New coins from a Eastern Roman (Byzantine) collector.

[Simon]

This was a great win this year, I bought the coins sight unseen but they all included the flips from Leu and CNG. I got it from a non-ancient auction house so the price was very cheap. The best coins came from Leu. 

I do not know what happened to the previous owner, all the coins seem to come from 2 years ago and the hammer price was almost 6 times what I paid. Some one was either dabbling in ancients or they passed, and the estate sold them. I do not think I will ever know that part of the story. 

Here are some of my favorites from the group. 

Phocas, 602-610. Follis (Bronze, 20 mm, 3.92 g, 7 h), Cyzicus, RY 2 = 603/4. δ m FOCΔS PЄRP AVG Crowned bust of Phocas facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa in his right hand and cross in his left. Rev. Large XXXX in center; above, ANNO; below, KYZB; in field to right, II. DOC 70 (unlisted officina letter). MIB 76. SB 665. Somewhat smoothed, otherwise, very fine.

 

Leo VI the Wise, 886-912. Follis (Bronze, 26 mm, 7.29 g, 6 h), Constantinopolis. +LЄOn bASILЄVS ROM' Bust of Leo VI facing, with short beard, wearing crown ornamented with cross and chlamys, holding akakia in his left hand. Rev. +LЄOn / Єn ΘЄΟ bΑ/SILЄVS R/OmЄΟҺ in four lines. DOC 8. SB 1729. Attractive earthen highlights. Minor scratches, otherwise, very fine

Theodore II Ducas-Lascaris, emperor of Nicaea, 1254-1258. Trachy (Bronze, 26 mm, 2.26 g, 6 h), Magnesia. A in circle / TPV - ΦⲰ St. Tryphon standing facing, beardless and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion, holding cross in his right hand; in lower field to left and right, fleur-de-lis. Rev. [...]K / O Λ[ACKAPIC] Theodore II standing facing, wearing ditivision and loros, holding labarum in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left; in upper field to right, manus Dei. Lianta, LBC, 305. SB 2142. Minor edge crack, otherwise, very fine.

Justin II, 565-578. Pentanummium (Bronze, 15 mm, 1.90 g, 5 h), Theoupolis (Antiochia). Monogram of Justin II. Rev. Large Є; in field to right, cross. DOC 186. MIB 65a. SB 386. Attractive earthen highlights. Very fine.

 

Now this one I have shown before , it came from same lot.

Maurice Tiberius, 582-602. Half Follis (Bronze, 23 mm, 5.63 g, 6 h), Theoupolis (Antiochia), RY 2 = 583-4. ΠITATISSNVPTIS Crowned facing bust of Maurice Tiberius, wearing crown surmounted with cross and consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter. Rev. Large XX between A/N/N/O and II; above, cross; below, R. DOC 175. MIB 97. SB 534. Good very fine.

The mint of Theoupolis often confused the legends of Tiberius II Constantine with those of his successor Maurice Tiberius. It is only through the regnal years that the two can, in some cases, be distinguished.

And now one of my favorites, 12th century of course. 

Isaac II Angelus, first reign, 1185-1195. Tetarteron (Bronze, 21 mm, 3.33 g, 4 h), Thessalonica. O / X - X / MI Facing bust of the Archangel Michael, beardless and nimbate, holding spear in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left. Rev. [...]KI/OC Facing bust of Isaac II Angelus, wearing crown and loros, holding cruciform scepter in his right hands and akakia in his left. SB 2005. Light areas of weakness, otherwise, good very fine.

Another interesting point the die size is 15mm, it will go in on a paper I am working on. 

So, I still have another 7 coins not pictured out of this lot, all of the CNG coins and 1 Leu. All in all I think I did very well on the purchase, I cant help wonder what the interest or focus was of this collector in the summer of 21. 

Any new coins or group lots you wish to share please feel free, the Byzantine board has been quiet let's post some coins.

 I did get some new coins from Nomos but I will wait until I receive to post those. 

[Severus Alexander]

Fantastic group, @Simon!  I especially like the Phocas half follis from Cyzicus.  I always enjoy the comical portraits from this mint.  Also... that's an amazingly round flan!

I recently bought a group lot with a number of rare c.700 CE coins in it.  One of them is puzzling me quite a bit:

At 18mm x 24mm and 4.85g it doesn't really fit any attribution very well.  Some possibilities:

- First reign Justinian II: It's clearly too small for early first reign.  Might it be late first reign?  Still too small for a follis, no?  Plus the anepigraphic obverse is very strange in this case.  (Is the X on the reverse from a double strike or an undertype?)

- Anastasius II Artemius - The chlamys is right, but again, the anepigraphic obverse is very weird.  Also the portrait isn't right IMO.

- Second reign Justinian II: The chlamys is wrong.  Unrecorded type?

- Leo III: Unrecorded early experimental type?  It does match some of his early solidi.

I'd welcome any thoughts on this strange coin!

[Simon]

12 minutes ago, Severus Alexander said:

Anastasius II Artemius - The chlamys is right, but again, the anepigraphic obverse is very weird.  Also the portrait isn't right IMO.

I am looking at the most basic book, H J Berk. This looks close to me. Including the hair style but your coin has no legend. The example Berk shows does. I cannot seem to find anything similar without a legend and Constantinople mint mark. 

[Orange Julius]

Great coins. The obverse of that Phocas is really fun and the Isaac II is really nice. Here is my Leo VI like yours:

Edited March 25, 2023 by Orange Julius

[Al Kowsky]

8 hours ago, Simon said:

This was a great win this year, I bought the coins sight unseen but they all included the flips from Leu and CNG. I got it from a non-ancient auction house so the price was very cheap. The best coins came from Leu. 

I do not know what happened to the previous owner, all the coins seem to come from 2 years ago and the hammer price was almost 6 times what I paid. Some one was either dabbling in ancients or they passed, and the estate sold them. I do not think I will ever know that part of the story. 

Here are some of my favorites from the group. 

Phocas, 602-610. Follis (Bronze, 20 mm, 3.92 g, 7 h), Cyzicus, RY 2 = 603/4. δ m FOCΔS PЄRP AVG Crowned bust of Phocas facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa in his right hand and cross in his left. Rev. Large XXXX in center; above, ANNO; below, KYZB; in field to right, II. DOC 70 (unlisted officina letter). MIB 76. SB 665. Somewhat smoothed, otherwise, very fine.

 

Leo VI the Wise, 886-912. Follis (Bronze, 26 mm, 7.29 g, 6 h), Constantinopolis. +LЄOn bASILЄVS ROM' Bust of Leo VI facing, with short beard, wearing crown ornamented with cross and chlamys, holding akakia in his left hand. Rev. +LЄOn / Єn ΘЄΟ bΑ/SILЄVS R/OmЄΟҺ in four lines. DOC 8. SB 1729. Attractive earthen highlights. Minor scratches, otherwise, very fine

Theodore II Ducas-Lascaris, emperor of Nicaea, 1254-1258. Trachy (Bronze, 26 mm, 2.26 g, 6 h), Magnesia. A in circle / TPV - ΦⲰ St. Tryphon standing facing, beardless and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion, holding cross in his right hand; in lower field to left and right, fleur-de-lis. Rev. [...]K / O Λ[ACKAPIC] Theodore II standing facing, wearing ditivision and loros, holding labarum in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left; in upper field to right, manus Dei. Lianta, LBC, 305. SB 2142. Minor edge crack, otherwise, very fine.

Justin II, 565-578. Pentanummium (Bronze, 15 mm, 1.90 g, 5 h), Theoupolis (Antiochia). Monogram of Justin II. Rev. Large Є; in field to right, cross. DOC 186. MIB 65a. SB 386. Attractive earthen highlights. Very fine.

 

Now this one I have shown before , it came from same lot.

Maurice Tiberius, 582-602. Half Follis (Bronze, 23 mm, 5.63 g, 6 h), Theoupolis (Antiochia), RY 2 = 583-4. ΠITATISSNVPTIS Crowned facing bust of Maurice Tiberius, wearing crown surmounted with cross and consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter. Rev. Large XX between A/N/N/O and II; above, cross; below, R. DOC 175. MIB 97. SB 534. Good very fine.

The mint of Theoupolis often confused the legends of Tiberius II Constantine with those of his successor Maurice Tiberius. It is only through the regnal years that the two can, in some cases, be distinguished.

And now one of my favorites, 12th century of course. 

Isaac II Angelus, first reign, 1185-1195. Tetarteron (Bronze, 21 mm, 3.33 g, 4 h), Thessalonica. O / X - X / MI Facing bust of the Archangel Michael, beardless and nimbate, holding spear in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left. Rev. [...]KI/OC Facing bust of Isaac II Angelus, wearing crown and loros, holding cruciform scepter in his right hands and akakia in his left. SB 2005. Light areas of weakness, otherwise, good very fine.

Another interesting point the die size is 15mm, it will go in on a paper I am working on. 

So, I still have another 7 coins not pictured out of this lot, all of the CNG coins and 1 Leu. All in all I think I did very well on the purchase, I cant help wonder what the interest or focus was of this collector in the summer of 21. 

Any new coins or group lots you wish to share please feel free, the Byzantine board has been quiet let's post some coins.

 I did get some new coins from Nomos but I will wait until I receive to post those. 

Excellent additions & photos ☺️!

[Al Kowsky]

I have probably posted most of my Byzantine coins more than once, so for this thread I'll post something different 🤔.

Byzantine bronze enkolpion, circa 9th-11th century, 3.07 in. long. Obverse: Jesus Christ. Reverse: Virgin Mary. This enkolpion is intact & has never been opened since burial.

[Simon]

1 hour ago, Orange Julius said:

Great coins. The obverse of that Phocas is really fun and the Isaac II is really nice. Here is my Leo VI like yours:

I like yours more, the coin is common but your example is beautiful.

[Valentinian]

On 3/24/2023 at 10:49 AM, Simon said:

Justin II, 565-578. Pentanummium (Bronze, 15 mm, 1.90 g, 5 h), Theoupolis (Antiochia). Monogram of Justin II. Rev. Large Є; in field to right, cross. DOC 186. MIB 65a. SB 386. Attractive earthen highlights.

"Attractive" it really is! I love it. 

 

On 3/24/2023 at 10:49 AM, Simon said:

Isaac II Angelus, first reign, 1185-1195. Tetarteron

That's a top-quality tetarteron. You got some excellent coins. Thanks for showing us. 

Edited April 1, 2023 by Valentinian