voulgaroktonou

I must be maturing. Years ago when I failed to get a coin I really wanted, I would enter a funk lasting for weeks. Now the disappointment disperses like smoke in a breeze... 😄

I was watching that one, but was not comfortable where the bidding was headed. I will remain content with my 2 of the three denominations for the type!😀

The other day, while thumbing through a book in our library (Manuel II Palaiologos (1350-1425): a Byzantine emperor in a time of tumult, by Siren Çelik, Cambridge University Press, 2021), I found an illustration of an autograph of the emperor himself, from a contemporary chrysobull, or imperial decree ratifying the ownership of lands belonging to the Pantokrator Monastery in Eastern Macedonia. As I have already seen an autograph of Constantine XI, this has given me a purpose to follow up when I retire, (αν θελει ο Θεος!) to collect autographs of Roman emperors attached to documents in eastern monasteries. Because it might be problematical to visit monasteries with scissors in hand, I will probably restrict myself to photographs of said documents. The wording follows closely the inscriptions found on his stavrata: +Μανουήλ εν Χριστώ τω Θεώ πιστός βασιλεύς / και αυτοκράτωρ [των] Ρωμαίων ο Παλαιολόγος Manuel, in Christ, God, faithful emperor and autocrat of the Romans, the Palaiologos. Below, some of my stavrata and halves of Manuel. Stavrata. From left to right, upper row and lower row: Constantinople, 1391-1395. Stavraton. 7.94 gr. 25.3 mm. 5 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Beneath, sigla ε/φ - (/π. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: + MA[NOVHΛ ЄN X AV]TOKPATOP O Π / AΛЄOΛOΓOC ΘV XAPITI BACIΛЄ in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right. Sear 2548; DO 1308-9; LPC 160,1 var. PCPC 332, 1. Constantinople, 1403 -1425. Stavraton. 6.95 gr. 25 mm. 6 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Beneath, sigla M – M. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: [+ MANOVHΛ ΔЄC]ΠOTIC O ΠAΛЄOΛOΓO[C] / ΘV XA[P]ITI BACIΛЄVC TON ΡωΜ in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right. Sear 2549; DO 1398-1400; LPC 160,1; PCPC 332; Ashmolean 1905-6. Constantinople, 1394 -1425. Stavraton. 7.41 gr. 25.8 mm. 12 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Beneath, sigla B. – B. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: [+ MANO]VHΛ ΔЄCΠOTHC O ΠAΛЄOΛOΓ / ΘV XAPITH BACIΛЄV TON ΡωΜ in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right. Sear 2549; DO -; LPC 160,1; PCPC 332, 3; cf. Ashmolean 913 = PCPC 332.3 Stavrata. From left to right: Constantinople, 1403 -1425. Stavraton. 6.79 gr. 25.6 mm. 6 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Sigla: above and below IC, pellet / K; above and below XC, pellet / M. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: [+ MANOVH]Λ ΔЄCΠOTHC [O] ΠAΛЄ [O] / ΘV XAPHTH BACIΛЄVC TON ΡVΜЄON ιn two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right. Sear 2549; DO 1397; PCPC 332 Constantinople, ca. 1420 - 1425. Stavraton. 7.04 gr. 24.9 mm. 6 hr. Obv: IC – X. Sigla: beneath IC, ΓΚ ligature, 2 pellets above; beneath X, lis, pellet above. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: + MAN[OVH]Λ ΔЄCΠOTHC O ΠAΛЄ[OΛΟΓΟC] / [+]ΘV APHTH BACIΛЄV[C] TON ΡOΜЄ[ON] in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right. S2549 (this coin); DO 1406; LPC 160,1; PCPC 332, 6; Ashmolean 910-11 Half Stavrata. Constantinople, 1391-95. Half Stavraton. 3.43 gr. 20.5 mm. 7 hr. Obv: Anepigraphic. St. Demetrius, nimbate, riding horse right. [Above, manus Dei] Rev: +MANHΛ ЄN X[ω ΤΟ Θω ΠΙCΤ BACI]ΛЄVC in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel, holding in right hand a scepter cruciger. To right, Palaiologan monogram. Sear 2550; DO 1312; LPC 162, 3; PCPC (333). LHS Numismatik 97 (Despot Collection), lot 353. Ex Collection Nadia Kapamadji. The rare half stavrata with a mounted St. Demetrius on the obverse continue the type used by John V and belong to the earliest issues of Manuel’s reign, his Class I. Specimens of this class are often found pierced and worn. On the subsequent issues, the mounted Saint is replaced by a portrait of Christ. Constantinople, 1391-1423. Half Stavraton. 3.70 gr. 19.9 mm. 6 hr. Obv: IC – X. Sigla: C – φ. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: + BACIΛЄVC MANOVHΛ [O] ΠAΛЄO in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla φ C. Sear 2551 var; DO 1453-55; PCPC 334, 26 var.; Ashmolean 952 and 958. This is a scarce variant of the usual reverse inscription, putting the title βασιλεύς before Manuel’s name. Constantinople, 1394-95, 1399. Half Stavraton. 3.62 gr. 20.6 mm. 7 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Sigla: 2 pellets. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: + MANOVHΛ BACIΛЄVC O ΠAΛЄOΛΟΓΟC in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla: 2 crosses, pellet above each. Sear 2551; DO 1325-27; PCPC 334, 25; LPC 160,2; Ashmolean 950-1. Half Stavrata, public mint. From left to right: Constantinople, 1403-1425 (public mint). Half Stavraton. 3.67 gr. 20.5 mm. 7 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Siglum: in left field, 2 pellets above “check mark” device. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: + MANOVHΛ XO TO ΘΟ ΠΙCΤΟC BA in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla: 2 pellets. This and the following coin differ from the 2 previous ones in their reverse inscriptions, which recall the titulature of the emperor’s signature on the chrysobull discussed above. The legend of this specimen reads: +Μανουήλ [εν] Χ[ριστ]ώ τω Θ[ε]ώ πιστός βα[σιλεύς]. In DOC V, 2, pp. 217-220, Grierson discusses the series, noting the hypothesis favored by Bendall and Morrisson of 2 separate mints in Constantinople, one supplying the needs of the government, with the coins bearing the Pistos legend being the products of a public mint serving the needs of merchants. Sear 2552; DO 1472-79; LPC 160, 2; PCPC 345 Constantinople, 1403-1425. (public mint). Half Stavraton. 3.63 gr. 19.3 mm. 8 hr. Obv: IC – XC. Sigla: nil. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels. Rev: [+ MANOVH]Λ ЄN Xω TΘ Θω ΠΙCΤΟC B in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla: Δ - star, pellet above each. Sear 2552; DO 1519-20; LPC 160, 2; PCPC 345

Thank you, @ela126. I wish these late coins were not becoming so desirable...! 🙂

You did very well on Lot 1119, @ela126. Congratulations! Here is mine, purchased in 2009. Would that it had come as cheaply as yours! 🙂

I applaud your appreciation of these late copper coins, @sand! I prefer the silver of the period, but here are a few of my examples of what my friend Harlan might call “Eastern Roman successors to the quadrans”! 😊 First Row John V. Constantinople, 1379-91. Æ Follaro. 1.25 gr. 16.2 mm. 12 hr. Obv: [ΔΜΗ/Τ/Ρ]. St. Demetrius, nimbate, holding spear in left hand, and resting right on shield / Rev: Anepigraphic. Nimbate bust of John, holding in left hand a cross scepter. Sear 2515; LPC 170, 3; PCPC 331. LHS 97, The “Despot” sale 10 May 2006, lot 350 (part). John V. Thessalonica, 1352-65. Æ Assarion. 1.19 gr. 22 mm. 12 hr. Obv: John standing, holding labarum-headed scepter in right hand, and in left, akakia (?). To left, star, to right, reversed B. / Rev: Anna standing, holding in right hand a scepter, and in left, a building. To right, A. Sear 2521; LPC 250, 5; PCPC 313; Ashmolean 868. LHS 97, The “Despot” sale, 10 May 2006, 337 (part). John V. Thessalonica, 1367-76. Æ Stamenon (?). 0.88 gr. 21 mm. 6 hr. Obv: Anepigraphic. St. Demetrius standing facing, flanked by two long crosses with three bars / Rev: John standing facing, holding cross-in-circle and model of city. Sear 2525; LPC p. 238, 8; PCPC 317; Ashmolean 887. Second Row Manuel II. Constantinople, 1391-1423. Æ Follero. 0.40 gr. 13.8 mm. 12 hr. Obv: [ΜΑΝ – ΟV] ΗΛ Crowned facing bust / Rev: Cross potent with four stars in quarters. Sear 2559; DOC 1610; LPC 166, 11; PCPC 341 Manuel II. Constantinople, 1391-1423. Æ Follero. 0.65 gr. 14.5 mm. 6 hr. Obv: IC XC. Standing figure of Christ within mandorla; in right field, 4 pellets above K. / Rev: Μ - Η / Ν - Λ . Standing figure of Manuel, holding in right hand a scepter cruciger. Sear 2560; DOC 1603 - 09 var. (Obv. sigla and rev. legend var.) LPC 166, 12 (var.); PCPC 342 (var.). John VII. Constantinople, 1390. Æ Follaro. 0.49 gr. 14.5 mm. 12 hr. Obv: [Ι]ω[ΑΝ ΔεCΠ] Bust of Emperor facing / Rev: Cross potent with four stars in quarters. Sear 2567 DOC 1394-5; LPC 174, 4 (John VIII); PCPC 351 ((John VIII). And all alone, in the final row John VII. Constantinople,1399-1403. Æ Follaro. 0.44 gr. 13.1 mm. 7 hr. Obv: [IC] – X[C]. Christ, nimbate, standing facing, in mandorla / Rev: I/[ω] – A/N. John standing facing, holding in right hand a scepter cruciger. Sear 2568; DOC 1391-2; LPC p. 174, 5; PCPC 362; Ashmolean 1093-4. These references, save DO, ascribe this coin to John VIII. For its attribution to John VII, see DOC V, p. 228.

It's a monthly coin show. There are usually ancients, but little Byzantine and almost never any Byzantine silver, which is what interests me most.

That's a very nice piece, @sand! My coin is not photographed in the first, 1974 edition.

That's a beauty! Yes, it would be wonderful to know the provenance on these plate coins.

Yes. Last Sunday of the month.!

Unfortunately, no. Sure wish I did.

I picked up yesterday an unexpected treat at our monthly local coin show, a stavraton of Manuel II (1391-1425). While I love the stavrata and their fractions, and am always seeking new examples, I never expected to encounter one at this venue. As I examined my new purchase, I kept thinking that I had seen it somewhere before. Turning to page 472 in my copy of Sear’s Byzantine Coins and Their Values gave me the answer: it’s the Sear plate coin! Although I own a number of Sear plate coins, this is my only one from the Palaeologan period. It’s an example of DO Class II (Reduced weight series, 1403-1425). The sigla on the obverse, a Γ Κ monogram and lis, put it at the end of this series, ca. 1420-1425. Perhaps these are an acquired taste, but to me, they are hauntingly beautiful. Its details are: 7.04 gr. 24.9 mm. 6 hr. Sear 2549 (This coin); DO 1407-1408; PCPC 332, 6; LPC 160,1.

I'm overly fond of the stavraton and its fractions as well. I hope they don't become too popular. 🙂

As @Zimm notes, Nicomedia issued some innovative types under Justin I. I have managed to obtain three examples of Sear 85A (Hahn 35c), and would love to add an example of Hahn 38b (emperor crowned by two victories), but I am not holding my breath in anticipation.

Dear @ewomack, It is common for this issue (Sear 1428) to be lacking full inscriptions. Of the 10 specimens noted in the DO collection, only 2 have reasonably complete inscriptions; 5 have only partial inscriptions (with one, DO 12c.1, reduced to 2 letters); 2 are noted as having illegible inscriptions, and on one, the inscription is off the flan. A very quick and cursory survey I just completed on acsearch for Sear 1428 ( take my findings “magno cum grano salis” because several of the coins may have been listed twice, and I rushed through them) supports DO’s comments. Of 54 specimens I looked at, 10 had full inscriptions, 10 had reasonably complete inscriptions, while 24 had only fragmentary inscriptions, and 10 lacked them entirely.