Heraclius - the enigmatic Syrian mint

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I just now purchased two.  I don't want to jinx them; I'll go into detail when I get them in-hand.  One matches an EBCC type, the other I wasn't able to find.

The e-book, Early Byzantine Copper Coins, https://www.byzantine-ae.info/   .  Covers them (had to add a period to make the underlining stop).  The Syrian mint mainly has cf. SB 805 busts, albeit with mintmarks of Theup and variations, variations of Nikomedia, etc.

This is the first time that I have seen any in person, although they are probably floating around, as Arab-Byzantine.

I've used EBCC mostly for more obscure types. It seems to be mainly pictures, with little to no description other than weight.  Did I miss something?

@voulgaroktonou  @Simon , any other Byzantine collectors, do you have any information about this obscure mint?

 

 

 

[voulgaroktonou]

3 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I just now purchased two.  I don't want to jinx them; I'll go into detail when I get them in-hand.  One matches an EBCC type, the other I wasn't able to find.

The e-book, Early Byzantine Copper Coins, https://www.byzantine-ae.info/   .  Covers them (had to add a period to make the underlining stop).  The Syrian mint mainly has cf. SB 805 busts, albeit with mintmarks of Theup and variations, variations of Nikomedia, etc.

This is the first time that I have seen any in person, although they are probably floating around, as Arab-Byzantine.

I've used EBCC mostly for more obscure types. It seems to be mainly pictures, with little to no description other than weight.  Did I miss something?

@voulgaroktonou  @Simon , any other Byzantine collectors, do you have any information about this obscure mint?

 

@Nerosmyfavorite68, did you earlier send me a photograph of this? I was going to respond to you, but as usual, too many things intervened and the matter fled my mind. I am sorry. If you'll resend it, I will try harder!

All kindest regards,

Mike

 

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

No, that was something different.  That question was answered.  I hope your Fourth is going well.

I will have more details when I get the coins in hand.

EBCC mentions that the Syrian mint was in operation until 627-8.  I'm wondering if the Syrian mint was Heraclius' military mint for the Persian front?  I doubt that coins from Constantinople were lugged there, over perilous supply lines.

[Marsyas Mike]

Looking forward to seeing what you got @Nerosmyfavorite68  Back in 2018 I posted on CT a countermarked Heraclius from Palestine, which may have some bearing on the Syrian mint issues.  There were no replies to this post, not to sound pitiful 😟.  I do think it is an interesting coin from an interesting time and place.  

Byzantine Wars with Islam in Syria & Palestine - A Heraclius Countermark

In my quest for cheap ancient countermarks, I recently landed a pitted follis of Maurice Tiberius with what looked like a countermark - the seller correctly identified the host coin, but missed the countermark. In hand, I was (I think) able to attribute it, a monogram of Heraclius' name in a circle. It was apparently issued by Heraclius during his Syrian wars with the Muslim Arabs, and was used in Palestine.

The most helpful information was from a "sold" listing on FORVM - I quote from this listing:

"Heraclian countermarks on Byzantine copper coins in seventh-century Syria" by Wolfgang Schulze, Ingrid Schulze and Wolfgang Leimenstoll discusses finds near Caesarea Maritima, where this example was found, and concludes, "During the military conflict between the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim Arabs in Syria in the years 633-36 Byzantine coins were countermarked by the Byzantine military with a Heraclius monogram. Countermarking most probably was exercised predominantly in Palestine I and was carried out to revalue the few circulating copper coins in order to remedy the general supply gap and disastrous shortage of cash."

This is the FORVM coin in the listing - the countermark is beautiful:



https://www.forumancientcoins.com/c...fld=https://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2/

The FORVM example has a much clearer countermark than my example. The host coin on mine, despite some pitting problems, is remarkably intact in terms of identifying characteristics - the oddly under-sized reverse compared to the full-size obverse is interesting. The countermark, unfortunately, is not very clearly struck - my "enhanced" version show why I am attributing the way I am. Any corrections (or disagreements) welcome, as always. I was staring pretty hard to attribute this and I might be seeing things.

Are there any others of these out there? This Palestine countermark seems to be scarcer than the Sicilian issues of Heraclius, but I think these were all issued in abundance.

My example:




Byzantine Empire Æ Follis
Heraclius (c. 633-636 A.D.)
Countermark on Maurice Tiberius (585-586 A.D.)
Constantinople/Palestine Mint
Host coin: [M]AVRIC TIB[ER PP AVG], helmeted & cuirassed bust facing / Large M, ANNO left, cross above, II / II right, Є below; CON in exergue.
SB 494, MIB 65d-67d.
(11.31 grams / 27 mm)
Countermark: HRC cruciform monogram in 9 mm circle.
Schulze HCM type 1b

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-wars-with-islam-in-syria-palestine-a-heraclius-countermark.329326/

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Very interesting!

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

The S 805-esque one is EBCC 20.49: 528.95, year 13 ocNKO mintmark. The other, the S-804-esque one, is something which I can't find in EBCC, but I suspect it's also from the same mysterious Syrian mint, struck during the Persian wars.  It's year 12.

The mint also imitates folles of Justin and Sophia and Phocas and Leontia, respectively.

I'd also like a pseudo-Seleucia (same style, year 8, 'CON'), but I could find none on vcoins.