ewomack Posted October 5, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) 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 820Leo 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 Edited October 5, 2022 by ewomack 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTrachyEnjoyer Posted October 6, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 6, 2022 Better late than never! Welcome to the best coin collecting area! 😄 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jims,Coins Posted October 6, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 6, 2022 Minted at Constantinople during the reign of Michael II & Theophilus between 829 – 829 A.D. Obv. MIXIAHL.S.0EFILOS. Facing busts of Michael II, with short beard (on l.) & Theophilus, usually beardless (on r.) both crowned, the former wearing chlamys, the latter, loros; between their heads, cross. Rev. Large M between X/X/X & N/N/N; above, cross; beneath 0. BCVS #1642. Minted at Constantinople during the reign of Theophilus between 2 October 829 - 20 January 842. Obv. 0EOFIL‘bASIL’.: Three quarter length figure facing, wearing Loros and crown surmounted by tufa; he holds labarum in r. hand and gl. cr. in l. Rev. +0EO/FILEAVC/OVSTE SV/nICAS.: in four lines. BCVS #1667 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zimm Posted October 6, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 6, 2022 13 hours ago, ewomack said: 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 820Leo 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 I‘m always glad to see new people get into Byzantine coins. In my opinion it‘s a very underappreciated field. I‘m not a big early-to-mid Byzantine coin collector (I focus more on late Byzantine ones), but I did manage to snag the same type as you a while back for a bit over 10€. It‘s not in the greatest of conditions but for that price you can‘t really complain. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewomack Posted October 7, 2022 · Supporter Author Share Posted October 7, 2022 @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 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted October 7, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 7, 2022 Very impressive, @ewomack. I'm a few pages over from where @Zimm is; apart from anonymous folles, I stay with the interval from Komnenans to the Latin Empire --mainly beacause I'm that relentlessly West-ocentric generally. But those 9th-century ones are Brilliant, just for the esthetics. I'm starting to get it, now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerosmyfavorite68 Posted October 7, 2022 · Member Share Posted October 7, 2022 My favorites are from 539-717, and I have a paucity of ninth century examples. However, the OP's examples are quite charming, especially the bottom Leo V, which is a very handsome example. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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