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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Byzantine Coins||View Options:   | | |
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The purpose of Byzantine era lead tokens is unknown. Many appear closely related to seals differing only by the absence of a cord or channel for attachment to a container or document. Many late Roman and early Byzantine seals have a figural type on one side and a legend in two lines in Latin or Greek on the other side. Seals with a menorah are known, usually with a blank globular reverse, but some also have a name on the other side.JD98657. Lead token, personal token of Rodanos(?); Roma e-sale 53 (7 Feb 2019), lot 504 (same dies), VF, highlighting earthen deposit desert patina, weight 3.077 g, maximum diameter 14.1 mm, die axis 180o, c. 5th - 6th century A.D.; obverse Menorah of seven branches, flanked by lulav on left and etrog on right; reverse POΔA/NOY in two lines across field, palm frond above; ex CNG e-auction 435 (2 Jan 2019), lot 401; extremely rare;
Byzantine Empire, Nicephorus Basilacius, Usurper, Summer 1078 A.D., Anonymous Class N Follis
Until 1976 this type was regarded as anonymous (Class N) because neither of the two known specimens had a visible legend. In 1976, Grierson published a new specimen with a legend naming the ruler, Nicephorus (Grierson, P. "Nicephorus Bryennius or Nicephorus Basilacius?" in NumCirc LXXXIV.1 (January 1976), type a). There were two candidates, Nicephorus Bryennius and Nicephorus Basilacius, both usurpers, Bryennius in 1077 - 1078, and Basilacius in Thessalonica for a few months during 1078. In 1992, Roger Bland published an example with the legend on the obverse right side reading POCBAC, which has been accepted as proving this type was struck by Basilacius (Bland, R. "A Follis of Nicephorus Basilacius?" NC 1992, p. 175 ff. and pl. 36, B). Our coin has a different more complete but blundered and obscure inscription on the obverse right side.BZ99035. Bronze follis, DOC III-2 p. 706, N.1 (anonymous class N follis); Grierson 1976, type a; Bland Basilacius pl. 36, B; SBCV 1903A (Ex. Rare); Sommer 58.1, F, uneven strike, overstruck with strong undertype effects, weight 5.863 g, maximum diameter 30.7 mm, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, summer 1078 A.D.; obverse +NIKHΦW-POC BACIΛE (or similar), facing bust of Christ, nimbus cross with plain arms, wearing tunic and himation, right hand raised in blessing, Gospels in left, IC - XC flanking across field; reverse patriarchal cross on base; IC - XC / NI-KA (Jesus Christ conquers) in the quarters; from a Las Vegas dealer; extremely rare;
Lot of 100 Bronze Ancient Trilobate Arrowheads, Hellenistic - Byzantine, c. 300 B.C. - 1000 A.D.
LT96894. Lot of 100 bronze trilobate arrowheads, mostly or all Hellenistic - Byzantine, c. 300 B.C. - 1000 A.D., c. 12 - 28 mm, some complete and intact, some with chips or bends, unattributed to type, no tags, from the same larger lot as the arrowheads in the photograph, as-is, no returns;
Lot of 100 Bronze Ancient Trilobate Arrowheads, Hellenistic - Byzantine, c. 300 B.C. - 1000 A.D.
LT96895. Lot of 100 bronze trilobate arrowheads, mostly or all Hellenistic - Byzantine, c. 300 B.C. - 1000 A.D., c. 12 - 28 mm, some complete and intact, some with chips or bends, unattributed to type, no tags, from the same larger lot as the arrowheads in the photograph, as-is, no returns;
Byzantine Empire, Tiberius III Apsimar, Late 698 - Summer 705 A.D.
All coins of Tiberius III are scarce or rare.SL111842. Bronze follis, Anastasi 337, DOC II-2 32, Spahr 271, Tolstoi 60, Hahn MIB 79b, SBCV 1395, Sommer -, Wroth BMC -, Ratto -, NGC AU, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5 (6057928-005), weight 3.57 g, maximum diameter c. 20.5 mm, die axis 180o, Syracuse (Sicily, Italy) mint, late 698 - summer 705 A.D.; obverse no legend, bust of Tiberius III facing, wearing loros and crown with cross, spear diagonally before body in right, shield ornamented with horseman on left shoulder, star left; reverse large M (40 nummi) between two palm fronds, Tiberius' monogram
above, SCL in exergue; ex Heritage auction 232305 (1 Feb 2023), lot 61247 (part of); NGC| Lookup; rare; Byzantine Empire, John I Tzimisces, 11 December 969 - 10 January 976 A.D.
John I Tzimisces was the lover of Empress Theophano, which led to the murder of Emperor Nicephorus II and John's elevation to the throne. John introduced a follis that depicted a bust of Christ on the obverse and a religious inscription on the reverse. These types, referred to as anonymous folles because they do not identify the issuing emperor, would become the norm for bronze coinage during the following century.BZ111223. Silver miliaresion, DOC III-2 7a, Wroth BMC 5, Morrisson BnF 1, Ratto 1919, SBCV 1792, aVF, uneven toning, weight 2.034 g, maximum diameter 21.6 mm, die axis 0o, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, 969 - 976 A.D.; obverse + IhSUS XRISTUS nICA * (Jesus Christ Conquers), cross crosslet on globus above two steps, circular medallion at center containing crowned bust of John facing wearing loros, dividing the inscription I/W - A/n, triple border ornamented with eight equally spaced globules; reverse + IWAnn'/ En Xw AVTO/CRAT' EVSEb / bASILEVS / RWMAIW' in five lines, dotted cross ornaments above and below, triple border ornamented with eight equally spaced globules; scarce;
Byzantine Empire, Leo III the Isaurian, 25 March 717 - 18 June 741 A.D.
This is a extremely rare variety with a facing bust on the obverse, vice the usual full length figure standing facing. The flan for these folles is usually smaller than the dies, thus on the normal type 1 the emperor's body is often off flan and appearing similar to this 1a facing bust variant. However they are distinguishable because on the normal type 1 the height of the head alone is about 2/3 of the height of the M on the back, while on the 1a variant it is about equal or taller than the height of the M. Side-by-side the obverses look very different.BZ99099. Bronze follis, Trivero Leone III 1a, Trivero 090; other references do not recognize this variant, VF, dark green patina, long flan crack, flan defect/flan crack lower obverse, weight 2.580 g, maximum diameter 18.3 mm, die axis 0o, Sicily, Syracuse mint, sole reign, 25 Mar 717 - 30 Mar 720; obverse anepigraphic, bust of Leo III facing, with short beard, wearing helmet with crest, and loros, spear upright in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand; reverse large M between two palm fronds, emperor's cruciform monogram above center, no officina, SCL in exergue; from the Robert Wachter Collection; extremely rare;
Bulgars in Byzantine Bulgaria(?), Anonymous Follis of Christ, Imitative of Class A3, c. 1023 - 1040 A.D.
This imitative was most likely struck by an unofficial mint in unruly Byzantine Bulgaria. In 1018, the Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered the First Bulgarian Empire. The Bulgarian aristocracy were given Byzantine titles and moved to Asia. The existing tax system, laws, and the role of low-ranking nobility remained, at first, unchanged. As the Byzantine Empire declined under Basil's successors, Pecheneg invasions and rising taxes led to discontent and major uprisings. Bulgaria remained under Byzantine rule until the brothers Asen and Peter liberated the country in 1185, establishing the Second Bulgarian Empire.CR111244. Bronze anonymous follis, See Lampinen Imitative, p. 54, for a similar Class A imitative; prototype: Basil II & Constantine VIII, 1023-1028, SBCV 1818, aVF, green patina, light earthen deposits, off center, weight 7.969 g, maximum diameter 26.3 mm, die axis 0o, unofficial (Bulgarian?) mint, c. 1023 - 1040 A.D.; obverse facing nimbate bust of Christ, pallium and colobium, Gospels in both hands, no legend or inscription; reverse retrograde Greek inscription: + IhSuS / XRISTuS / bASILEu / bASILE (Greek: Jesus Christ King of Kings); ex Morton & Eden auction 119 (6 Dec 2022), lot 333 (part of);
Lot of 10 Ancient Bronze Arrowheads, Graeco-Scythian - Byzantine, c. 650 B.C. - 1000 A.D.
The bilobate arrowhead is Graeco-Scythian or Achaemenid Persian, 650 - 330 B.C.AS111476. 10 ancient bronze arrowheads, 1 bilobate arrowhead and 9 trilobate arrowheads, nice variety, most Choice, c. 15.5 - 31.2 mm, 650 B.C. - 1000 A.D.; c. 15.5 - 31.2 mm, unattributed to type, no tags, the actual arrowheads in the photograph; ex Ancient Treasures (Plamen Arsoff, Granada Hills, CA); as-is, no returns;
Byzantine Empire, Leo III the Isaurian and Constantine V, 31 March 720 - 18 June 741 A.D.
"Specimens of this type vary considerabley in size and weight." -- Byzantine Coins and Their Values, by David R. Sear.BZ111216. Bronze follis, DOC III-1 54a (larger var.), Anastasi 399a, Trivero 092, Sommer 21.18, Spahr 318, Calciati MBBS 74, SBCV 1530, VF, earthen deposits, weight 3.938 g, maximum diameter 20.2 mm, die axis 180o, Sicily, Syracuse mint, 721 - 730 A.D.; obverse legend normally illegible (Sear), crowned bust of Leo III facing, short beard, wearing crown and chlamys, akakia in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand; reverse bust of Constantine V facing, beardless, wearing crown and chlamys, akakia in right hand, globus cruciger in left hand, below line under bust, large M (40 nummi) dividing SC-L; ex CNG auction 528 (30 Nov 2022), lot 482; ex CNG auction 25 (24 Mar 1993), lot 967; scarce;
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