A Very Byzantine Year: TheTrachyEnjoyer Top 10 Coins of 2022

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

As 2022 comes to an end and the season of Advent begins, its time to close out the year behind us and look to the future. My year of collecting has been exciting with a number of interesting acquisitions across the late Byzantine spectrum. The coins are in rough order of what I have been most excited to own, listed from 10th to 1st place. It was hard to choose which coins to include and I hope I have chosen the best. Sadly not too many AE coins made my list but I had a number of nice wins over the year. Currently, Im working through a very exciting AE trachy lot which has at least two unpublished Palaeologan types. Hopefully I will have those catalogued and shared soon.
 

For my top 10 post, I’ve mostly copied the descriptions from various auction houses for known types and created my own for unpublished coins. For more in depth wrote ups on each, please my posting history. Most of the coins here have had an individual thread dedicated to them. Enjoy and feel free to share any related coins below

10). 
Andronicus III Palaeologus. 1328-1341. AR Reduced Basilikon. Constantinople mint. Christ Pantokrator enthroned facing; star to left, B to right / St. Demetrios and Andronicus standing facing. DOC -; PCPC 197 note, sigla B; LBC -; SB 2472. 

9). 
John III Ducas (Vatatzes), emperor of Nicaea, 1221-1254, AR trachy, Magnesia. Bust of Christ Emmanuel, nimbate and beardless, facing, holding Gospels in left hand. Rev. John standing facing, holding labarum-headed scepter in right hand and akakia in left; star on sagion beneath right arm; to upper right, manus Dei. DOC 26. SB 2080.

8).Politikon coinage, circa the reign of John V Palaeologus (Anonymous). AR/Billon Tornese. Three keys / +ΠO/ΛITI/KON in three lines. DOC 1218-20; PCPC 365; SB 2581

7).

ANDRONICUS III PALAEOLOGUS (1328-1341). AR Half-basilikon. Constantinople. Obv: O AΓΙΟC ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟC. St. Demetrius standing facing, holding spear and shield.
Rev: ΑΝΔΡ / MP - ΘV. Andronicus, raising hands in adoration, and the Virgin Mary standing facing. DOC 867-8; Sear 2476; PCPC 196; LPC 120, 6.

6).

John Komnenodoukas, 1238-44. AE Trachy, Thessaloniki. Obv: unclear. Rev: Busts of emperor John and Saint Theodore facing, holding a staff surmounted by a cross in circle with dot decoration between them. DOC —; Sear —; 
Unpublished type

5).

Other Rulers before the Restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261

John III Emperor with Michael Comnenus-Ducas Despot of Epirus, circa 1248
Aspron trachy, Thessalonica 1248, AR trachy. Half-length figure of Archangel Michael, beardless and nimbate, holding jewelled sceptre and globus; in field. Rev. Facing figure of John, on r., crowning Despot Michael, on l.; the Emperor, holds sceptre cruciger and Despot holds a palm branch.. Hendy and Bendall, RN 1970, p. 144, 2. Bendall, Numismatic Circular CIV, 1996, 5. DO 1.2. Sear 2235.

4). 
ANDRONICUS II, with MICHAEL IX. 1282-1328. AR/Billon Tornese (0.54 gm). Constantinople mint. Struck 1295-1320. Half length figure of St. Michael, winged, holding sceptre and globus / Andronicus and Michael standing facing, holding labarum between them. DOC —; Sear —; PCPC —. Unpublished type

3).

John III Vatazes, 1221-1254. AR Trachy. Magnesia, 1221 coronation issue. The Virgin, nimbate, seated facing on throne, holding nimbate head of Christ on her breast. Rev. Facing standing figures of John, on left holding labarum-headed scepter and cross on globe, and Christ Chalcites, on right, nimbate between and crowning emperor with his right hand and holding gospels in his left. DOC 21. S. 2075. 

2). 
Andronikos II Palaeologus, AR/Billon Tornese, Constantinople. Obv: winged patriarchal cross. Rev: Emperor seated on throne with sword across lap. DOC —; Sear —; PCPC —. Unpublished type

1). 
Michael VIII Palaeologus, with Andronicus II, AR Trachy. Celebrating the coronation of Andronicus II. Constantinople, AD 1272. Nimbate St. George standing facing, wearing military attire, holding spear in right hand and shield in left

Half-length figures of Michael VIII and Andronicus II facing, both wearing stemma with pendilia and loros over divitision, holding trifurate sceptre, scroll and akakia; bust of winged archangel above between, placing his hands on their heads. DOC 36; Sear 2321 (Thessalonica); Stack's, 12 Jan 2009, lot 3327 (same rev. die); CNG 112, lot 696 (same dies); Roma E-85, lot 2637 (same rev. die).

Edited November 25, 2022 by TheTrachyEnjoyer

[zadie]

Great list! I'm having trouble deciding which I like better, #1 or #3... Amazing coins all around

[seth77]

For me it is definitely #5.

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

1 hour ago, seth77 said:

For me it is definitely #5.

Thanks, its such a great type! The only reason it isn’t higher is that I primarily collect silver Byzantine. If I focused on AE more, it would definitely have been spot 1 or 2

[Simon]

# 9 John III trachy, even with its faults it is a beautiful coin and my favorite of your ten. 

Nice year congratulations. 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I'd have to vote for #2.  It has odd damage but is otherwise a really nice coin.

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

12 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I'd have to vote for #2.  It has odd damage but is otherwise a really nice coin.

I also have this example of the type which I picked up a few years back

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Nice new additions to the collection and Happy Holidays!

[Hrefn]

I am in awe at the deep scholarship incidentally displayed by the identification and exhibition of these coins.  Kudos x 1000.  Much respect.  

[robinjojo]

Nice acquisitions for 2022!  

#3 really stands out for sharpness of the strike.  #7 is also very nice, as is #5, especially the reverse.