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| ▸ |Comnen Dynasty| ▸ |Alexius I||View Options:   | | |
|
Theodore Gabras' crowning glory was the recapture of Trebizond from the Seljuk Turks c. 1075, which he ruled for years as if it were his own personal fiefdom. By the late 1080s, Theodore was residing at Constantinople. To keep him in check, Alexios I made Theodore Dux of Chaldia and ordered him to take up his post, leaving his eldest son Gregory at the court. By 1091, Theodore returned to the capital, demanding the return of his son. Alexios refused, claiming he was contemplating marrying the boy to one of his own daughters. Doubting the emperor, Theodore sailed with his son to Trebizond in secret. Alexios sent a squadron of ships which overtook Theodore and advised him that if he refused to hand over his son, he would be arrested as a rebel. Theodore allowed Alexios’ emissaries to take Gregory back with them, while he continued back to Trebizond. Gregory attempted to escape but was discovered and imprisoned. A man of Theodore's military talents was too good to waste, and by 1097 he was once again at the front line fighting the Turks in alliance with the Crusaders. While the Franks were engaged at the Siege of Antioch, Theodore was marching with Alexios, helping him recapture towns in western Asia Minor. In 1098 he was captured by the Danishmends and martyred. He was later venerated as a saint. His younger son Constantine Gabras succeeded him as Dux of Chaldia. Following the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the region became the center of the new Empire of Trebizond which survived until falling to the Ottomans in 1461. The feast day of Saint Theodoros Gabras is 2 October.BZ113693. Bronze follis, Bendall Trebizond p. 131 & pl. 6, 3; Corinth VI p. 151 & pl. X, 175; DOC IV -; Hendy -; SBCV -, F, green patina, light earthen deposits, off center, wavy clipped polygonal flan with 9(?) sides (as minted), weight 4.050 g, maximum diameter 26.6 mm, die axis 0o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, c. 1092 - 1098 A.D.; obverse + AΛEΞI - ΔECP (or similar, struck in the name of Emperor Alexius I Comnenus), facing bust, wearing crown with cross and pendilia, stemma, collar piece, divitision and chlamys, cruciform scepter in right hand, globus cruciger in left; reverse Cross fourchée-pommée on three steps, IC - XC / NH-KA (Greek abbreviation: Jesus Christ conquers) in angles of cross; only one sale of this type listed on Coin Archives in the last two decades, the finest of only six specimens known to FORVM; extremely rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Duchy of Chaldia, Gregorios Taronites, c. 1103 - 1106 A.D., Reign of Alexius I Comnenus
Gregorios Taronites was made Dux of Trebizond by Alexius I after military successes against the Seljuks. He almost immediately rebelled. While the emperor sought a diplomatic solution, Taronites went so far as to publicly insult the imperial family. Captured, Alexius intended to have him blinded but he was granted clemency and instead paraded through the streets of Constantinople and then thrown into the Prison of Anemas. At first, Gregory remained obstinate and continued to hurl abuse on the emperor from his cell, but was persuaded to recant and beseech the emperor's pardon. In the end, he was not only released and pardoned, but accorded even higher honors.BZ95867. Bronze follis, Bendall Trebizond p. 133, 13B & pl. 7, 19; DOC IV-1 p. 433, 13b; Schlumberger pl. ii, 5; Hendy -; Wroth BMC -; Ratto -, gF, overstruck on Michael IV follis, dark brown patina, obverse off center, light marks, weight 6.735 g, maximum diameter 26.3 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, reign of Alexius I Comnenus, c. 1103 - 1106 A.D.; obverse facing bust of Christ, bearded and nimbate, wearing tunic and himation, Gospels in right hand, IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Ihsoús Xristós - Jesus Christ) across field; reverse Latin cross on three steps, globule at end of each arm, A-Λ / B - P (Greek abbreviation: Αλεξιο Βασιλευς Ρωμαιων - Alexius king of the Romans) in angles, Arab countermark 'Lillah" (For Allah); rare; SOLD
SH53616. Gold hyperpyron, DOC IV-1 20h; SBCV 1924, aEF, scyphate, weight 4.393 g, maximum diameter 30.5 mm, die axis 180o, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, 1092 - 1118 A.D.; obverse KE RO-HΘEI (Lord, help [Alexius]), IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Jesus Christ), Christ enthroned facing, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium, raising right in benediction, gospels in left, double border; reverse A/ΛE/ΞI/W / ΔEC/ ΠT - TW / KO/MNH/N/W, Alexius standing facing, wearing chlamys, five jewels on collar, labarum scepter in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand, manus Dei (hand of God) above right; scarce; SOLD
Plovdiv was originally a Thracian city before later becoming a Greek city, and then a major Roman city. In the Middle Ages, it retained its strategic regional importance, changing hands between the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires. Around 1000 A.D., Philippopolis became the administrative seat of a newly created Byzantine théma with the same name. In 1180, Aime de Varennes encountered the singing of Byzantine songs in the city that recounted the deeds of Alexander the Great and Philip of Macedonia, over 1300 years before. In 1364, the Ottoman Turks under Lala Shakhin Pasha seized Plovdiv. The Turks called the city Filibe, derived from "Philip."SH73347. Gold hyperpyron, DOC IV-1 20o.1; Wroth BMC 3; Hendy pl. 5, 11; Sommer 59.29; SBCV 1935; Morrisson BnF -; Berk -; Ratto -, gVF, scyphate, bold reverse, flattened, graffiti in reverse margin, weight 4.370 g, maximum diameter 32.3 mm, die axis 180o, Philippopolis (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) mint, 1092 - 1118 A.D.; obverse KE RO-HΘEI (Lord, help [Alexius]), IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Jesus Christ), Christ enthroned facing, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium, raising right in benediction, gospels in left, double border; reverse A/ΛC/ZI/W / ΔCC/ ΠO/T - TW / KO/MNH/N (Z reversed, MNH ligate), Alexius standing facing, wearing chlamys, four jewels on collar, no jewels along the bottom edge of the chlamys, labarum scepter with no dot on shaft in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand, manus Dei (hand of God) above right; from the Robert Watcher Collection, this is the first ever Byzantine coin from the Philippopolis mint handled by Forum!; extremely rare; SOLD
In the Dumbarton Oaks catalog, Michael Hendy identifies this as a transitional coinage. David Sear lists it as extremely rare.SH76239. Electrum histamenon nomisma, DOC IV-1 4; Wroth BMC 14 (Alexius III); Hendy pl. 1, 9; SBCV 1904; Sommer 59.7; Morrisson BnF -; Ratto -, aEF, scyphate, well centered, nice portrait of Christ, hairline crack, some strike slip, weight 4.313 g, maximum diameter 29.0 mm, die axis 180o, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, 1081 - 1082 A.D.; obverse + KE RΘ AΛEZ (or similar), bust of Christ Pantokrator facing, wearing nimbus cruciger, holding books of Gospel, Greeks IC - XC across field; reverse St. Demetrius, on left, standing right, nimbate, holding parazonium and presenting labarum to Alexius, standing facing, wearing loros and crown with cross and pendilia, ΔI/MI/TI in three lines on left, Δ/EC/Π/T/H in five lines on left; from the Robert Watcher Collection, ex Rudnik Numismatics; very rare; SOLD
SH15295. Electrum histamenon nomisma, Hendy pl. 1, 1; Morrisson BnF 59/Cp/EL/01; Ratto 2062; SBCV 1893, Sommer 59.2; Wroth BMC -, aEF, scyphate, weight 4.422 g, maximum diameter 31.2 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 1081 - 1092 A.D.; obverse IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Jesus Christ), Christ enthroned facing on square-backed throne, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium, raising right in benediction, gospels in left, double border; reverse + AΛEIIW ΔECΠOT TW KM, bust facing wearing crown and jeweled chlamys, holding scepter surmounted by star of eight pellets in right and globus cruciger in left; superb obverse strike, flan cracks; scarce; SOLD
According to CLBC I the weight of this type varies from 0.59 to 3.22 grams, with an average diameter of 18mm. Some examples are so small and light that it appears they could be half tetarteron. Despite the unusual variation in flan size, Marchev and Watcher note they were all struck with the same size dies and all examples are probably tetarteron.BZ66601. Bronze tetarteron, Hendy p. 89 & p. 8, 14; DOC IV-1 45b; CLBC I 2.4.8; Ratto 2087; Grierson 1063; Sommer 59.27; SBCV 1932, gVF, tight flan, weight 1.190 g, maximum diameter 14.5 mm, die axis 180o, uncertain Greek mint, 1092 - 1118 A.D.; obverse patriarchal cross on two steps, A - A / K - Φ (or similar) flanking in two divided lines across field; reverse AΛE-ZI (or similar), bust facing wearing crown, stemma, divitision, and jeweled loros, jeweled scepter in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Alexius I Comnenus, 4 April 1081 - 15 August 1118 A.D. Ancient Counterfeit
A fouree is a counterfeit coin, struck with a base metal core that has been plated with a precious metal to look like its official precious metal counterpart. The term derived from a French word meaning "stuffed," is most applied to ancient silver plated coins such as Roman denarii and Greek drachms, but may be used to describe any plated coin.BZ93553. Fouree electrum plated histamenon nomisma, cf. DOC IV-1 2a, Morrisson BnF 59/Cp/El/1, Hendy pl 1, 1-4, Ratto 2062, SBCV 1893, Sommer 59.2 (official, solid electrum, Constantinople mint), VF, scyphate, plating breaks, weight 4.326 g, maximum diameter 26.4 mm, die axis 180o, unofficial criminal mint, 1081 - 1095 A.D.; obverse Christ enthroned facing on square-backed throne, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium, raising right in benediction, gospels in left hand, double border, IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Ihsoús Xristós - Jesus Christ) flanking throne; reverse AΛEIIW ΔECΠOT TW KM, half-length bust of Alexius facing wearing crown and jeweled chlamys, scepter in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand; from the Errett Bishop Collection; SOLD
"CONSTANTINOPOLIS (Istanbul, Turkey - 41°02'N, 28°57'E), founded as Byzantium about 660 BC by Greeks from Megara, is located on the European side of the southern end of the Bosporus. It became a Roman ally in the second century BC, and maintained independent status until at least the first century AD. It was destroyed by Septimius Severus for aiding Pescennius Niger, but rebuilt within the same reign. Constantine I re-founded it as his capital, gave it his name, and opened a mint which struck for over 1,100 years under the Romans and Byzantines. It became the capital of the Byzantine Empire."- from Moneta Historical Research by Tom SchroerSH04596. Electrum histamenon nomisma, Hendy pl. 1, 1; Morrisson BnF 59/Cp/EL/01; Ratto 2062; SBCV 1893, Sommer 59.2; Wroth BMC -, gVF, scyphate, weight 4.35 g, maximum diameter 31.8 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 1081 - 1092 A.D.; obverse Christ enthroned facing on square-backed throne, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium, and colobium, raising right in benediction, gospels in left hand, IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: IΗΣOúΣ XPIΣTOΣ - Jesus Christ) across field; reverse +ALEZIw ΔECΠOT TW KM (or similar which translates, May the Lord help Alexius the Emperor, of the family Comnenus), Alexius' facing half length bust, bearded, wearing crown with cross and pendilia, and jeweled chlamys, scepter in right hand and globus cruciger in left hand; SOLD
Although he was not the founder of the Comnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Comnenus family came to full power. Inheriting a collapsing empire and faced with constant warfare during his reign against both the Seljuq Turks in Asia Minor and the Normans in the western Balkans, Alexius was able to curb the Byzantine decline and begin the military, financial, and territorial recovery known as the Comnenian restoration.BZ95146. Bronze tetarteron, CLBC 2.4.1; DOC IV-1 33; Grierson 1042; Hendy pl. 7, 10-11; SBCV 1920; Sommer 59.19, gVF, well centered on a tight flan, reverse right struck a little weak, weight 4.382 g, maximum diameter 16.7 mm, die axis 180o, Constantinople mint, 1092 - 1093 A.D.; obverse bust of Christ facing, cross behind head, wearing pallium and kolobion, blesses with right hand, book of Gospels in left hand, IC - XC (Greek abbreviation: Ihsoús Xristós - Jesus Christ) flanking across field; reverse + AΛE / ZIW ΔEC (or similar), Alexius bust facing, wearing crown and loros, jeweled (5 globules) scepter in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand; from the S. Lindner Collection; scarce; SOLD
You are viewing a SOLD items page.
Click here to return to the page with AVAILABLE items.
The sale price for a sold item is the private information of the buyer and will not be provided.
REFERENCES
Page created in 1.172 seconds.
