a delightful portrait of Nicephorus II, an Aemilan, and more

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I was both delighted and surprised to receive my latest order today, after only eight days. I've been very pleased with both my orders from Tom Vossen of the Netherlands.

Although this Nicephorus II Phocas follis wasn't the main reason for my order, it became my favorite of the lot.  The portrait is pretty delightful and it's an attractive specimen.  It's fortunate that most of the double striking is on the reverse.  It's also evidently a fairly scarce type. 

Nicephorus II. 963-969. AE Follis (5.59 gm, 27mm). Constantinople mint. Obv.: nICIFR bASILEV RW, facing bust, wearing crown cruciger and loros, holding labarum and globus cruciger. Rev.: nICHF / Eh ΘEW bA / SILEVS RW / mAIWn in four lines. SB 1782. Double struck, with nice portrait,

 

Nicephorus II deserves a bit of a writeup. Nicephorus Phocas was a very talented general, coming along during Byzantium's resurgence.   So successful was he on the eastern front that he received one of the coolest nicknames of all time, 'The White Death of the Saracens (referring to the enemy going pale when he approaches).'  His main nemesis, Sayf, 'The Sword of Destiny', (another cool nickname) was defeated and Aleppo quickly became a satellite state.

   Nicephorus was very talented on the battlefield but quickly went from a hero to a zero at home.  High taxation for the wars and some natural disasters brought the people low.  Nicephorus made two grave mistakes; ignoring the people and alienating a formerly loyal general.

   The emperor, being super-pious, was trying to do the John the Baptist thing and was sleeping on the floor, wearing a hairy shirt.  Nicephorus was punched awake by John, the next emperor, and after being abused was hacked up and thrown out the window.  Listen to the podcasts Totalus Rankium or the History of Byzantium for more details.

The second coin is my third coin of Aemilian, I believe, a total equal to the number of Claudius II's I have.

Moesia, Superior Viminacium. Aemilian. 253 AD. AE 25mm (7.74 gm). Dated CY 14 (253 AD). Obv.: IMP C M AEMIL AEMILIANVS A[.], laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: P M S COL VIM / AN XIV, Moesia standing facing, head left, holding grain ears; to left, bull standing right; to right, lion standing left. RPC IX 89 (dealer description)

My description: F, with a  brown surface.

 

The third coin:

One of my favorite Heraclius types, S 804.  While S805 is one of the most common Byzantine coins, 804 isn't super rare but isn't that common either.

Heraclius. 610-641. AE Follis (11.85 gm, 32mm). Constantinople mint. Dated RY 3 (612_3). SB 804

VF for type, dark surfaces, some earthen highlighting on the rim.

 

The fourth coin was the reason for the order.  I wanted a Hercules type of Postumus. 

Postumus. 260-268 AD. AR Antoninianus (3.08 gm, 21mm). Mint city I / Treveri (Trier). Struck 260/1 AD. Obv.: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: HERC DEVSONIENSI, Hercules standing facing, head right, holding club and bow. RIC 64; RSC 91a.

I believe I might have a grotty double Sestertius of this type.

 

The last type was an impulse throw-in.  It's a bit less attractive in person, but it's Ferdinand and Isabella.

Spain. Ferdinand & Isabella. 1474-1504. AE 2 Maravedís (2.95 gm, 24mm). Segovia mint. Obv.: castle between A and (Gothic) C. Rev.: lion. Cal. 62; Jarabo-Sanahuja A211

My UK order from two orders ago is still on a rowboat somewhere.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Nerosmyfavorite68

[quant.geek]

Nicephorus II folles are difficult to get in good strikes due, so that coin is great in comparison to the typical ones that are found. Here are a few of mine:

 

Byzantine Empire: Nicephorus II Phocas (963-969) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1782; DOC 😎

Obv: 🞢ҺICIFRb ASILЄVRШ; Crowned bust of Nicephorus II facing, bearded, wearing robe with V-shaped opening and crown with cross and pendilia; in right hand, cross scepter; in left, globus surmounted by trefoil
Rev: 🞢ҺICHF / ЄҺΘЄШbA / SILЄVRШ / MAIШҺ in four lines
Dim: 23.5mm, 6.03g, 6h

 

Byzantine Empire: Nicephorus II Phocas (963-969) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1783; DOC 7)

Obv: 🞢ҺICIFRb ASILЄVRШ; Crowned bust of Nicephorus II facing, bearded, wearing robe with V-shaped opening and crown with cross and pendilia; in right hand, cross scepter; in left, globus surmounted by trefoil
Rev: 🞢ҺICHF / ЄҺΘЄШbA / SILЄVRШ / MAIШҺ in four lines
Dim: 27.7mm, 8.86g, 6h

 

 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Nice Nicephorus and other coins.  The discord between the West and the Byzantines is fully evident. 

Here I quote the chronicle of bishop Liutprand of Cremona, who visited Nicephorus as an emissary on behalf of the emperor Otto:

"On the seventh of June, the sacred day of Pentecost, I was brought before Nicephorus himself in the palace called Stephana, that is, the Crown Palace. He is a monstrosity of a man, a dwarf, fat-headed and with tiny mole's eyes; disfigured by a short, broad, thick beard half going gray; disgraced by a neck scarcely an inch long; piglike by reason of the big close bristles on his bead; in color an Ethiopian and, as the poet says, "you would not like to meet him in the dark"; a big belly, a lean posterior, very long in the hip considering his short stature, small legs, fair sized heels and feet; dressed in a robe made of fine linen, but old, foul smelling, and discolored by age; shod with Sicyonian slippers; bold of tongue, a fox by nature, in perjury and falsehood a Ulysses. My lords and august emperors, you always seemed comely to me; but how much more comely now! Always magnificent; how much more magnificent now! Always mighty; how much more mighty now! Always clement; how much more clement now! Always full of virtues; how much fuller now! At his left, not on a line with him, but much lower down, sat the two child emperors, once his masters, now his subjects. He began his speech as follows: "It was our duty and our desire to give you a courteous and magnificent reception. That, however, has been rendered impossible by the impiety of your master, who in the guise of an hostile invader has laid claim to Rome; has robbed Berengar and Adalbert of their kingdom contrary to law and right; has slain some of the Romans by the sword, some by hanging, while others he has either blinded or sent into exile; and furthermore has tried to subdue to himself by massacre and conflagration cities belonging to our empire. His wicked attempts have proved unsuccessful, and so he has sent you, the instigator and furtherer of this villainy, under pretence of peace to act comme un espion, that is, as a spy upon us."

Edited April 7, 2023 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[Severus Alexander]

Nic II’s are among my favourite portraits in Byzantine copper, that’s a great one!  I got a similar coin from Naumann a few years ago:

(This is SB 1782. Note that yours is 1783, with the cross and trefoil ornament on the globus. @quant.geek shows both.

Are you sure the “Heraclius” isn’t a Maurice, SB 494? Like these (not my coins):

The bearded look on yours could easily be explained by a little roughness and sketchy strike, plus I don’t see a cross in evidence above, looks more like a helmet crest. Without some definitive legend I wouldn’t be confident of the ID… and the Maurice is more common. 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Thanks for the correction on the Nicephorus.

Hmm, that'd be slightly disappointing if my Heraclius is really a S 494.

I was able to find a Heraclius officina B from Year 3 on vcoins.  The brow isn't the same as mine.

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/london_ancient_coins/89/product/heraclius_610641__40_nummi__constantinople_year_3/1358114/Default.aspx

I'll make a note on my excel list about the Maurice/Heraclius.    Hmm, Early Byzantine Copper Coins does show Heraclius Year 3, officina gamma (Doc 71b (not sure what sear # taht corresponds to) which has a straight brow like mine.

 

However, looking at mine the shoulder design seems a bit more like the Maurice.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Nerosmyfavorite68

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

These two year 3 Heraclius coins from EBCC are pretty similar to mine; the straight brow and mouth.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I've added a comment to my excel list that the Heraclius attribution is subject to correction.

[Pellinore]

On 4/7/2023 at 6:08 PM, Ancient Coin Hunter said:

Here I quote the chronicle of bishop Liutprand of Cremona, who visited Nicephorus as an emissary on behalf of the emperor Otto:

"On the seventh of June, the sacred day of Pentecost, I was brought before Nicephorus himself in the palace called Stephana, that is, the Crown Palace. He is a monstrosity of a man, a dwarf, fat-headed and with tiny mole's eyes; disfigured by a short, broad, thick beard (...)"

Hmmm, this bishop was not very complimentary! But at least Nicephorus possessed 'fair size heels and feet'. 

As far as I know, Nicephorus Phocas was a capable general, a savior from Bulgars and Saracens, but he fell victim to the decadent infighting inherent in Byzantine politics: his empress wanted a younger man, so he was poisoned.

Here's my only coin of Nicephorus II Phocas, a bronze coin of pinkish metal, I think I have seen that peculiar color before. It's partly weakly struck, but I like the portrait. 24 mm, 5.64 gr. Sear 1782-1783. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Pellinore
I forgot the technical details

[Zimm]

@Nerosmyfavorite68 Those are wonderful examples.

I personally think that your follis is one of Heraclius, not Maurice. It's common to see auction houses mistake coins of Heraclius for those of Maurice, but one of the clearest signs that a follis is of Heraclius is the bearded portrait (should the legends not be legible that is), which the portrait on your coin is. Additionally, the style is indicative of Heraclius' folles instead of those of Maurice.

Here's my example of a Constantinopolitan follis of Heraclius. I don't have any better pictures at hand, so these will have to suffice: (And I'd like to add that I'm awful at taking pictures, so the coin looks far better in hand than in the pictures below 😂)

And for comparison here's a follis of Maurice I own. As you can see, the bust is completely beardless

Edited April 9, 2023 by Zimm

[Severus Alexander]

After having looked into the Heraclius/Maurice distinction further, I've come to the conclusion that without a clear name, or a clear beard, or a die match, it's very hard to be certain whether a particular example is Maurice or Heraclius. There's just too much variability in other aspects (headgear, brow, etc.). (The EBCC photos are very helpful in this regard.)  I'm about 85% sure the OP is Heraclius, based on the apparent beard. But is that a beard on the die? or roughness? or an artefact of striking? Maybe you can be 99-100% sure with the coin in hand, but I can't be based on the photo.

On 4/7/2023 at 6:01 PM, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I was able to find a Heraclius officina B from Year 3 on vcoins.  The brow isn't the same as mine.

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/london_ancient_coins/89/product/heraclius_610641__40_nummi__constantinople_year_3/1358114/Default.aspx

Same problem here. A maybe-beard, no helpful bits of legend, trefoil crown (less common on Heraclius). Doesn't look like year 3 either. I couldn't be sure which emperor this is.

Here's my SB 804. Clear-ish beard, clear legend, die match to EBCC 17.20. No doubt on this one! (20 euros at auction, including fees... a lot cheaper than that uncertain VCoins example!) I like that it's an overstrike on a Nicomedia coin, too.

I think it makes sense to steer clear of coins where there's some doubt, given that it's not that difficult to find a clear example.