voulgaroktonou

Wow! Very nice!

Justinian II, first reign, 685–95 and second reign 705–11. One of the few Byzantine rulers to successfully regain the throne after being deposed, Justinian, son of Constantine IV, came to the throne on his father’s death in 685. He proved an energetic ruler during his first reign from 685-95. He sent successful expeditions against the Arabs, forcing ʿAbd al-Malik to make peace in 688. His offensives in the west against the Slavs returned parts of Greece and Macedonia to Roman rule, organizing new Themes (administrative districts) in the west; he also embarked upon ambitious plans to repopulate newly rewon territories by large scale population transfers. However, the unpopularity of his severe taxation and the cruelty and excesses of his financial administrator Stephen the Persian caused Leontios, the strategos of Hellas, to overthrow him, cut off his nose, and exile him to Cherson in 695. Stuck in this outpost, Justinian tested various nasal prosthetics, dripped (until he got the right one), fumed, and bided his time, marrying the sister of the Bulgar kahn, Tervel, and cultivating his new in-law against his eventual return to power. Meanwhile, the usurper Leontios was in turn overthrown in 698 by Tiberios III Apsimar, who mutilated his nose and imprisoned him in the Dalmatou monastery. In 705, aided by Tervel, Justinian regained the throne and executed Tiberios and Leontios . Upon regaining the throne, Justinian immediately made his infant son Tiberios co-emperor. Unfortunately, he channeled his not inconsiderable energies into punishing real and imagined enemies. In 711 he sent an expedition against Cherson, but the fleet revolted and proclaimed as emperor Philippikos. Justinian fled Constantinople for Asia Minor, where he was killed by the rebels. So ended the great Heraclian dynasty. First reign, 685–95. Constantinople is the mint of the first three coins; Syracuse, that of the fourth. AR Ceremonial Miliaresion, 687-92. 4.19 gr. 22.9 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1257; Hahn 37; DO (15) = T. 73; BNP 1. This, my most recent acquisition, came as a surprise. I thought I was acquiring a hexagram in rather indifferent condition, with the usual reverse inscription δЄЧS AδIЧTA ROMANIS somehow eradicated. When in hand, however, it revealed that instead of a missing inscription, the cross potent on base over globe on 3 steps is flanked to left and right by very lightly struck palm branches, whose bases can be made out and whose general shapes are visible. Hahn secured the identification; on the reverse of the regular hexagram, the cross rests upon three steps, but on the ceremonial piece, the cross sits upon a globe over three steps, as here. Not a beauty, but so few of the ceremonial miliaresia are. Semissis, 687-92. 2.17 gr. 20.1 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1251; Hahn 11; BM 19; R. 1688. Follis, 686-7. 7.08 gr.26.5 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1260; Hahn 44; DO 18b; R. 1693 Follis, Syracuse, 687-89. 9.52 gr. 29.4 mm. 12 hr. Sear 1298; Hahn 66; DO 58; BM 48. Overstruck on a Roman as. [C]AESAR of the original coin is visible on the obverse to left of the standing Justinian. Clearer in hand than in photo. Second reign, 705–11. Mint of all is Constantinople. Follis, 705. 8.08 gr. 30.2 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1426; Hahn 42a; DO 11a. Dated year 20, Justinian not considering his 10 years in exile as breaking the continuity of his reign from 685. Follis, 705/6. 4.18 gr. 22.6 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1428; Hahn 43, 2 (this coin); DO 12a; T. 13. Ex Protonotarios collection. On this and the following half follis, the young Tiberios is featured with his father, on the viewer’s right. They hold a patriarchal cross on a globe inscribed PAX. Half Follis 705/6. 2.10 gr. 18.4 mm 6 hr. Sear 1431; Hahn 45 ; DO (15a) = BM 10. Obverse as previous coin. A major numismatic innovation of Justinian’s reign was the introduction of a portrait of Christ as the major type on the obverse of the coin, with the corresponding figure of the emperor being moved to the reverse. This innovation affected the gold and silver only; the imperial portrait continued to grace the obverse of the bronze coinage. Although a standing figure of Christ had appeared on the reverses of several rare 5th c. solidi commemorating imperial marriages, this novel iconography (though abandoned by his immediate successors as well as by the subsequent rulers of the Iconoclastic period) was reinstated under Michael III in 843. Thereafter, to the fall of the empire, the obverse was given to Christ or another religious figure, with the emperor permanently relegated to the reverse. This is not the place to delve into the possible reasons for this unprecedented innovation, but those wishing to explore the subject in depth should consult James Douglas Breckenridge’s 1959 monograph, The numismatic iconography of Justinian II (685-695, 705-711 A.D.) New York, American Numismatic Society, Numismatic notes and monographs, no. 144. The Christ portrait of the first reign, the familiar image of a long haired and bearded Christ Pantokrator, hearkens back to Phidias’ colossal representation of Zeus at Olympia, as well as to the image of Christ in the Great Palace of Constantinople. The coinage of the second reign featured an image of Christ with short, curly hair and beard and is associated by art historians as Syrian. It is thought to be an attempt to represent the Savior in a more human-like manner, without the classical associations of the majestic Pantokrator image of the first reign. The mint of all three coins below is Constantinople. The first two coins date from the first reign; the third one belongs to the second reign, and illustrates the stylistic differences between the two issues. Semissis, 692-95. 2.07 gr. 17.0 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1252; Hahn 12; DO 10; BNP 10. Hexagram, 692-95. 6.43 gr. 24.5 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1259; Hahn 40; DO 17; BNP 2; BM 26-27. Struck with solidus dies. AR “Hexagram”, or ceremonial silver, 705. 3.43 gr. 22.2 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1423; Hahn 39; DOC [8] = BM (first reign) 28 = T. 76. Sadly, holed, (like the semissis above) but so is the BM specimen, which is the only one cited by Hahn in MIB III. Struck with solidus dies.

Thank you for your generous words. While my wife enjoys my Greek and earlier Roman coins, she tolerates my Byzantines - out of love for me, not for the coins themselves...!

Friend, @Valentinian, thanks for your kind words. This is a beautful (as they go) follis!

I love the Rome mint examples. Thanks for sharing!

I love these Rome issues! Thanks for sharing!

Constantine IV, son of Constans II, was proclaimed co-emperor by his father in April 654, and ruled jointly with him until the latter’s death in 668. Constantine continued the association of his younger brothers Herakleios and Tiberios on the coinage until 681, when he deposed them, probably because of a conspiracy. The young emperor faced external pressures throughout his reign, with the capital itself besieged by the Arabs in 674–78, but their defeat brought about a 30-year truce on terms favorable to the Romans. On this hexagram of his father Constans II, Constantine IV appears as a child to the viewer’s right of his father. Constantinople, 654-659. 5.09 gr. 23.9 mm. 4 hr. Sear 996; Hahn 150; DO 55; BNP 14-17; BM 87; R. 1600. The mint of all coins that follow, save for the last two, is Constantinople. Ceremonial Miliaresion, 668. Broken. 2.88 gr. 20.8 mm. 7 hr. Unpublished. Beardless bust wearing chlamys and crown with cross on circlet. He holds in right hand a globus cruciger. This civilian bust corresponds to Class I of the solidus and hexagram. But the only recorded ceremonial issues of Constantine IV have a helmeted and military bust with a spear and shield, corresponding to the later classes of his solidi and hexagrams. Grierson, in DOC v. 2:2, p. 515, notes that the extreme rarity of the corresponding solidus of Class I suggests a very short issue of only a few months. Ceremonial Miliaresion, 674-85. 4.42 gr. 21.3 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1165; Hahn 61; DO 20. This military portrait, holding spear and shield, introduced in 668, becomes standard for the reign. Hexagram, 668-673. 6.03 gr. 21.7 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1168; Hahn 63c; DO 23; BNP 2-6; BM 23-24;m R, 1654-55. Beardless military bust, holding spear and shield; Constantine’s brothers Heraclius and Tiberius flank a cross on globe and steps. Ex Hunt collection, Sotheby’s Dec. 5-6, 1990, lot 419. Hexagram, 674-681. 5.03 gr. 19 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1170; Hahn 67; DO 25; BNP 7-8; BM 25. All as before, but bearded bust. Although the initial portraiture on Constantine’s silver and gold issues is relatively crude, in 681 the work of an engraver of talent becomes evident; although the obverse legends continue to leave room for improvement, a fine style of portraiture emerges, which continues into the early years of his son Justinian II’s reign. The contrast between the 2 previous coins and those below is remarkable. Solidus, 681-85. 4.31 gr. 19 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1157; Hahn 10; BNP 13-14. Ex Hunt collection, Sotheby’s June 21, 1991, lot 58. The emperor’s brothers Heraclius and Tiberius disappear from the coinage after being deposed in 681. Hexagram, 674-681. 6.54 gr. 24.9 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1170; Hahn 67; DO 25; BNP 7-8; BM 25. Although my photo is not the best, the shield device of the horseman is beautifully rendered. Under the reign of his father, Constans II, the bronze coinage of the capital had decayed into one of the most wretched currencies ever inflicted upon a people. Constantine attempted to restore the bronze coinage to what it had been under Justinian. If the results are not always beautiful and well struck examples, Constantine was able to maintain this heavy standard through his reign; but under the reigns of his son Justinian II in 685 and his successors, sadly, a return to the shrunken, cut down follis of Constans becomes the norm. Follis, 668-73. 17.04 gr. 40.7 mm . 7 hr. Sear 1173 (this coin); Hahn 77 DO 28e. As noted above, this initial issue features a beardless bust, holding a globus cruciger. Follis, 674-81. 17.00 gr. 37.7 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1176 (this coin); Hahn 80 (this coin); BNP 7. Ex Ian Roper, H. Berk collections. Follis, 683-84. 16.65 gr. 35.00 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1177; Hahn 81; DO 32b. Ex H. Berk collection. On this class, the deposed Heraclius and Tiberius have been replaced by the traditional, ANNO and date flanking the mark of value. The XXX may refer to the emperor’s Tricennalia. Pentanummium, 668-73. 2.80 gr. 21.3 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1184; Hahn 95; DO 40. Although the obverse is anepigraphic, it bears the same military bust (here beardless) as the previous two coins. These last 2 coins are from Carthage. Not shown to scale. Solidus, 674-5. 4.29 gr. 12.2 mm. 6 hr. Sear 1187A; Hahn 18; DO 42.1-2; T. 50. On the obverse, a blundered inscription accompanies a bearded bust of Constantine holding a globus cruciger, while his brothers flank a long cross on steps. Follis, 674-81. 10.16 gr. 29.6 mm. 7 hr. Sear 1196; Hahn 98; DO 52; BNP 4-6; BM 58-60; T. 74-76; R. 1659. The reverse features Heraclius and Tiberius on either side of a cursive M.

Before leaving Constans, just for fun, a few where he looks a little too caffinated... Here, he has a really bad headache...

Constantine IV is nearly the size of his father here. Compare it to this hexagram with a much younger figure.

Constans II, son of Heraclius Constantine and grandson of Heraclius, reigned 641–68. He is labelled by his official name “Constantine” on his coins, but he was popularly known as Constans. His time on the throne was troubled by external threats from Muslims in the East to Slavs in the West. Anxiety over these induced him to consider moving the seat of government from Constantinople to the West, settling ca. 660 in Sicily, where he remained until he was killed in 668 while bathing, reportedly struck in the head by a servant wielding a soap dish. Constans’ coinage is one of the few examples in the Byzantine series illustrating the development of the emperor’s portrait. His earliest issues show a beardless face, followed by a rare transitional issue showing the suggestion of facial hair indicated by dots, to a fulsome beard, and finally to a rampant growth reminiscent of certain members of ZZ Top, or, of the present writer in his late 20s… Top row: (Mint of all is Constantinople) Hexagram, 642-47. 6.78 gr. 26.9 mm. 6 hr. S989; H. 142; DO 48; BNP 1; BM 79; R. 1540. This early issue depicts a beardless Constans. Hexagram, 647-48 6.43 gr. 25 mm 7 hr S990; H. 143; DO 49. This transitional class features the beginnings of a beard indicated by a row of dots. Hexagram, 647-51 6.48 gr. 27.1 mm 6 hr S991; H. 144; DO 50; BNP 2-8; BM 80-84; R. 1541-42. The emperor’s face here is fuller and is fully bearded. Bottom row: (Mint of all is Constantinople) Ceremonial Miliaresion, 659-68 4.21 gr. 20.6 mm 6 hr S 987; H 141; BM 89; T. 269. Constans, now with a beard that “flows nearly down to the ground” (to quote Pete Townshend’s song “Amazing Journey”) is here accompanied by his son and successor Constantine IV. Comparison with the obverse of the next coin shows that solidus dies were employed for these ceremonial issues. Solidus, 661-663 4.39 gr. 19.1 mm 5 hr S 964; H31; DO30g; BNP 60-61; BM 58; R1606. Constans, again with Constantine IV. On the reverse, Constans’ other sons Heraclius and Tiberius flank the cross on steps. While reading Byzantine history and numismatics in graduate school in the 1970s, I became convinced for a time that I was Pogonatus himself, as the final image shows. I became a nuisance to my family, friends, and strangers on the bus, by “forbidding discussion of Christ's wills and energies and by commanding acceptance of Scripture and the doctrinal definitions of the five ecumenical councils.” And I had an unreasoning fear of bathing in general and soap dishes in particular. Oh, the follies of youth! 😊

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

Before I can do that, Al, I'll have to ask DO for permission. They were part of a private collection I curated for 30 years, but now belong to DO; I'll get back with you after I have gotten their permission.

Thanks to a private collection I curated for many years, DO now has another splendid solidus of the revolt, plus a lead seal of the exarch and his son that has to be seen to be believed.

Heraclius, Heraclius Constantine, Heraclonas, and Martina. From left to right, and bottom. Hexagram, Constantinople, 637-41. 6.58 gr. 23 mm. 6 hr. S. 803; Hahn 146; DO 68; BNP 16; BM 108; R. 1500. Heraclonas, Heraclius, and Heraclius Constantine. Ceremonial Miliaresion, Constantinople 637-41. 3.78 gr. 21.2 mm. 6 hr. Sear 791; Hahn 131; BNP 1. Obverse same as previous. Half siliqua, Carthage, 617-41. 0.52 gr. 11.6 mm. 1 hr. Sear 871; Hahn 149; DO 233; BNP 3-4; BM 343-6; R. 1460-64. A beardless Heraclius on the obverse; reverse, Heraclius Constantine and Martina.

Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine. From left to right, and bottom. Heraclius is on the left, his son, on the right. Ceremonial Miliaresion, Constantinople, 615-24. 4.34 gr. 25.2 mm. 7 hr. Sear 789; Hahn 129; T. 223-4. Hexagram, Constantinople, 636-637. 4.58 gr. 24.3 mm. 7 hr. Hexagram, Ravenna, 615-638, 6.04 gr. 25.1 mm. 6 hr. Sear 903; Hahn 153; DO 277; BNP 1-3; BM 440-41; T. 221-2. Although no mint mark is present, Ravenna presents itself by style (Here, Heraclius resembles a cuddly teddy bear; his son seems to have walked off the set of the “Walking Dead”.) Further, the Ravennate hexagrams use Roman forms of the letters D, V, and T, compared to the Greek: δ, υ, τ.

Heraclius alone. From left to right, and bottom. Solidus, Constantinople, 610-13. 4.40 gr. 23 mm. 7 hr. Sear 731; Hahn 5; DO 3b; BNP 3, 6; BM 3, 5-7; T. 3. Tremissis, 610-13. 1.47 gr. 17 mm. 6 hr. Sear 786; Hahn 73a; T. 30. As was seen with Phokas, the portraits on fractional gold and the silver from North Africa are generally beardless. Third siliqua, Class I, Carthage, 611. 0.61 gr. 12.4 mm. 7 hr. Sear 869; Hahn 147; DO (231) = T. 41; BNP 1 Beardless facing bust; Victory running left, holding in right hand a wreath, in left, a palm branch. DOC 2:1, p. 348, note 1 indicates that “[t]his is theoretically datable 610-13, but its rarity suggests that it was struck only briefly in 611, when the news of Heraclius’ success at Constantinople would have reached Carthage.”

Revolt of the Heraclii Follis, Alexandretta, 610/11. 9.66 gr. 31.5 mm. 6 hr. Sear 723; Hahn 16b; DO 17. Bearded bust of Heraclius (on left) and of his father, the exarch of Africa, Heraclius. The revolt of Heraclius against Phokas lasted from summer 608 to November 610, when the latter was overthrown and executed. The year 14, as indicated by X/IIII, would be anomalous, but it represents the 14th indictional year(610/11). An indiction was a 15-year cycle originally based upon tax revenue.

Here are 2 Antiochene halves , @Severus Alexander, the first of which resembles your great example, and the second, that of the follis I shared earlier.

A few of my Phokades to supplement the portrait gallery! Top row, left to right. Ceremonial silver miliaresion. Constantinople, 602/7. 1.21 gr. 18.9 mm. 7 hr. Sear 638A; Hahn 54. The portraits on Phokas’ fractional gold and occasional silver coins are generally beardless, unlike the bearded ones on his other issues. Follis, Thessalonika, 605/6. 10.55 gr. 31.7 mm. 6 hr. Sear 653; Hahn 91; BNP 2-3. Follis, Kyzikos, 607/8. 8.64 gr. 29.5 mm. 6 hr. Sear 665; Hahn 76; DO 73a; BNP 6; BM 90; R. 1237 Lower row, left to right. Half follis, Kyzikos, 603/4. 6.50 gr. 25.9 mm. 6 hr. Sear 670 var.; Hahn 79 var.; DO 79a var.; BM 98 var.; R. 1239 var. This variety, with the regnal year to the left of the mark of value, is not noted. The raised position of the officina letters on the halves from this mint shows that they were later added to the die. @Valentinian has earlier noted the eccentricity of the Kyzikene portraits for Maurice. We see the “tradition” alive and well on occasional half folles of his successor from this mint. Or as my wife, classically trained in Greek pottery, is wont to assert, “proof that space aliens interbred with inhabitants of the eastern Mediterranean in late antiquity.” And who am I to disabuse her? Half follis, Kyzikos, 603/4. 5.51 gr. 23.3 mm. 11 hr. Sear 670; Hahn 79; BM 99; T. 106-7; R. 1240. The brain behind the hand that designed this had a slightly better understanding of human physiognomy. Follis, Antioch, 608/9. 10.56 gr. 30.2 mm. 5 hr. Sear 672A; Hahn 84 b. Portrait of fine style. This is the second example of this portrait I have encountered. I published a better example of it in a private collection (now in DO) in The Celator, Aug. 2000, pp. 16-20: “From the hand of a master – an Antiochene follis of Phocas”.

Here are a few of my Maurice Tiberius specimens (and one Theodosius) for the current portrait gallery: The top row of folles struck celebrating his Vicennalia, marking 20 years of rule in 601/2. From left to right. Nikomedia. 13.91 gr. 7 hr. Sear 513; Hahn 77d; DO 109a; BNP 12. Note the heavy wreath border on reverse. Kyzikos. 13.51 gr. 34.5 mm. 12 hr. Sear 519; Hahn 86d; BNP 16-17. (Pertinent to @Valentinian’s observation of odd portraits from that mint!) Officina A. Kyzikos. 13.89 gr. 34.3 mm. 6 hr. Sear 519; Hahn 86Da var. DO 134b; BM 162. Officina B. Bottom row: Carthaginian silver. From left to right. Carthage, 582/3. Half siliqua 0.91 gr. 15 mm. 9 hr. Sear 551; Hahn 57; BNP 1-2; BM 228. The novel type, an inscription (here, *SALVS MVNDI [Salvation of the world] surrounding a cross within a circle was to be repeated for centuries in western European coinage. Carthage, 602. Half siliqua 0.73 gr. 13.1 mm. 1 hr. Sear 553; Hahn 61; BNP 4; BM 229-230; R. 1031. Another strongly religious message, A Ω flanking a cross potent on steps. Carthage, Theodosius, son of Maurice, 590-602. 200 Nummi 0.64 gr. 14 mm. 9 hr. Sear 615A; Hahn 62; BNP 6.

"Cyzicus has some of the worst Byzantine portraits, and that is saying something:" Well said, my friend!

Love this brockage!

Thank you for your kind words. Yours is a very nice stavraton; much of the legend in both circles is visible, something that is not always found on these crudely struck issues.

On Tuesday 29 May 1453 an Ottoman army of ca. 80,000 men, led by Sultan Mehmet II, captured the city of Constantinople after a 53 day siege, ending the Christian Eastern Roman empire. Rather than submit to the Sultan's demand to surrender Constantinople, the emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos chose to die fighting in defense of the city and his faith. Although the 7,000 defenders fought bravely, the city's massive 5th c. AD walls, which had for a millennium proved impregnable to successive sieges, were no match for the Turkish cannon, and the Ottoman army overwhelmed the small defending force of Byzantines and their Italian allies. Once Constantine realized the city was lost, he plunged into the midst of the fighting and he perished along with his City. There have been numerous studies of the fall of Constantinople, but one of the most convenient for English readers is Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453. The quoted sections that follow are from his wonderful book. On Monday the 28th, realizing the end was near, the emperor encouraged his small force by reminding them what they were fighting for. “To his Greek subjects he said that a man should always be ready to die either for his faith or his country or for his family or for his sovereign. Now his people must be prepared to die for all four causes. He spoke of the glories and high traditions of the great Imperial city. He spoke of the perfidy of the infidel Sultan who had provoked the war in order to destroy the True Faith and to put his false prophet into the seat of Christ. He urged them to remember that they were the descendants of the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome and to be worthy of their ancestors. For his part, he said, he was ready to die for his faith, his city, and his people.” That evening the last Christian service was held in the great church of Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia, that for a thousand years had been the heart of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox put aside their bitter doctrinal differences. “Priests who held union with Rome to be a mortal sin now came to the altar to serve their Unionist brothers. The Cardinal was there, and beside him bishops who would never acknowledge his authority; and all the people came to make confession and take communion, not caring whether Orthodox or Catholic administered it. There were Italians and Catalans along with the Greeks. The golden mosaics, studded with the images of Christ and his saints and the emperors and empresses of Byzantium, glimmered in the light of a thousand lamps and candles; and beneath them for the last time the priests in their splendid vestments moved in the solemn rhythm of the Liturgy. At this moment there was union in the Church of Constantinople.” Coins of this last Roman emperor are very rare, but a small hoard of them entered the market in 1991. Attached is a photo of two of them. The obverse depicts the image of Christ, while the emperor's portrait appears on the reverse. They are diminutive, modest silver coins, but their history speaks volumes. The signature of Constantine XI Palaiologos, 1448-1453, the last emperor of the Romans is from a contemporary chrysobull, or imperial decree. The wording follows very closely the inscriptions found on his stavrata and that of his immediate predecessors: + Κωνσταντίνος εν Χριστώ τω Θεώ πιστός βασιλεύς και αυτοκράτωρ των Ρωμαίων ο Παλαιολόγος :+ Constantine, in Christ, God, faithful emperor and autocrat of the Romans, the Palaiologos. My dear friend Fred and I used to imagine that we would one day travel to the City (Constantinople, not Istanbul), mount the surviving walls, replant a cross on Hagia Sophia, and afterward drink the emperor’s health. My friend has now entered the heavenly City, and is, I have no doubt, currently sharing a drink with Constantine himself.