The epic Byzantine portrait thread

[Pellinore]

Not that I want to protect the emperor Phokas for vile invectives, but the 11th century Byzantinian chronicler was not supposed to be a neutral commentator. Historians before 1800 (and many after that period, too), were paid by persons with a Point Of View (POV) that had to be satisfied. The Historia Augusta, but also Tacitus and Sallustius had an interest in portraying their employer's opponents as negatively as possible and their patron as a faultless, almost heavenly administrator.

However, Phokas apparently had a fatal influence on Byzantine politics. Nevertheless, I have been collecting his coins much more than those of other emperors.

Here's two decanummia, one with Phokas and Leontia, one with the famous triangular portrait. 

But this is a tremissis from Constantinopel.

And an emaciated 40 nummi coin on a large flan: 3530. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610). AE follis (40 nummi), Constantinopel, 606. Obv.: D N FOCAS. Facing bust of Phokas, wearing consular robes, holding mappa & cross. Rev.: large XXXX, ANNO above, V to right, exergue CONΓ. 35 mm, 12.02 gr. 

 

 

 

[Pellinore]

Caricaturous angry Phokas: 

3517. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610). AE half follis (20 nummi), Cyzicus (off.A.), year II. Obv. Crowned frontal head. Rev. XX/ ANNO/ II/ KYZA DOC 79. 24 mm, 6.25 gr. Sear 670.

And two pentas with minimal portraits, but portraits they are (although you probably wouldn't recognize this emperor if you only knew his coins): 

3526. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610) pentanummium. Cyzicus. Obv: [d]N FOCA[...] diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Large Ч. 16 mm, 1.9 gr. DOC 40; MIBE 82; Sear 647. 

3527. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610) pentanummium. Cyzicus. Obv: FOCAC.  Head right. Rev: Large Ч. 14 mm, 1.45 gr. Sear 647. 

 

[ewomack]

Phocas (602-610), Æ Follis (33mm, 11.79g), Cyzicus, Dated RY 4 ? (605/6); Obv: δN POCAS+PERPAVG, Crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes and holding mappa and cross, small cross to left; Rev: Large XXXX, ANNO above, II/II (date) to right, KYZA, Sear 665

[robinjojo]

 

Phocas, follis, Cyzicus, RY 1 (603/4 AD). 

Sear 664

12.5 grams

 

Phocas, follis, Nicomedia, RY 5 (606/7 AD).  Apparently struck over a follis of Maurice Tiberius.

Sear 659

10.74 grams

 

Phocas, follis, Antioch, year 9 (609/10 AD)

Sear 672; MIB 84a

9.9 grams

 

 

[catadc]

The 30 nummi of Phocas are rare. Last year, exceptionally, at least three from CONB, year G, were on auction and I managed to get one:

 

@Valentinian Do you still have the CONEpsilon, year G? If you ever decide to part ways with it, I am interested.

And one from Cyzicus. Portrait is decent. KYZA year GII is the most common i saw from this mint.

[Al Kowsky]

I often browse recent auction records to get an idea what certain coins are selling for. Coins that sell for ridiculously high prices are a common occurrence today, & the coin posted below is a good example. This coin was auctioned by Heritage on April 2, 2023 for $1,920.00 😮! At least two bidders lost sight of reality while bidding on this coin that has several problems 🤪.

[Broucheion]

Hi All,

Sorry,  but there really is no good portrait from Alexandria for Phocas for this portrait thread.

PHOCAS (23 Nov 602 - 5 Oct 610 CE)
EGYPT, ALEXANDRIA (JERUSLEM ???) Undated: ca 23 Nov 602 - 5 Oct 610 CE
Æ 12 Nummi
Size: 12x13 mm
Weight: 1.97 g
Axis: 06:00
Broucheion Collection B-2017-04-16.001

Obv: Phocas diademed draped and cuirassed bust facing right, beardless. Legend unintelligible and usually only fragmentary. Dotted border.
Rev: Large IB with cross. Exurge legend AΛEΞ is missing. Dotted border not visible.
Ref: Sear Byz-679; DOC-106; MIB I-90; BMC 123-134.

Notes: Contemporary imitation of 6th century dodecanummia. These pieces are often of barbarous style and very crudely minted, and they never bear the name of Phocas in any recognizable form. Some have suggested they might have even have been minted in Jerusalem, but that's not very likely.

From Goodwin (Some Aspects of 7thC Egyptian Byzantine Coinage) : "However, at some time around 600, either during disturbances at the end of Maurice’s reign or at the beginning of the reign of Phocas, the Alexandrian mint appears to have ceased operations and no coins were issued in the name of Phocas (602-610). Wroth seems to have been the first to suggest that this gap could be filled by an extensive series of irregular coins which copy 6th century types. This suggestion was adopted by Philip Grierson for the Dumbarton Oaks catalogue, and since then there has been a tendency in excavation reports for all irregular profile bust dodecanummia to be assigned to the reign of Phocas. [These are] representative of a large number of coins in the name of Justinian, with busts of coarser style and often slightly blundered legends. These are generally of full weight and, I think, should also be regarded as regular coins, which may date to later in the reign or may even be the product of a subsidiary mint.

Excavation evidence is also beginning to suggest a regional element to the Egyptian imitations and in the Antinoöpolis finds published by Castrizio a high proportion of the profile bust dodecanummia appear to be imitations, suggesting that some of them may be of Upper Egyptian manufacture. All the profile bust imitations that I have handled personally appear to be struck rather than cast, but Noeske recently published a wonderfully preserved pottery mould for casting profile bust imitations found at Suhag in Upper Egypt.

In conclusion therefore, whilst some profile bust imitations were almost certainly struck during the reign of Phocas, many of them are probably earlier in date. Caution is therefore necessary in using these imitations to date hoards or excavation finds. Clearly considerably more research is needed in this area."

- Broucheion

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

My featured article on Phocas from Cointalk features my best portrait...

But before sharing the coin I wanted to go into some of the history behind this lesser-known, and often poorly understood ruler who was able to topple the author (or benefactor) behind the Strategikon of Maurice military treatise. Phokas (Latin: Flavius Focas Augustus; Greek: Φωκᾶς, Phokas; c. 547 – 5 October 610) was Byzantine emperor from 602 to 610.

The early life of Phokas is largely unknown and buried in obscurity, but he rose to prominence in 602, as a leader in a revolt against Emperor Maurice Tiberius. Maurice had ordered the troops in the Balkans to campaign against the Avars across the Danube during the onset of winter, a very unpopular move. Also, there were deficiencies in their pay. Declaring the standard of revolt, a low ranking military officer named Phokas was raised on a shield and acclaimed emperor by the soldiers. Phokas marched on Constantinople with his army. He captured Constantinople and overthrew Maurice on 23 November 602, and officially declared himself emperor on the same day.

Maurice and his sons Tiberius and Theodosius tried to flee, but were captured and executed.

The Execution of Maurice Tiberius

After assuming the purple, Phokas proclaimed chariot races in honor of his elevation and had his wife Leontia escorted to the city as his new Empress. They had already been married for some time. Phokas, reminiscent of Maximinus Thrax, deeply distrusted the military and political elite of Constantinople, and therefore he installed relatives in high military positions while brutally purging his opponents. Phokas was an incompetent leader, both of the administration and army, and under him the Byzantine Empire was threatened by multiple enemies on every side, with frequent raids in the Balkans from the Avars and Slavs, the Sassanid invasion of the eastern provinces, and the incursion into Italy by the Lombards. Ancient historians were unkind to Phokas’ legacy. Phokas was, and to a certain extent remains, one of the most maligned of all Byzantine emperors. Reasoning that "speaking of suffering is itself suffering," the Byzantine historian George of Pisidia who chronicled Heraclius’ reign thought it better to avoid mentioning Phokas' name whenever possible. On those occasions when he did refer to Phokas, George of Pisidia used such unflattering titles as "the terrestrial leviathan" and "the Gorgon-faced." The Byzantine author Theophlact Simocatta was just as unkind. Among other things Theophlact called Phokas a barbarian half-breed, a Cyclops and a Centaur.

In an interesting parallel with the earlier revolt of the Gordians in Africa during the time of Maximinus, Phokas’ incompetence and brutality led the Exarch of Africa, Heraclius the Elder, to rebel against him. After mustering an army Heraclius the Elder's son, the future emperor Heraclius I advanced on Constantinople, taking the City on the 5th of October in the year 610. Phokas’ feeble support evaporated, and he was executed on the same day as Heraclius himself dealt the fatal blow with his sword before declaring himself emperor. The fate of the Augusta Leontia is unknown. An interesting development of the Phokas’ era was the re-introduction of the beard. Earlier Byzantine emperors had always been clean shaven. From then on rulers including Heraclius mostly were depicted in art and on the coinage wearing a beard with rare exceptions down to the end of the Empire. Phokas’ reign has yielded one remaining piece of architecture - the Column of Phokas in the Roman Forum, which stands 44 feet tall and is the last classical structure to be placed in the Forum during the age of Late Antiquity.

Column of Phokas, adjacent to the Arch of Septimius Severus

The inscription on the statue reads as follows: “To the best, most clement and pious ruler, our lord Phokas the perpetual emperor, crowned by God, the forever august triumphator, did Smaragdus, former praepositus sacri palatii and patricius and Exarch of Italy, devoted to His Clemency for the innumerable benefactions of His Piousness and for the peace acquired for Italy and its freedom preserved, this statue of His Majesty, sparkling from the splendor of gold here on this tallest column for his eternal glory erect and dedicate, on the first day of the month of August, in the eleventh indiction in the fifth year after the consulate of His Piousness.”

He also managed to erect a colossal statue of himself in Constantinople which has not survived to the present day. The bronze coinage of Phokas is fairly plentiful in the lower denominations but often crude in style whereas the solidi evidence better workmanship. In many cases rather than the large M, folles are primarily engraved with four X’s representing 40 nummi as in the example below.

Bibliography:

Crawford, Peter (2013). The War of the Three Gods: Romans, Persians and the Rise of Islam. Pen and Sword

Gregory, Timothy E. (2005) A History of Byzantium, Blackwell Publishing

Grierson, Phillip.(1968). Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and the Whittemore Collection: Vol II, Phocas to Theodosius III 602-717. Dumbarton Oaks

Norwich, John Julius (1997). A Short History of Byzantium, Alfred A. Knopf

Ostrogorsky, George (1969). History of the Byzantine State. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press

Parnell, David Alan (2016). Justinian's Men: Careers and Relationships of Byzantine Army Officers, 518-610. Springer.

Treadgold, Warren T. (1997). A History of the Byzantine State and Society, Stanford University Press

Treadgold, Warren T. (1995). Byzantium and Its Army, 284-1081, Stanford University Press

Whitby, Mary.(1998). “Defender of the Cross: George of Pisidia on the Emperor Heraclius and his deputies,” in The Propaganda of Power: The Role of Panegyric in Late Antiquity, pg. 247-273, Brill

(Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-usurper-phokas.359823/)

Edited June 14, 2023 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[Valentinian]

7 hours ago, catadc said:

@Valentinian Do you still have the CONEpsilon, year G? If you ever decide to part ways with it, I am interested.

Yes, I still have it. Here it is:
 

Phocas, 602-610.
30-28 mm. 8.91 grams.
Sear 641, year 6, CONE, Constantinople.
Officina not in Sear (It has E for year 7, but not for year 6).
Officina not in MIBEC (It also has E for year 7, but not for year 6).
DOC Phocas 34 is year 7 with E. 



 

[Pellinore]

These two solidi were the most important coins from the small but eclectic coin collection of my late father-in-law, that set me up in my second period of collecting when he died (ten years ago). Numismatically I had slept for decades, like in the fairy tale, but now I was in my element again! It also launched me into (eclectically) buying Phokas coins. 

Maybe I should try to remove the little brown spots. 

[mc9]

My only Phocas coin with portrait. I think it is a overstrike. Maybe someone knows more about this ?

This is what i found so far:

δ N FOCA + PERP AV : Crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa in his right hand and cross in his left
Large M in center; above, ANNO; XIIII in right field
Follis,  overstrike    5.33 gr, 24.10X25.65 mm

Thanks.

[Valentinian]

40 minutes ago, mc9 said:

My only Phocas coin with portrait. I think it is a overstrike.

It looks as if it is overstruck by a coin of Heraclius. So, it is a Heraclius overstruck on a Phocas.

There appears to be standing figure with feet at 8:30 on the obverse and head at 5:00, the rightmost of two or three standing figures, common types for Heraclius. The photo is oriented so the obverse of Phocas is up but the reverse of the Heraclius is up. There are some Xs on the reverse from Phocas upward from 7:00 toward 12:00 as the photo is oriented. The M from Heraclius is upright with ANNO above and the date to the right. Likely CON (the N is clear) below. 

It's time to get out a copy of the Dumbarton Oaks catalog and see if you can match up the types. 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by Valentinian

[Simon]

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

Phocas (602-610 AD). AE Follis, CONS

Condition: Very Fine

Weight: 11.30 gr
Diameter: 33 mm

[Jims,Coins]

my best Phocas, I like the penetrating eyes

minted at Constantinople during the reign of Phocus between 23 Nov. 602 – 5 Oct. 610. Obv. FOCAS.PERP.AVG.: Crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes and holding mappa and cross. Rev. Large XXXX; above, A/N/N/O, usually to r., numerals representing regnal year, in ex., CON. BCVS #640.

[Severus Alexander]

For Phocas, I think the mint style competition (in AE, at least) has an indisputable winner, and it's the same as for Maurice: Antioch. There's a beautiful example from @Valentinian above, and a phenomenal one from @voulgaroktonou.  I was really happy to land this one last year, a half follis:

I think these Antioch Phocas portraits are among the best in the entire Byzantine series.

I enjoyed the Constantinople portraits from @Pellinore (also the decanummium?), @Simon, and @Jims,Coins, all extremely nice. Here's my Constantinople, again a half, with (I think) exceptional style for this mint. He looks very sad, like on @Hrefn's lovely solidus:

I find it interesting that the metal is so yellow/brassy on this coin, which seems to be the case for Valentinian's Cyzicus follis too. I typically associate Byzantine AE with copper... does anybody know about the pattern of metal use? Was there any pattern?

My only full follis is a Nicomedia, of which we haven't seen many in the thread... maybe this is even the best one? The style is somewhat similar to Constantinople:

On the other hand, I see several exceptional Cyzicus folles up there, from @Valentinian, @voulgaroktonou, and @ewomack... beauties! And pretty decent style, too. Plus there are the hilarious ones, which I probably like even better. I'd really like to get one in the style of @voulgaroktonou's full follis and @Pellinore's half, the angry cartoonish look.  I have a different funny style:

So silly!  

But the clear winners for terrible portraiture (again, maybe in the whole Byzantine series!) come in the profile portraits from this mint. (At least, I think they're from Cyzicus... they lack a mint mark. Sear gives them all to Constantinople. @Pellinore: I would bet your decent-style example is probably from that mint, whereas your hilarious one is Cyzicus... what do you think?) Here's mine, which I call my "Lowly Worm coin":

It was clearly "bring your kid to work" day at the mint. One of my favourite Byzantine coins!! 😁

I have only one silver Phocas (WOW to @voulgaroktonou's ceremonial miliaresion! 🤩), a half siliqua from the Carthage mint (ex Poncin collection):

I imagine the Heraclii looking at this coin in disgust...

 

[Pellinore]

I should add two other coppers before Phokas comes to his end. 

Phokas (602-610). AE half follis (20 nummi), Constantinopel. DN FOCA PERP, crowned and mantled bust facing, holding mappa and cross. Large XX, star above. Mintmark CON… 22 mm, 5.67 gr. 

A colorless coin with colorful gaze, on another picture it looks like Phocas bought a pair of glasses in the 1970s: 

 

Phokas (602-610). AE follis (40 nummi), Cyzicus, y. 3 = 604/5. Obv.: Facing bust of Phokas, wearing consular robes, holding mappa & cross. ‘Jarenzeventigbril’). Rev.: large XXXX, ANNO above, III to right, exergue KYZ A. 28.5 mm, 10.16 gr. Sear 665. 

[Prieure de Sion]

Phocas... the Commodus of the East 😃

I "like" him, a very interesting ruler to collect. You have beautiful coins of him!

[voulgaroktonou]

10 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

For Phocas, I think the mint style competition (in AE, at least) has an indisputable winner, and it's the same as for Maurice: Antioch. There's a beautiful example from @Valentinian above, and a phenomenal one from @voulgaroktonou.  I was really happy to land this one last year, a half follis:

I think these Antioch Phocas portraits are among the best in the entire Byzantine series.

I enjoyed the Constantinople portraits from @Pellinore (also the decanummium?), @Simon, and @Jims,Coins, all extremely nice. Here's my Constantinople, again a half, with (I think) exceptional style for this mint. He looks very sad, like on @Hrefn's lovely solidus:

I find it interesting that the metal is so yellow/brassy on this coin, which seems to be the case for Valentinian's Cyzicus follis too. I typically associate Byzantine AE with copper... does anybody know about the pattern of metal use? Was there any pattern?

My only full follis is a Nicomedia, of which we haven't seen many in the thread... maybe this is even the best one? The style is somewhat similar to Constantinople:

On the other hand, I see several exceptional Cyzicus folles up there, from @Valentinian, @voulgaroktonou, and @ewomack... beauties! And pretty decent style, too. Plus there are the hilarious ones, which I probably like even better. I'd really like to get one in the style of @voulgaroktonou's full follis and @Pellinore's half, the angry cartoonish look.  I have a different funny style:

So silly!  

But the clear winners for terrible portraiture (again, maybe in the whole Byzantine series!) come in the profile portraits from this mint. (At least, I think they're from Cyzicus... they lack a mint mark. Sear gives them all to Constantinople. @Pellinore: I would bet your decent-style example is probably from that mint, whereas your hilarious one is Cyzicus... what do you think?) Here's mine, which I call my "Lowly Worm coin":

It was clearly "bring your kid to work" day at the mint. One of my favourite Byzantine coins!! 😁

I have only one silver Phocas (WOW to @voulgaroktonou's ceremonial miliaresion! 🤩), a half siliqua from the Carthage mint (ex Poncin collection):

I imagine the Heraclii looking at this coin in disgust...

 

Here are 2 Antiochene halves , @Severus Alexander, the first of which resembles your great example, and the second, that of the follis I shared earlier.

[mc9]

@Valentinian : Thank you for looking it up.

Now i know where to search.

I will take foto's like you discribed and post them.

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by mc9

[Prieure de Sion]

I have found two Phocas in my collection...

 

 

Phocas (Focas)
Solidus of the Byzantin Imperial Period 603/607 AD; Material: Gold; Diameter: 21mm; Weight: 4.44g; Mint: Constantinople; Reference: BC 618, MIB 7, DOC I 5b; Provenance: Ex MDC Monnaies de collection Monaco Collection incl. original Collectors Ticket; Obverse: Crowned and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger and shield decorated with soldier on horseback riding right. The Inscription reads: D N FOCAS PRP AVI for Dominus Noster Focas Perpetuus Augustus (Our Lord Phocas, Eternal Emperor); Reverse: Angel standing facing, holding globus cruciger and long staff terminating in staurogram; mintmark CONOB. Mark 5 for 5th Officina. The Inscription reads: VICTORIA AVG for Victoria Augusti ([Dedicated to] the Victory of the Emperor).

 

 

Phocas (Focas)
Solidus of the Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire Period 603/607 AD; Material: Gold; Diameter: 21.00mm; Weight: 4.50g; Mint: Constantinopolis; Reference: MIB 7, DOC 5j, SB 618; Provenance: Ex Leu Numismatic Winterthur, Switzerland; From the collection of Dr. Max Blaschegg (1930-2021, with collector’s ticket) and that of his father, Dr. Karl Blaschegg (1892-1951); Obverse: Draped and cuirassed bust of Phocas facing, wearing crown and holding globus cruciger in his right hand. The Inscription reads: o N FOCAS PЄRP AVI for Dominus Noster Focas Perpetuus Augustus (Our Lord Phocas, Eternal Emperor); Reverse: Angel standing facing, holding long linear staff surmounted by staurogram in his right hand and globus cruciger in his left. The Inscription reads: VICTORIA AVGG I CONOB for Victoria Vuggi, Constantinople ([Dedicated to] the Victory of the Emperor, City of Constantinople).

 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

It's 12:00 o'clock Pacific time so here we go... On October 5th, 610 the Patriarch of Constantinople crowned Heraclius emperor... He ruled from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the exarch of Africa, led a revolt against the unpopular usurper Phocas. Heraclius's reign was marked by several military campaigns. The year Heraclius came to power, the empire was threatened on multiple frontiers. Heraclius immediately took charge of the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628. The first battles of the campaign ended in defeat for the Byzantines; the Persian army fought their way to the Bosphorus but Constantinople was protected by impenetrable walls and a strong navy, and Heraclius was able to avoid total defeat.

Soon after, he initiated reforms to rebuild and strengthen the military. Heraclius drove the Persians out of Asia Minor and pushed deep into their territory, defeating them decisively in 627 at the Battle of Nineveh. The Persian king Khosrow II was overthrown and executed by his son Kavad II, who soon sued for a peace treaty, agreeing to withdraw from all occupied territory. This way peaceful relations were restored to the two deeply strained empires. Heraclius lost many of his newly regained lands to the Muslim conquests. Emerging from the Arabian Peninsula, the Muslims quickly conquered the Sasanian Empire.

In 634 the Muslims marched into Roman Syria, defeating Heraclius's brother Theodore. Within a short period of time, the Arabs conquered Mesopotamia, Armenia and Egypt. Heraclius entered diplomatic relations with the Croats and Serbs in the Balkans. He tried to repair the schism in the Christian church in regard to the Monophysites, by promoting a compromise doctrine called Monothelitism. The Church of the East (commonly called Nestorian) was also involved in the process.

Eventually this project of unity was rejected by all sides of the dispute. He died in 641, in many ways a broken man because his conquests and victory over the Sassanians were counterbalanced by the emergence of the Muslim threat, which would trouble the empire in future centuries with on-again, off-again warfare. Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine, AE 40 nummi Constantinople mint. 

Edited June 15, 2023 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[mc9]

Here is my only Heraclius Semisses with a good portrait :

δ N ҺЄRACLIЧS P P AVG : Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
VICTORIA AVGЧ I // CONOB : Cross potent set upon globe, text around
Semissis, Constantinople, A.D.610-641, Sear 784

 

[voulgaroktonou]

Revolt of the Heraclii

Follis, Alexandretta, 610/11. 9.66 gr. 31.5 mm. 6 hr. Sear 723; Hahn 16b; DO 17.

Bearded bust of Heraclius (on left) and of his father, the exarch of Africa, Heraclius. The revolt of Heraclius against Phokas lasted from summer 608 to November 610, when the latter was overthrown and executed. The year 14, as indicated by X/IIII, would be anomalous, but it represents the 14th indictional year(610/11). An indiction was a 15-year cycle originally based upon tax revenue.

[Al Kowsky]

I'm posting 3 different solidus types from my collection from the many different types listed in David R. Sear's book BYZANTINE COINS, And Their Values, with the collaboration of Simon Bendall, and Michael Dennis O'Hara, 2nd edition, 1987. 

Constantinople Mint, 5th Officina, struck AD 610-613. Monogram "Rf-N" on reverse right field. Sear 732; Berk 116. From the Mike Gasvoda Collection; Ex Kunker 351, lot 600, September 25, 2021.

Harlan J. Berk identifies the Rf-N monogram as a indiction marking in his book; Roman Gold Coins of the Medieval World, 383-1453 A.D., 1986.

This is a rare coin type, & high grade examples usually fetch well over $1,000 at auction.It was long thought by experts in the field that this coin type was struck at the Jerusalem Mint, however, modern evidence suggests that this coin type was struck by a traveling military mint of Heraclius. Many dealers & auction houses still list this coin erroneously as struck at the Jerusalem Mint 😏.

This is a scarce coin type in unusually fine condition, The center figure is Emperor Heraclius, the figure in the left field is Heraclius Constantine, & the beardless figure in the right field is Heraclonas. 

 

[voulgaroktonou]

Heraclius alone. From left to right, and bottom.

Solidus, Constantinople, 610-13. 4.40 gr. 23 mm. 7 hr. Sear 731; Hahn 5; DO 3b; BNP 3, 6; BM 3, 5-7; T. 3.

Tremissis, 610-13. 1.47 gr. 17 mm. 6 hr. Sear 786; Hahn 73a; T. 30. As was seen with Phokas, the portraits on fractional gold and the silver from North Africa are generally beardless.

Third siliqua, Class I, Carthage, 611. 0.61 gr. 12.4 mm. 7 hr. Sear 869; Hahn 147; DO (231) = T. 41; BNP 1 Beardless facing bust; Victory running left, holding in right hand a wreath, in left, a palm branch. DOC 2:1, p. 348, note 1 indicates that “[t]his is theoretically datable 610-13, but its rarity suggests that it was struck only briefly in 611, when the news of Heraclius’ success at Constantinople would have reached Carthage.”

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by voulgaroktonou
corrected spacing