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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Byzantine Coins| ▸ |Byzantine Gold||View Options:   | | | Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Roman Empire to the former Byzantium in Thrace and renamed it Constantinopolis, present day Istanbul, Turkey. Numismatists, for convenience, have arbitrarily categorized coins from Anastasius I and after as Byzantine coins. Numismatists use Anastasius as the beginning of Byzantine because he dramatically reformed the bronze coinage. A significant minority of numismatists pick an earlier time and ruler, often Constantine the Great, as the dividing time between the Roman and Byzantine empires, because most coins were issued from Constantinople, or since it became the seat of government. Although the citizens generally spoke Greek, they considered themselves Roman for the entire Byzantine period, making our division of the empire an entirely modern convention. |
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.
Justinian II was the first emperor to put Christ on his coins.
In 692, a Byzantine army under general Leontios was defeated at Sebastopolis (in modern Turkey) by Arab forces led by Muhammad ibn Marwan. During the battle a force of about 20,000 Slavs deserted the Byzantine army and joined the Muslim Arabs. Cyprus and the last remaining Byzantine holdings east of the Taurus Mountains were lost.SH70976. Gold tremissis, DOC II-2 14; Wroth BMC 22 - 23; Tolstoi 60 - 63; Ratto 1691; Hahn MIB 16; Sommer 14.8; SBCV 1256, EF, some details unstruck, weight 1.368 g, maximum diameter 15.3 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, first reign, c. 692 - 695 A.D.; obverse IhS CRISTOS REX REGNATI, facing bust of Christ, cross behind head, long hair and full beard, wearing pallium and colobium, raising right hand in benediction, Gospels in left; reverse D IYSTINI-ANYS SERY ChRISTI, Justinian standing facing, wearing crown with cross and loros, long cross potent on globe on base in right, akakia in left; ex Gorny and Mosch auction 170 (13 Oct 2008), lot 3074; 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
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.SH33737. Gold solidus, Füeg SNR 76, pl. IV, B4; cf. DOC III Constantine VII 15.22, gVF, weight 4.394 g, maximum diameter 20.5 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; nice portrait of Christ; 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
Byzantine Empire, Romanus I and Christopher, 921 - 931 A.D.
The throne depicted on the obverse is also depicted in the Narthex Mosaic, at Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, from the late 9th or early 10th century A.D.SH31260. Gold solidus, DOC III-2 7; Berk 276; SBCV 1745, gVF, weight 4.196 g, maximum diameter 20.2 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 921 - 931 A.D.; obverse +IhS XPS REX REGNANTInm, Christ enthroned facing, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium and raising right in benediction, holding gospels in left hand, the throne has a lyre back and is ornamented with pearls; reverse ROman Et XRISTOFO AYGGb (or similar), facing busts of Romanus I, with short beard on left, and Christopher (his son-in-law), beardless on right, Romanus wears loros, Christopher wears chlamys, and they hold a long patriarchal cross between them; 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
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