"The City Has Fallen!"

[voulgaroktonou]

On Tuesday 29 May 1453 an Ottoman army of ca. 80,000 men, led by Sultan Mehmet II, captured the city of Constantinople after a 53 day siege, ending the Christian Eastern Roman empire. Rather than submit to the Sultan's demand to surrender Constantinople, the emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos chose to die fighting in defense of the city and his faith. Although the 7,000 defenders fought bravely, the city's massive 5th c. AD walls, which had for a millennium proved impregnable to successive sieges, were no match for the Turkish cannon, and the Ottoman army overwhelmed the small defending force of Byzantines and their Italian allies. Once Constantine realized the city was lost, he plunged into the midst of the fighting and he perished along with his City.

 

There have been numerous studies of the fall of Constantinople, but one of the most convenient for English readers is Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453. The quoted sections that follow are from his wonderful book. On Monday the 28th, realizing the end was near, the emperor encouraged his small force by reminding them what they were fighting for. “To his Greek subjects he said that a man should always be ready to die either for his faith or his country or for his family or for his sovereign. Now his people must be prepared to die for all four causes. He spoke of the glories and high traditions of the great Imperial city. He spoke of the perfidy of the infidel Sultan who had provoked the war in order to destroy the True Faith and to put his false prophet into the seat of Christ. He urged them to remember that they were the descendants of the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome and to be worthy of their ancestors. For his part, he said, he was ready to die for his faith, his city, and his people.”

 

That evening the last Christian service was held in the great church of Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia, that for a thousand years had been the heart of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox put aside their bitter doctrinal differences. “Priests who held union with Rome to be a mortal sin now came to the altar to serve their Unionist brothers. The Cardinal was there, and beside him bishops who would never acknowledge his authority; and all the people came to make confession and take communion, not caring whether Orthodox or Catholic administered it. There were Italians and Catalans along with the Greeks. The golden mosaics, studded with the images of Christ and his saints and the emperors and empresses of Byzantium, glimmered in the light of a thousand lamps and candles; and beneath them for the last time the priests in their splendid vestments moved in the solemn rhythm of the Liturgy. At this moment there was union in the Church of Constantinople.”

 

Coins of this last Roman emperor are very rare, but a small hoard of them entered the market in 1991. Attached is a photo of two of them. The obverse depicts the image of Christ, while the emperor's portrait appears on the reverse. They are diminutive, modest silver coins, but their history speaks volumes. The signature of Constantine XI Palaiologos, 1448-1453, the last emperor of the Romans is from a contemporary chrysobull, or imperial decree. The wording follows very closely the inscriptions found on his stavrata and that of his immediate predecessors: + Κωνσταντίνος εν Χριστώ τω Θεώ πιστός βασιλεύς και αυτοκράτωρ των Ρωμαίων ο Παλαιολόγος :+

Constantine, in Christ, God, faithful emperor and autocrat of the Romans, the Palaiologos.

 

My dear friend Fred and I used to imagine that we would one day travel to the City (Constantinople, not Istanbul), mount the surviving walls, replant a cross on Hagia Sophia, and afterward drink the emperor’s health. My friend has now entered the heavenly City, and is, I have no doubt, currently sharing a drink with Constantine himself.

[sand]

@voulgaroktonou Fantastic and extremely rare coins, from the last years of the Byzantine Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire. In other threads, I've seen, that you are the owner of the 2 coins in your post above, from the reign of Constantine XI.

My condolences for your friend Fred.

The final decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire, is a sad story, but also an interesting story. I admire Constantine XI's bravery, and the bravery of the last Byzantine citizens, locked within the massive, ancient walls of Constantinople.

Here's my latest Byzantine coin, 1 of my favorite coins in my collection, from the 2nd to the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI's older brother John VIII. John VIII married 3 times. His 1st wife and 3rd wife both died of plague. John VIII didn't like his 2nd wife, to whom he was married by an arranged marriage, arranged by his father Emperor Manuel II and Pope Martin V. She eventually ran away after 5 years of marriage, soon after John VIII became Emperor, and then John VIII married his 3rd wife the next year. John VIII never had any children. Therefore, after John VIII died in 1448, his younger brother Constantine XI became Emperor in 1449. Constantine XI married 2 times, but had no children according to most historians. However, there are stories that he had children, who survived the fall of Constantinople. Also, Constantine XI had 2 younger brothers, who survived the fall of Constantinople, and they had children.

John VIII AR Stavraton. 1425 AD To 1448 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2563. Diameter 23 mm. Weight 6.76 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Bust Facing Front With Halo. Reverse : Bust Of Emperor Facing Front "IWAN" Greek For "John" In Outer Legend Clockwise Starting At 12 O'Clock.

Edited May 29, 2023 by sand

[ominus1]

..i reckon the fall the Byzantine empire deserves two threads on this day...:)....

[Edessa]

I don't know if this coin proves anything other than I will buy anything that I think is interesting, but here is another example of SB 2563. They must have been working too fast to throw this one in the recycle bin.

John VIII Palaeologus, AD 1425-1448. AR Stavraton (23mm, 6.69g, 12h). Constantinople mint. Obv: Brockage of reverse. Rev: Crowned and nimbate bust of the emperor facing, wearing maniakon; in outer margin, + IWANH[C ΔECΠOTIC O] ΠAΛEOΛOΓOC; in inner margin, + XAPITH BACIΛEVC TON POMEON. Ref: DOC 1647-1648; Bendall 348.9; SB 2563. Good Very Fine, nice surfaces with little wear, reverse brockage error, squarish flan, struck off-center with flan split along edge of die. Ex Stephen Huston Sale 134 (28 Oct 1994). Ex Stephen Album Auction 45 (26 Jan 2023), Lot 103.

[voulgaroktonou]

5 hours ago, sand said:

@voulgaroktonou Fantastic and extremely rare coins, from the last years of the Byzantine Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire. In other threads, I've seen, that you are the owner of the 2 coins in your post above, from the reign of Constantine XI.

My condolences for your friend Fred.

The final decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire, is a sad story, but also an interesting story. I admire Constantine XI's bravery, and the bravery of the last Byzantine citizens, locked within the massive, ancient walls of Constantinople.

Here's my latest Byzantine coin, 1 of my favorite coins in my collection, from the 2nd to the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI's older brother John VIII. John VIII married 3 times. His 1st wife and 3rd wife both died of plague. John VIII didn't like his 2nd wife, to whom he was married by an arranged marriage, arranged by his father Emperor Manuel II and Pope Martin V. She eventually ran away after 5 years of marriage, soon after John VIII became Emperor, and then John VIII married his 3rd wife the next year. John VIII never had any children. Therefore, after John VIII died in 1448, his younger brother Constantine XI became Emperor in 1449. Constantine XI married 2 times, but had no children according to most historians. However, there are stories that he had children, who survived the fall of Constantinople. Also, Constantine XI had 2 younger brothers, who survived the fall of Constantinople, and they had children.

John VIII AR Stavraton. 1425 AD To 1448 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2563. Diameter 23 mm. Weight 6.76 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Bust Facing Front With Halo. Reverse : Bust Of Emperor Facing Front "IWAN" Greek For "John" In Outer Legend Clockwise Starting At 12 O'Clock.

Thank you for your kind words. Yours is a very nice stavraton; much of the legend in both circles is visible, something that is not always found on these crudely struck issues.

[voulgaroktonou]

43 minutes ago, Edessa said:

I don't know if this coin proves anything other than I will buy anything that I think is interesting, but here is another example of SB 2563. They must have been working too fast to throw this one in the recycle bin.

John VIII Palaeologus, AD 1425-1448. AR Stavraton (23mm, 6.69g, 12h). Constantinople mint. Obv: Brockage of reverse. Rev: Crowned and nimbate bust of the emperor facing, wearing maniakon; in outer margin, + IWANH[C ΔECΠOTIC O] ΠAΛEOΛOΓOC; in inner margin, + XAPITH BACIΛEVC TON POMEON. Ref: DOC 1647-1648; Bendall 348.9; SB 2563. Good Very Fine, nice surfaces with little wear, reverse brockage error, squarish flan, struck off-center with flan split along edge of die. Ex Stephen Huston Sale 134 (28 Oct 1994). Ex Stephen Album Auction 45 (26 Jan 2023), Lot 103.

Love this brockage!