ewomack

I have picked up quite a bit of Byzantine copper over the last year, including these pieces below. So I'm beginning to wonder if I've picked up a Byzantine copper addiction? The way that copper transforms over the centuries is also a pretty fascinating subject all in itself. 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 Leo V AD 813-820, Æ 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 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 The other copper addiction that once infected me fervently involved Half Cents. My passion has drained somewhat for procuring new samples, but I still enjoy the ones that I have. I also have a thing for bizarre or obsolete denominations. I also have a few Japanese coppers. 1874 - 1 Rin 1885 - 1/2 Sen 1919 - 5 Rin

This remains one of the paradoxes of collecting for me. I buy coins I love, then I put them in a box, then I take them out maybe 5 to 6 times a year, if that, to look at them. Some collectors, and I fit into this category at least a little bit, are even suspicious of telling others that they have any coins. Some, as shown on this forum, have their coins displayed on shelves, or at least more prominently than in dark boxes, but my coins live in their Intercept boxes 99.7% of the time. I end up looking at the photos I take of the coins far, far, far more often than the actual coins themselves. I find it a little strange that I may spend $200 or more on a coin, then put it away, unknown to anyone but myself (my wife knows about them, too, but she doesn't share my interest). The only other people who know about them at all are on this forum (and on one other forum). I don't tell anyone that I collect coins in the "real world," nor do I advertise to anyone that I own any. In short, I really don't do anything with them other than photograph them and know that they exist and rest in a box in a closet in a room. For how little I interact with them, I'm surprised that I'm as excited as I am about them. Is it just the knowledge of "owning" something that keeps the interest going? For me, I don't really know, honestly.

I have about a dozen Byzantine coins from maybe 9 emperors. Was this something that was running previously? I guess I completely missed it until now. I think Byzantines are my new favorite as well. Since we're talking about them, I'll post a few. Leo V AD 813-820, Æ 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 Leo VI (AD 886-912); Constantinople; Æ Follis; 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; 7.67g.; Berk 918, Sear 1729

I already have another one on the way, so until that one arrives, this tetarteron is my latest ancient. Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1183), Æ Tetarteron; Thessalonica; Obv: ⨀/Γ/Є to left and P-over-w/Γ/O/S to right, half-length bust of St. George facing, holding spear and shield ; Rev: MANɣHΛ ΔЄCΠΟΤ, bust of Manuel facing, holding labarum and globus cruciger; 20 mm,3.24g; DOC 18; Sear 1975

It looks like @expat and I posted at the same moment. So it goes. Wow, what a date. Thanks for pointing this out. I'll skip the whole historical calendar observations and debate that sometimes accompany these threads and just accept this date as the date that we now observe this historical event. Good enough. By 1453, Constantinople had become little more than a principality, but the event remains significant as a mark of the passing of a thousand year empire. Those who connect Byzantium as a continuum from Constantine and Rome (not everyone does), could arguably call it the final downfall of one of the longest-lasting and most influential empires in all of history. But grand statements like that one often get complicated quickly. Still, a very significant date nonetheless. For years, I had no idea that They Might Be Giants only covered my favorite song on that 1990 album cited above. I found out one day when I sang the song in front of my mom. She said "how do you know that song? That's an old song!" then she started singing it. My youth-wracked brain didn't know what to think. Here is another great version, perhaps the one my mother had heard, by The Four Lads from 1953. As for coins, here is a coin from what many consider the greatest era of Byzantium, the era of Justinian I (though some blame him for grossly over expanding and causing the empire's rapid retraction, from which it never fully recovered). Minted in Constantinople. 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 Also minted in Constantinople, a Follis from Theophilus, arguably the last iconoclast emperor of Byzantium. Theophilus (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; 28mm; 8.26 grams; Sear 1667 Though not minted in Constantinople, but in Thessalonica, this tetarteron from the reign of Manuel I Comnenus, comes from what many consider the final "golden age" of Byzantium before Constantinople fell to the Latin rulers in "the disaster of 1204." But others apparently think that this emperor, much like Justinian I, overreached and once again stretched the empire too far. Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1183), Æ Tetarteron; Thessalonica; Obv: ⨀/Γ/Є to left and P-over-w/Γ/O/S to right, half-length bust of St. George facing, holding spear and shield ; Rev: MANɣHΛ ΔЄCΠΟΤ, bust of Manuel facing, holding labarum and globus cruciger; 20 mm,3.24g; DOC 18; Sear 1975

I can't believe that anyone would buy a raw and loose Emperor's last watch. I'm holding out for a graded and slabbed one.

Sorry, I should have been more specific. When I said "upgrade" I actually meant buying another example, not getting rid of this one. Having two, even two that are incomplete in different ways, would work fine for me. I don't think I would part ways with this one. I realized that I've actually already done this. I have two Theophilus folles of the same type - I like them both, so I plan to keep them both. 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 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; 28mm; 8.26 grams; Sear 1667

It seems I'm late to everything. I'm late to this thread, just as I was late to join this forum after its rather thunderous beginnings. I logged into CT one day, approximately a year ago, to find the smoldering aftermath of some great conflagration. It felt like the forum equivalent of a bomb going off. The smoke was still clearing and I had to scavenge among the ruins to find my way here. I don't remember whether I found the link or if someone sent it to me in a PM. Regardless, I'm glad that I did find my way here. Though I do admittedly miss the "old days" of CT (or at least the non-contentious times), this forum has done an amazing job of maintaining its composure and style while retaining the great knowledge and community of the old ancient forum at CT. A year later, I now feel that, in many ways, it even surpasses it. My collecting pursuits have also turned more towards ancients, so this forum now aligns better with my interests. I come here often and I plan to keep doing so. It has been a great year.

Nice coins, everyone! I'm glad that others appreciate the often underappreciated and "strange beauty" or "ugly beauty" of Byzantine coins. I'm still not completely sure why I'm so drawn to them. They have overshadowed my interests in pretty much all other coins at this point. Maybe someday I'll understand it, but it has something to do with their very human imperfections and abstractions. They admittedly don't amaze and stun like many Greek or Roman coins, but they sit somewhere between those earlier coins and later medieval coins in a merging that, for reasons that I still don't fully comprehend, I really like. As for the original Justin II coin posted, I didn't actually own the coin when posted, but I have since ordered it. I'll post more pictures when it arrives. Thanks for all of the comments on it, they helped me push the button. I had been dithering on doing that for a while.

Though nowhere near perfect, the proportion of the price and the quality of the portraits on this one seemed worth a grab. Sadly, a chunk of the coin vanished somewhere in its history, completely eliminating the word ΔЄCΠΟΤ on the reverse upper right. Comnenus's left arm also suffered, but a decent part of the globus cruciger remains. Despite everything, all of the remaining letters look pretty legible and the portraits retain a lot of their character. I haven't ventured this deep into late Byzantium territory yet, so this now stands as my latest Byzantine. I quite like this type. Someday I may upgrade and try to get a more complete specimen, but this one will sate me for now. Manuel I Comnenus (1143-1183), Æ Tetarteron; Thessalonica; Obv: ⨀/Γ/Є to left and P-over-w/Γ/O/S to right, half-length bust of St. George facing, holding spear and shield ; Rev: MANɣHΛ ΔЄCΠΟΤ, bust of Manuel facing, holding labarum and globus cruciger; 20 mm,3.24g; DOC 18; Sear 1975 Please post your own examples of Manuel Tetarterons or similar coins!

Hello, I'm curious what people's opinions are on this coin. The facial portraits look great, but the bodies of the monarchs seem to often have a lot more detail on them. Is it just unevenly worn? I like it, but I'm unsure about it. Thoughts?

This is a late addition, but I wanted to add that I purchased from that same vendor in Early March and everything went smoothly. No issues at all. I even communicated with the dealer and received a quick and cordial response. I would order from them again without hesitation. But it sounds like you have your answer, now, @DonnaML, which is great. I hope he recovers his health and continues his great service.

My only Gordian. GORDIAN III AR silver antoninianus. IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right. Reverse - P M TR P VI COS II PP, Gordian standing right with globe & spear. RSC 276. 22mm, 5.3g. 242-243 AD.

Nothing has yet caught my desiring coin eye since coming across this Theophilus Byzantine. Until that moment (inevitably) arrives, this one still remains my latest ancient. 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; 28mm; 8.26 grams; Sear 1667

$1,000 seems like a bargain compared to the pXRF spectrometers probably used for a numismatic research paper that I read recently. Those devices, some look like store price scanners, appear to start around $15,000. After reading the paper, I had the innocent thought "wow, it would be really fascinating to have one of those." That thought's innocence disintegrated after a few quick internet searches. I still would like to have one just to examine the composition of the coins around me. But, as they say, "alas."

I have a bottle of VerdiChem, but I (thankfully) have yet to use it. I hope that I never do.

Very nice coins, everyone! Thanks for sharing! I forgot that I have another Theophilus, this one, similar to the one above, as co-Emperor with his father, Michael II. 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

Once again, a Byzantine portrait has reeled me in. I already have another example of this same type, but this one highlights very different details. On this one, I really like the Emperor's stoic expression and the fingers on the globus cruciger that resemble enoki mushrooms. As with nearly all Byzantine coins, some areas fared better than others. While the upper torso of Theophilus looks pretty good, the reverse experienced much rougher times. Part of the Emperor's name on the obverse also rolled off, or perhaps was never fully struck. But, despite the coin's obvious flaws, that portrait keeps me coming back. 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; 28mm; 8.26 grams; Sear 1667 My other Theophilus Follis, purchased last summer, looks a little washed out by comparison. Though I still like it, I think the consensus on this forum was that someone had given it a deep cleaning at some point. The reverse definitely survived in a more legible state than the example above. It thankfully still has shown no signs of bronze disease. 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 Post any Theophilus coins you have!

I forgot that I had also bought the two 2019 Japan mint sets, the year the Emperor abdicated due to health reasons. One set includes coins from the final year of Heisei (Emperor Akihito) and the other includes coins from the first year of Reiwa (Emperor Naruhito)- the last time this happened was 1989 when the Emperor Hirohito died (and the "Showa" 昭和 era ended) and the throne passed to his son, Akihito (when the Heisei era began). The time the Emperors changed before that was way back in 1926, when Hirohito became Emperor. This change is equivalent, but not as dramatic, to Elizabeth II being replaced by Charles III on UK coins. Heisei (平成) - final year Reiwa (令和) - first year, which shows as 令和元年, the "元" symbolizing the "new" or "first" year, instead of "1" Here are some closeups of the new year characters on various coins in the Reiwa set.

I have very little from this era. But here are a few.

Yes, I've never seen a reference to an "eyes to heaven" Justin I. I don't think I photographed it in the right configuration, either, so I probably skewed the effect. It's a nice thought, though. 😁 That coin still has one of the strangest reverses I've ever seen. Now if I could only find a similarly nice portrait for Anastasius I in an affordable range.

Once again, I have quite a bit from this era from my earlier days of collecting moderns, but I never photographed the vast majority of them. Here are some that I recorded over the years for reasons I can no longer remember. Saudi Arabia - 1954 - 1/4 Rial Saudi Arabia - 1954 - 1 Rial 1978 - Egypt Iran Mint Set, 1992 - 1993 (I hit the maximum attachment size, so I couldn't upload the other side of this set) Vatican - 1997

This is a brief clip from a Tony Robinson documentary showing a reconstructed Roman "draco" in action.

Japan - 1912 Japan - 1914 Japan - 1919 Japan - 1927 Japan - 1938 Japan - 1946

One of my favorite coins and one of my favorite stoics. I have read The Meditations. Now I need to read it again. One of my favorite lines from that book remains: "The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” But yes, that whole breaking of the "good emperor" tradition that brought him to power by elevating his (questionable) son still confuses me somewhat. 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