Topcat7 Posted November 6, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 6, 2023 (edited) AE25., 7.9gm. I have looked through a lot of Byzantine coins to try to identify this one, without success. Can anyone assist me please? Any help is appreciated. Edited November 6, 2023 by Topcat7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 7, 2023 @Topcat7 The format is not cooperating. Starting over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 7, 2023 (edited) @Topcat7, this is great. I haven't even looked at Wildwinds, but --likely by way of wallowing in the obvious, as far as where you've already checked-- it's looking very late Macedonian or Komnenan, broadly contemporaneous to the anonymous folles. (May we say, circa later 10th -later 11th centuries.) Granted, the apparent module suggests a tetarteron (fractional follis), just as the facing emperor on the reverse summarily rules it out as being anywhere in the subseries of folles. ...But that's the merest guess, especially in reference to later, underweight folles. (It also looks as if the obverse has some overstriking in the left. Especially for Byzantine AEs, some of us Love that sh-t! It's also ubiquitous in the earliest Crusader AEs of Antioch and Edessa, which are heavily influenced by immediate Byzantine precedent.) Beyond that, I have to need the border legend on the obverse, around the facing portrait of Christ. One could only wish that was any more legible. Shout-out to any of you (you know who you are) who are actually fluent in this stuff, at this level. Edited November 7, 2023 by JeandAcre 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celator Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 7, 2023 Constantine X 1059 to 1067 AD AE Follis, Constantinople Obvs: +ЄMMANOVHΛ IC XC, Christ raising hand in benediction. Revs: +KωN T ΔK ЄVΔK AVΓO, Constantine bearded wearing crown and loros with cross and akakia. 29mm, 9.1g Sear 1854 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 7, 2023 (edited) Thanks Loads, @Celator, for summarily nailing this! (I for one might have lost some sleep over it.) (Edit:) needing the full legends. (Re-edit:) That was my elliptical way of saying, Thanks for the full legends! Edited November 7, 2023 by JeandAcre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat7 Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted November 7, 2023 @Celator Massive thanks. @JeandAcre Your input is appreciated as well. How do you know this stuff? (I do not.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Ancient Coin Hunter Posted November 7, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted November 7, 2023 Nice coin. Glad to see the successful attribution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 7, 2023 14 hours ago, Topcat7 said: @JeandAcre Your input is appreciated as well. How do you know this stuff? (I do not.) I think I know what @JeandAcre will reply: there are 3 secrets. 1. Study 2. Practice. 3. Seeing lots and lots of coins Personally, I am not (at all) an expert in Byzantine coins and I wouldn't be able to recognize the coin (and detect the overstrike). But I remember, when I was working for an auction house (for a short while unfortunately), the guy who attributed Byzantine coins knew the Sear references from the top of his head. For the common issues of course, but this was still a performance. I had the same question when I started collecting ancient coins, I had no idea how do some collectors acquired the skills they have. There is no "shortcut". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catadc Posted November 7, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 7, 2023 For byzantines, http://labarum.info/lbr/ is a great support to identify coins. The OP coin is a follis. Go to link above, click advanced search, choose Denomination = follis and start looking from the bottom. That to teach people how to fish... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted November 8, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 8, 2023 (edited) Thanks to you both, @Topcat7 and @ambr0zie. A lot of it is reducible to having liked them since I was, what, 11 or something, and the local coin dealer started carrying a few lower-end ones. After you factor in the sheer good fortune of early exposure, the equivalent of muscle memory takes over. But I have always related to coins in terms of broad family resemblances, and narrowed it down from there (or didn't, as here). You could call it 'collecting on the right side of the brain.' Edited November 8, 2023 by JeandAcre 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat7 Posted November 9, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted November 9, 2023 (edited) On 11/8/2023 at 6:40 AM, catadc said: For byzantines, http://labarum.info/lbr/ is a great support to identify coins. The OP coin is a follis. Go to link above, click advanced search, choose Denomination = follis and start looking from the bottom. That to teach people how to fish... @catadc Thank you. Now I know how to 'fish' I have some others I'm working on. Thank-you, again. Edited November 10, 2023 by Topcat7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentinian Posted November 16, 2023 · Member Share Posted November 16, 2023 If you want to learn more about Byzantine coins, I have a web site with several pages about them: "Introduction to Byzantine Coins" https://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/index.html It even has an example of the OP coin type on the page about reading Byzantine-coin legends: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/legends.html#SB1853 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topcat7 Posted November 18, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted November 18, 2023 On 11/16/2023 at 4:16 PM, Valentinian said: If you want to learn more about Byzantine coins, I have a web site with several pages about them: "Introduction to Byzantine Coins" https://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/index.html It even has an example of the OP coin type on the page about reading Byzantine-coin legends: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/legends.html#SB1853 @Valentinian FANTASTIC! Thank you. Your efforts are appreciated. I have recorded your pages for future reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.