the throne from his grandfather John V. The usurpers were deposed and partially blinded, but allowed to govern Selymbria. John VII followed his father's example and in 1390 also deposed his grandfather, but with the help of Venice and his loyal son Manuel II, John V took back his throne after only five months. Over time, relations between John VII and Manuel II improved. After a five year Ottoman siege, in 1399 Manuel II left for the European courts to ask for military aid. John VII was left as regent to defend the capital. When the Mongol Timur defeated the Ottomans at the Battle of Ankara, it forced the Ottomans to lift the siege. Taking advantage of the Ottoman civil war that followed and rival princes seeking Byzantine friendship, John VII secured the return of much of the Turkish-occupied European coast including the city of Thessalonica. On Manuel's return, John dutifully returned power to him and retired to Thessalonica as a semi-independent ruler using the title "Emperor of All Thessaly" for the rest of his life. |  |
Byzantine Empire, Constantine VII and Romanus II, 6 April 945 - 9 November 959 A.D.
A very popular type depicting Christ wearing a pallium, a very rich, rectangular hem length, jeweled court garment and a colobium, a sleeveless outer tunic. This coin has no pellets or lines in the limbs of the cross within the nimbus. We did not find a single undecorated cross in our references or online.SH58611. Gold solidus, apparently an unpublished variety; DOC III-2 15 var. (pellets in nimbus arms); SBCV 1751 var. (same), Morrisson BnF 15 ff. var. (same), Choice VF, weight 4.405 g, maximum diameter 19.3 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, obverse +Ihs XPS REX REGNANTIUM, bust of Christ facing wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium, raising right in benediction, Gospels in left; no pellets or lines in limbs of cross; reverse COnSTAnT' CE ROMAN' AVGG BR, crowned facing busts of Constantine VII, in a loros on left, and his son Romanus II, in a chlamys, they hold a long patriarchal cross; ex Forum (2008), attractive bust of Christ, nicely centered; rare; SOLD
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY - FORVM's PRIOR SALES
REFERENCES|
Page created in 1.172 seconds.
