ewomack

Sadly, I don't have any coins of Constantine, but last night I watched the Yale lecture below. It discusses the battle of the Milvian Bridge (against Maxentius) and Chrysopolis (against Licinius). I had no idea that the anniversary was coming up the very next day (though the actual date might be a little off, or lost, due to all of the messing with the calendar in the interim, but it's probably close enough). Definitely a crucial battle for the ancient world and one whose outcomes and consequences we likely still live under to some extent. I need to get some Constantine coins. Editorial: should I lose some faith in humanity when the search results for "Constantine" return far more about the Keanu Reeves movie than the historical emperor?

D for Denier... France ARCHBISHOPRIC OF VIENNE - ANONYMOUS AR Denier, 11th - 12th Centuries; Obv: .+. S. M. VIENNA. (Saint Maurice of Vienne), profile of Saint Maurice, facing left; Rev: MAXIMA. GALL (Grand Gaul) And Denarius Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Struck 161/2 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG, bare head right / CONCORD AVG TR P XVII, COS III in exergue, Concordia seated left, holding patera, resting left elbow on statuette of Spes set on base. 18mm 3.4gm

I'm no expert here, but could market grading be playing a factor here? I'm not sure if NGC market grades their ancients, but I would guess that they do.

"The Last Days of Pompeii" was awesome, definitely worth a viewing. I won't give anything away apart from saying "watch it." I had the good fortune to visit Pompeii in the past, inspired by the scenes in "Pink Floyd Live From Pompeii" that I saw long after it's initial release as a teenager. I'm no longer much of a Pink Floyd fan, but I'm a massive Pompeii fan and I hope to return again someday. Strangely, I just realized that I probably owe my interest in classical history to Pink Floyd. I never considered that before. Hm.

That's a very nice example of that particular type! I really like the obverse. I haven't seen one as nice as that out in the wild yet, particularly for Leo's portrait. But I've been looking for Byzantine coins for only a few months now. Maybe I'll get as lucky as you did. Thanks for posting it!

From Japan 1899 (明治三十二年) 50 Sen (五十銭) 1909 (明治四十二年) 50 Sen (五十銭) 1885 (明治十八年) Half Sen (半銭) 1919 (大正八年) 5 Rin (五厘) 1940 (昭和十五年) 5 Sen (五銭)

I'm very glad that you mentioned Saflips. It triggered a long dormant neuron in my brain. A few years ago, I had purchased a pack of them in hope of submitting some coins to a TPG. That submission never happened, and I thought the holders may have vanished. But a short rummage through the closet produced an unopened 50 pack of them, now ready for service. The neglected pack finally opened and all of my recent Byzantine purchases now reside in Saflips. My other ancients need the same treatment.

Hello. For years, I have stored modern coins in (so-called) air-tites and they work great with relatively low relief samples. As I accumulate more ancients, I find that these holders, in many cases, won't accommodate their much higher reliefs and irregular diameters. So I placed some in thick, oversized plastic containers, but then, of course, they rattle and jostle about inside when moved. My most recent pickups still reside in their dealer flips, which, with their very soft textures, may or may not contain PVC. Which holders, either flips or capsules have worked best for your ancient collections? I see an almost infinite variety of possibilities. To add to the chaos of choice, most sell only in large quantities, making it hard to experiment.

Thank you for mentioning Constantine VII's literary bent, I did not know that about him. A particularly pleasing follis of his features him and Zoe flanking a long cross. I found an amazing example of one online, though it had already sold for an equally amazing price. Nice examples seem difficult to find, from what I can tell. I'll have to have my antennae lengthened. For the same literary reasons, I also have coins of Marcus Aurelius and Julian II (which I've shared here numerous times now). I've read works by both of them. Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Struck 161/2 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG, bare head right / CONCORD AVG TR P XVII, COS III in exergue, Concordia seated left, holding patera, resting left elbow on statuette of Spes set on base. 18mm 3.4gm Julian II (360 - 363) AE1 (BI Maiorina); Thessalonika Mint; Obv: DN FL CL IVLIANUS PF AUG; Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; Rev: SECVRITAS REIPVB; Bull standing right, two stars above;*TESΓ in exergue; Ref: RIC 226

Leo VI, the Byzantine emperor known as "The Wise" or "The Philosopher." He apparently possessed plenty of book smarts, but his reign doesn't appear particularly notable otherwise. His codification of law in Greek does seem to have laid the basis for legal theory in medieval Europe, so he did influence later thinkers. Some also refer to him as the "Henry VIII of Byzantium," since it took four wives to produce an heir. All of this alienated him from the ecclesiastical authorities and they banned him from St. Sofia. At least he didn't experience a violent death like so many other Byzantine emperors. I really like the detail on this particular coin, especially on the chlamys. About the type itself, Sear says: "[t]his appears to have been issued in greater quantities than almost any other individual type in the Byzantine series." Given that, please post your Leo VI coins! Leo VI (AD 886-912); Constantinople; Follis; 7.67g. Obv: +LEOn bAS - ILEVS ROM' Bust facing wearing crown and chlamys, holding akakia in l. hand. Rev: Inscription in four lines: +LEOn / Eh ΘEO bA / SILEVS R / OmEOh, Berk-918, Sear 1729.

W for Whatever Mittelalter Deutschland. Pfennig (1441). Leichte Prägeschwäche. Sehr schön-vorzüglich. Augsburg-Bistum u. Stadt (gemeinschaftlich). And for Writer Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Struck 161/2 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG, bare head right / CONCORD AVG TR P XVII, COS III in exergue, Concordia seated left, holding patera, resting left elbow on statuette of Spes set on base. 18mm 3.4gm

Yes, reruns are most welcome. In fact, I think I've shamelessly posted the coins below 4 or 5 times here already. Why not once more? 😁 Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Struck 161/2 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG, bare head right / CONCORD AVG TR P XVII, COS III in exergue, Concordia seated left, holding patera, resting left elbow on statuette of Spes set on base. 18mm 3.4gm Julian II (360 - 363) AE1 (BI Maiorina); Thessalonika Mint; Obv: DN FL CL IVLIANUS PF AUG; Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; Rev: SECVRITAS REIPVB; Bull standing right, two stars above;*TESΓ in exergue; Ref: RIC 226; NGC Graded Ch. XF Leo V AD 813-820, Æ Follis (21.59mm, 5.48 grams) Constantinople Mint; Obv: LЄ-OҺ ЬASIL, crowned and draped bust facing, holding cross potent and akakia; Rev: Large M, [X/X/X] to left, cross above, N/N/N to right, A (officina) below, Sear 1629

In a word: no. I would not buy a known forgery for that amount of money. I would instead put that sum towards a beautiful genuine example. Or even a really nice follis or silver piece. Really, anything else.

This really short, and inexpensive, book from 2006 contains some fascinating information about how the Byzantine Empire collaborated financially with other empires and governments in its time. It focuses on coinage and discusses various Byzantine coin finds all the way from England to China. For example, after the Viking raids calmed down in 10th century England, Byzantine coinage reappears in some charters under the term byzancteis nummi. The amazing 7th century cloisonné Wilton Cross, found in Norfolk, even featured a solidus of Heraklios (apparently placed intentionally upside-down). Other discussions include examples of when countries borrowed Byzantine coin designs (Lombards, Franks, Danish, Hungarians, Bulgarians, Balkans, Armenians, Georgians, Russians, etc) and when Byzantium borrowed the designs of others (the well-known example of the basilikon of Andronikus II modeled after the Italian Grosso). At one point, the book tells readers to expect some Muslim coins of the era to depict Jesus or the Virgin Mary, which might sound surprising. Yet, in one sense, such depiction did not conflict with the tenets of Islam, but in another sense, Muslim states wanted to make money easy to use and recognize and Byzantine iconography dominated the age's coinage. One 7th century gold dinar used a nearly identical design to a Heraklios solidus, but with all of the crosses removed. To sum up the power of Byzantine money, the book refers to the Byzantine solidus as 'the dollar of the middle ages.' At only some 70 pages, the book packs in a lot of information, though a lot of it high-level. Full color photos of coins and various artworks, from illuminated manuscripts to carved ivory and elaborate plates, also fill the pages. The narrative runs through Constantine (the back cover features a solidus of him gazing skyward) through the sad collapse of 1453. It presents a very brief, and sometimes not very detailed, history, but it points out fascinating historical and financial interconnections between kingdoms and empires at the time. I enjoyed the book's slightly deeper dive into Byzantine coinage and its immense contemporary reach, but it also left me wanting more detail. The photos throughout, mostly of gold coins, are excellent. It apparently accompanied an exhibit at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham, UK. Has anyone else here read this book?

Not too long ago, I watched the 1945 release of "The Picture of Dorian Grey" and it starred a very young Angela Lansbury. Like some others who have passed recently, she seemed like she would just remain around forever. I knew her mostly from television, so I was surprised when she began singing in "Dorian Grey." Now I know that she spent the greater part of her career singing.

Nice write up! I'm new to this topic and have not read as much as I would like to yet, so take these questions with a grain of salt... or maybe with an entire salt lick. 😁 I agree that the term "Byzantium," after the empire's fall, became a way to disassociate it from Rome, but did the books talk about the Greek town "Byzantion" that the city of Constantinople was founded on? Or that gold coinage was sometimes referred to as "Byzantius" and "Byzantinus" in the 9th century? Though I know that the Byzantines didn't refer to themselves as "Byzantines," there seems to be some precedent for others possibly referring to the empire, or at least the area, in that manner prior to its fall. And perhaps it was also sometimes meant derogatorily? I'm just wondering if it's entirely accurate that the word came along only after the empire's collapse? Or did it come along only in a certain sense after that time? I'm not sure myself, I'm just trying to clarify. The books quoted definitely sound interesting and this is an endlessly fascinating topic. I need to read more. Thanks for sharing! I'll add some coins (you're probably all sick of seeing them by now 😁) for good measure: Michael II the Amorian (AD 820 - 829) with Theophilus Æ Follis; Constantinople mint; Obv: MIXAHL S ΘЄOFILOS, crowned facing busts of Michael (on left) and Theophilus (on right); cross above; Rev: Large M, X/X/X to left, cross above, N/N/N to right, Θ below; 29.12mm; 6.21 grams; Sear 1642 Leo V AD 813-820, AE Follis (23mm, 4.43 grams) Constantinopolis; LEON S CONST; facing busts of Leo (l.) and Constantine (r.); Large M between XXX and NNN; cross above and A below; Sear 1630

Great video. It resonated with me because, years ago, I worked in the museum field. Though I never heard or saw anything outright incriminating, I did see and hear enough for me to question the ethics of at least parts of the field's practices and justifications. Attitudes of cultural, and social, superiority lingered everywhere. Sadly, I did hear more than one person heavily suggest that returning objects to their places of origin would mean they would "not get properly taken care of." Many people sincerely believed they were doing the right thing at the time, and, from what I could tell, they didn't act under malicious intent, but time and changing attitudes have shown some of the questionable assumptions behind at least some sections of museum collections. I only spent a few years in the field and never found my way back.

I've shared other examples I have of this type, but I don't think I've shared this one. The green spots don't crumble and look more like malachite than the dreaded bronze disease. Plus, they came with the coin and haven't really changed over the years. Though obviously crude and clunky, I really like these coins. France ARCHBISHOPRIC OF VIENNE - ANONYMOUS AR Denier, 11th - 12th Centuries; Obv: .+. S. M. VIENNA. (Saint Maurice of Vienne), profile of Saint Maurice, facing left; Rev: MAXIMA. GALL (Grand Gaul)

Does anyone know if older records from the Chrysler museum are available online or anywhere? I did some searching and haven't found much yet. I recently purchased a Byzantine coin that included provenance stating that the Chrysler museum deaccessioned it. I don't know when, but I've heard that the coin museum there existed in the 1960s and possibly into the 1990s? I do have the deaccession number. Having worked in a museum in the past, I know they often keep as much information about their collections as possible. That made me wonder if the records for the coin might still exist? It would be great to trace it back to where the museum acquired the piece, if possible. Perhaps I'm sending myself on a wild goose chase, but I thought I would ask in case anyone else has pursued a similar path. I'm also guessing that Chrysler Museum refers to this institution: https://chrysler.emuseum.com/objects/6451/coin I would contact them myself, but I have a feeling they would not want to use staff time to look for information on deaccessioned items. So, I though I would start searching online and ask around first.

@Zimm I would have happily paid 10€ for that coin, especially with its detail and relative completeness. Also, I'm not intentionally collecting mid-era Byzantium, I've just been picking up coins that appeal to me and learning about Byzantium along the way. I love the look of that era's coins, but I can see how the late issues have more interest historically and numismatically. I haven't explored that era much yet, but I'm guessing that it will come. @Jims,Coins More nice examples! It's great to see what other people have. @TheTrachyEnjoyer Yes, it's too late for me to turn back now. I've collected many kinds of coins over the years (ancient Roman, medieval and hammered, early US coppers, classic US, Japanese, Saudi Arabian, etc.) but nothing has mesmerized and pulled me in quite as much as Byzantine. I'm still trying to figure out why, but I think it relates to the relative obscurity of Byzantium in general and the unique aesthetics of Byzantine art. I love the portraits on the coins and their general look sits somewhere between Roman and medieval, not surprisingly. All hammered coins have that "human touch" that many moderns lack. I would also really like to delve more into early Byzantium. So far, I only have a Justinian I follis from that era. Good examples seem difficult to find, especially for Maurice Tiberius and Phocas. The search goes on. All eras seem fascinating. Justinian I Follis (540/1 - Year 14), Constantinople mint, Obv: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, helmeted, cuirassed bust facing holding cross on globe and shield; cross to right. Rev: Large M, ANNO to left, cross above, XIIII (date) to right, A below, CON in exergue, Sear 163

I neglected Byzantine coins too long. All of this time collecting and only this year did I discover them. This Michael II popped into view and the portraits just said "bring us home!" So I did. This one also came with some provenance from a previous auction. Michael II the Amorian (AD 820 - 829) with Theophilus Æ Follis; Constantinople mint; Obv: MIXAHL S ΘЄOFILOS, crowned facing busts of Michael (on left) and Theophilus (on right); cross above; Rev: Large M, X/X/X to left, cross above, N/N/N to right, Θ below; 29.12mm; 6.21 grams; Sear 1642 With this coin, I have inadvertently acquired a "royal flush" of Byzantine emperors in sequence from Leo V to Theophilus (813 to 842): Leo V - 813 to 820 Leo V AD 813-820, Æ Follis (21.59mm, 5.48 grams) Constantinople Mint; Obv: LЄ-OҺ ЬASIL, crowned and draped bust facing, holding cross potent and akakia; Rev: Large M, [X/X/X] to left, cross above, N/N/N to right, A (officina) below, Sear 1629 Leo V AD 813-820, AE Follis (23mm, 4.43 grams) Constantinopolis; LEON S CONST; facing busts of Leo (l.) and Constantine (r.); Large M between XXX and NNN; cross above and A below; Sear 1630 Michael II - 820 to 829 Attribution above Theophilus - 829 to 842 Theophilus (AD 829-842) Æ Follis; Constantinople mint; AD 830-842; Obv: ΘEOFIL bASIL; Half-length figure standing facing, holding labarum and globus cruciger; Rev: ΘEO / FILE AVG / OVSTE SV / hICAS in four lines; 27.66mm; 7.46 grams; Sear 1667

At least they're unused bags. I don't want to search for that potential parallel site...

P. Clodius Turrinus Rome mint, 42 BC; Laureate head of Apollo right; lyre to left / Diana Lucifera standing facing, head right, bow and quiver on her shoulder, holding lighted torch in each hand; M • F at left, P • CLODIVS at right 3.5 g, 19 mm Crawford 494/23; Syd 1117

Very sad, indeed @Spaniard! I've lost coins that I've simply wanted, but to lose coins for research is a double blow. I hope the buyer will work with you and it all works out.