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Anonymous Folles

Sear 1793Anonymous Class A1 Follis, weight 3.4g, diameter 22mm. Mint of Constantinople. Overstruck on a follis of Nicephorus II Phocas (Sear 1782 or Sear 1783, these two types have identical reverses). Abu Galyon

Sear 1793Anonymous Class A1 Follis, weight 9.1g, diameter 25mm. Overstruck on a follis of Nicephorus II Phocas (Sear 1783). Substantial sections of the undertype are visible on both sides – such coins are often simply a mess, but I find this one quite attractive. Also this specimen has a nicer, thicker flan than is usual for its type. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis Weight 15.4g, diameter 32mm. Type 26 ornamentation. The reverse inscription is somewhat blundered (not infrequent on ‘type 26’ coins). Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis. Weight 15.4 g., diameter 35mm, type 1 ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis, weight 16g, diameter 32mm. Type 14 ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis, weight 12.5g, diameter 32mm. Type 8 ornamentation, which is one of the varieties having a lighter standard weight, attributed on hoard evidence to an unidentified Greek mint. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 18.1 g, diameter 35 mm, type 16 ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.2g, diameter 31mm. Type 4 ornamentation, one of the putative ‘central Greek’ varieties, which appear frequently among the Athens and Corinth finds.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.8g, diameter 33mm, type 50 ornamentation. The final word of the inscription is blundered [BASLE, which should read BASILE]. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis, weight 18.9g, diameter 35mm. Type 48 ornamentation. One of the big, full weight 'metropolitan' varieties, probably originating at the Constantinople mint. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis, weight 12.1g, diameter 33mm. Type 26 ornamentation. Likely to be the product of a provincial mint. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 18.0g, diameter 33mm. Type 9 ornamentation. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 17.25g , diameter 33mm. Type 36 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.7g, diameter 30mm. Type 34 ornamentation. A scarce ornamentation variety, generally ascribed to an unknown Greek provincial mint.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous A2 follis, weight 12.45g, diameter 30mm. A previously undocumented ornamentation variety, which has now been included in the Numiswiki table as F14c. Note the retrograde IC in the obverse right field and the somewhat odd spacing between letters in the reverse legend: possibly a contemporary imitation, though the style and fabric are better than normally found on ‘unofficial’ issues.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 21.45g, diameter 34mm, type 16a ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.09g, diameter 33mm. Type 3 ornamentation, one of the putative ‘central Greek’ varieties, which appear frequently among the Athens and Corinth finds.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 18.58g, diameter 34mm. Type 18 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.23g, diameter 30mm. Type 7 ornamentation. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 11.34g, diameter 30mm. Type 40 ornamentation. Inspection of the edge leads me to think that this specimen may have been mounted as a medallion or piece of jewellery at some point in its history, with its flan trimmed accordingly. 2 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.39g, diameter 33mm. Type 5 ornamentation, one of the putative ‘central Greek’ varieties, which appear frequently among the Athens and Corinth finds.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 18.47g, diameter 34mm. Type 40a ornamentation.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.87g , diameter 34mm. Type 50 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 16.57g, diameter 32mm. Type 34 ornamentation. This ornamentation type is usually thought to be the product of a provincial mint.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis Weight 12.56g, diameter 33mm. Type 26 ornamentation. The reverse inscription is missing the final letter S on each of the first two lines. Likely to derive from a provincial mint. Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 16.62g, diameter 32mm. Type 40 ornamentation.

The undertype (traces visible on both sides) is a sixth century follis of Justin or Justinian. Overstriking is common in Byzantine coinage, but this specimen is quite a curiosity because the time interval between strikes cannot be less than about 450 years.
Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.42g, diameter 32mm. Type 2 ornamentation, one of the putative ‘central Greek’ varieties, which appear frequently among the Athens and Corinth finds.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.56g , diameter 34mm. Type 50 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.99g, diameter 33mm. Type 2 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 11.83g, diameter 35mm. Type 23 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis. Weight 11.92 g., diameter 32mm, type 26 ornamentation. Probably from a provincial mint.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis, weight 17.59g, diameter 34mm. Type 48 ornamentation. One of the big, full weight 'metropolitan' varieties, probably originating at the Constantinople mint.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis, weight 16.75g, diameter 34mm. Type 49 ornamentation. Another 'metropolitan' full weight, large flan variety, likely a product of the Constantinople mint.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.05g, diameter 32mm. Type 3 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 20.1g, diameter 34mm. Type 6 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.92g , diameter 35mm. Type 50 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 16.86g, diameter 34mm. Type 6 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 12.51g, diameter 28mm. Type 2 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 13.29g, diameter 33mm. Type 3 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis. Weight 22.9 g., diameter 36mm, type 25 ornamentation, often ascribed to a provincial mint.

A very large flan and hence an overweight coin.
Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis. Weight 16.86g., diameter 36mm, type 1 ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 19.43g, diameter 35mm. Type 18 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.17g, diameter 35mm, type 16a ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 follis, weight 14.31g, diameter 31mm. Type 5 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1813Anonymous Class A2 Follis. Weight 13.82 g., diameter 33mm, type 26 ornamentation. Probably from a provincial mint.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis. Weight 12.1g, diameter 28mm. Type 41 ornamentation. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis. Weight 7.8g, diameter 28mm. Type 39 ornamentation. Mint of Constantinople. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 follis, weight 8.6g, diameter 31mm, type 32 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 9.3g, diameter 29mm, type 45 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 8.6g, diameter 30mm. Type 7 ornamentation. The letter ‘I’ is missing in each of the last two lines of the inscription. Perhaps the product of a Greek provincial mint. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 follis, weight 7.8g, diameter 32mm. Type 5 ornamentation. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 9.84g, diameter 31mm, type 47 ornamentation. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 9.48g, diameter 31mm. Type 11 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 follis, weight 11.85g, diameter 29mm, type 32 ornamentation.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis. Weight 11.21g, diameter 30mm. Type 41 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 9.23g, diameter 29mm, type 45 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 11.48g, diameter 30x25mm, type 45 ornamentation. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis. Weight 12.84g, diameter 30mm. Type 41 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 follis, weight 8.14g , diameter 31x26mm. This ornamentation type isn’t explicitly documented in Pep’s table (vide Numiswiki, “Anonymous Class A Folles”); it should probably be added as a variant of type 24. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis. Weight 11.47g, diameter 29mm. Type 41 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 11.33g, diameter 29mm, type 47 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 11.35g, diameter 30mm, type 43 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 7.78g, diameter 26mm. Type 24 ornamentation.

Somewhat smaller than normal and with an angled edge in parts, presumably filed down so that the coin could be set in a piece of jewellery. Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis, weight 10.69g, diameter 29mm, type 43 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1818Anonymous Class A3 Follis. Weight 11.80g, diameter 30mm. Type 41 ornamentation.Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 11.6g, diameter 30mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis, weight 9.7g, diameter 29mm. Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis, weight 12.25g, diameter 32x27mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 12.89g, diameter 29mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis, weight 10.72g, diameter 29mm.

Class B folles are usually uniform in ornamentation: behind the head of Christ a nimbus cross with a square in each of the N, W and E positions, plus single dots in the NW and NE sectors; also a gospel book decorated with a five-dot quincunx pattern. Apart from crude imitatives (cf. DOC 3(ii) plate LV and Sommer, p.297, 40.4.4 & 40.4.5), specimens which vary from this decorative pattern are rare, but do exist: an article by O. Zervos (Nomismatika Chronika 22, 2003) noted among the Corinth finds five other patterns of privy marks on coins which the author regarded as official. However, the ornamentation on this example is not recorded by Zervos, and so this specimen appears to be a previously undocumented sub-variety.

The edge of this coin is not perpendicular but angled – you can make this out in the picture – so that the reverse face is perhaps a millimetre smaller than the obverse. I assume this means the coin was set into a pendant or similar piece of jewellery for part of its history.

Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 9.17g, diameter 29mm. An example of a (rare) sub-variety in which the N, W and E limbs of Christ’s nimbus cross are ornamented with a pellet instead of the usual square. O. Zervos (Nomismatika Chronika 22, 2003) designated this as type B-2, noting two examples among the coins from the Corinth excavations. The two specimens Zervos published, plate coins in the article, were too worn for him to determine the ornamentation on the gospel book. But this third specimen shows that the book ornamentation is the usual quincunx. Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 8.93g, diameter 29mm. A sub-variety, perhaps previously unpublished.

At first sight this coin might be taken for an example of Grierson’s imitative type Bb (vide D.O.C. Vol 3, part ii, page 680f) but I don’t think that it is: the style and fabric are normal, there are traces of an obverse inscription beyond the IC and XC, and the coin is not particularly underweight. Also the nimbus ornament on this specimen isn’t a simple quincunx, but one where the central pellet is hollow unlike the outer four.

Similarly, the coin isn’t a good match with the variety B-3 described by Zervos (Nomismatika Chronika 22, 2003). The B-3 nimbus ornamentation looks different (five pellets, with a square enclosing the central pellet) and the letters on the reverse are too large: Zervos describes the B-3 reverse letter size as small-medium.
Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 9.86g, diameter 31mm.

Another unusual ornamentation pattern, perhaps previously unpublished. The jewels in the NW and NE nimbus sectors are missing, and corner jewels have been added to the normal simple square in the E, N, and W positions. The letters on the reverse are large, which suggests this is not merely a variant of the variety B-1 as catalogued by Zervos (Nomismatika Chronika 22, 2003).
Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 8.22g, diameter 30mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Anonymous Class B Follis; weight 11.83g, diameter 29mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1823Imitative Anonymous Class B Follis. Weight 6.39g, diameter 26mm.

An example of a group of 11th century imitations identified by Grierson [DOC Vol 3, part ii, page 680f]. They consistently exhibit several differences from the normal Class B pattern: thinner, smaller flan with correspondingly lighter weight, quincunx as nimbus ornament, no obverse inscription other than the IC XC abbreviations, and also several regularly recurring errors on the reverse. The group is significantly later in date than the original Class B issue and must have been struck during the early part of the reign of Alexius I. This example has been overstruck on a Class H anonymous follis. Also, all of the five examples listed in DOC are overstrikes, which raises the question of why anyone would choose to re-strike worn but official coins with a design derived from coinage current half a century earlier?

Grierson also notes that two of the specimens he illustrates as plate coins in DOC “are clearly the work of a die-sinker of some artistic competence”. I believe this present coin to be the work of the same craftsman.
Abu Galyon

Sear 1825Anonymous Class C Follis. Weight 8.85g, diameter 30mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1825Anonymous Class C Follis. Weight 7.32g, diameter 32mm. Overstruck on an Anonymous Class B follis (Sear 1823). Abu Galyon

Sear 1825Anonymous Class C Follis. Weight 6.40g, diameter 28mm.Abu Galyon

Sear 1836Anonymous Class D Follis, weight 7.9g, diameter 32mm. Overstruck on an anonymous Class C Follis (Sear 1825). Abu Galyon

Sear 1836Anonymous Class D Follis, weight 8.1g, diameter 33mm. Mint of Constantinople.Abu Galyon

Sear 1836Anonymous Class D Follis, weight 11.30g, diameter 29mm. Mint of Constantinople.

Somewhat smaller than usual for the type and with an angled edge in parts, presumably filed down so that the coin could be set in a pendant or similar type of jewellery.
2 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1836Anonymous Class D Follis, weight 6.38g, diameter 30mm. Mint of Constantinople.
Abu Galyon

Sear 1855Anonymous Class E Follis, weight 5.75g, diameter 26mm. Mint of Constantinople. Abu Galyon

Sear 1855Anonymous Class E Follis, weight 7.7g, diameter 27mm. Mint of Constantinople. Abu Galyon

Sear 1855Anonymous Class E Follis, weight 6.28g, diameter 27mm. Mint of Constantinople.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1856Anonymous Class F Follis, weight 7.5g, diameter 27mm. Mint of Constantinople.1 commentsAbu Galyon

Sear 1867Anonymous Class G Follis Weight 8.5g, diameter 28mm. Overstruck on what appears to be a Class C anonymous follis (Sear 1825). Abu Galyon

Sear 1867Anonymous Class G Follis, weight 6.05g, diameter 28mm. This specimen comes from a Mardin-type group of coins, but lacks any countermark. Abu Galyon

Sear 1867Anonymous Class G Follis, weight 8.74g, diameter 28mm. A pity that it has been rather brutally cleaned. Abu Galyon

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