Something Attractive!

[Valentinian]

8 hours ago, JeandAcre said:

when did Justinian's AEs transition from the profiles to the facing portraits? 

Year 12 (538/9) is the first year with facing portraits at Constantinople, Nicomedia , and Cyzicus. Year 13 was the first year at Antioch and Carthage. 

[Simon]

Beautiful Large example. Manuel -SBCV-1976  24mm 5.78gm. 

Simple design, simple beauty. 

[Valentinian]

Anonymous folles are mostly very common, but most are worn or very worn, so one in really good shape is special (and, for this thread, "beautiful"). Here is good example of Class I, attributed to Nicephorus III (1078-1081):


Sear 1889. 25 mm. 6.18 grams.
Bust of Christ facing
Latin cross with X at center and large pellets at ends, crescents outwards in upper fields, and floral ornament at the base. 
DOC 3.2, plate LXIII and page 696, 64 examples, 5 photographed. This one is, I think, a tiny bit better than any of those. 

[Simon]

1 hour ago, Valentinian said:

Anonymous folles are mostly very common, but most are worn or very worn, so one in really good shape is special (and, for this thread, "beautiful"). Here is good example of Class I, attributed to Nicephorus III (1078-1081):

You do not see this type this nice, that's a treasure. @Valentinian

[mcwyler]

2 hours ago, Valentinian said:

Anonymous folles are mostly very common, but most are worn or very worn, so one in really good shape is special (and, for this thread, "beautiful"). Here is good example of Class I, attributed to Nicephorus III (1078-1081):


Sear 1889. 25 mm. 6.18 grams.
Bust of Christ facing
Latin cross with X at center and large pellets at ends, crescents outwards in upper fields, and floral ornament at the base. 
DOC 3.2, plate LXIII and page 696, 64 examples, 5 photographed. This one is, I think, a tiny bit better than any of those. 

Nice! But to emphasise your point, this is what we get in the real world.. 

 

£10, so mustn't grumble. 

[JeandAcre]

Yes, @Valentinian, that one isn't just exceptional; subjectively, it's sit-up-in-your-chair remarkable.

...Right, with anonymous folles, when you broach the subject of rarity, it's effectively reducible to a neat transference from the (right, common enough) issues generally, to the condition.  Any of them as pristine as this are, ipso facto, rare.

...With apologies, this is yet another repost of my best example.  (I should get points for having waited this long on this thread! :<} )  The preemptive selling point was how much of the obverse legend was intact.  Basil II, Class 2.

[JeandAcre]

...Well, why not, one more repost.  This is a trachy from Latin Constantinople.  Annoyingly, it imitates a prototype of Manuel II which eludes capture on Wildwinds.  But another example, only better, from CNG, is on Wildwinds, citing Sear 2022 and Dumbarton Oaks IV: 2.  https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/byz/latin_rulers/t.html 

Regardless, the main selling point was the same; the remarkable state of the reverse legend.  Yep, it's Manuel, alright.

[voulgaroktonou]

7 hours ago, Valentinian said:

Anonymous folles are mostly very common, but most are worn or very worn, so one in really good shape is special (and, for this thread, "beautiful"). Here is good example of Class I, attributed to Nicephorus III (1078-1081):


Sear 1889. 25 mm. 6.18 grams.
Bust of Christ facing
Latin cross with X at center and large pellets at ends, crescents outwards in upper fields, and floral ornament at the base. 
DOC 3.2, plate LXIII and page 696, 64 examples, 5 photographed. This one is, I think, a tiny bit better than any of those. 

A beautiful class I @Valentinian! This class is dated by often being overstruck on signed folles of Michael VII. Here’s one of mine showing on the reverse the remnants of the legend of the Michael VII host coin.

 

Sear 1889; DO I. 1-64; BNP 152-90; R. 2493-2496. Ex Hunt Coll. Sotheby's 6/21/91, lot 228 (part). 9.31 gr. 27 mm. 6 hr. Michael’s inscription is visible from around 7-10 hr. on the reverse: [MIX]AHΛ RACIΛ O Δ

[quant.geek]

I have a few of these, some of them is pretty good condition, but here is one of them. Note that there are variations in the legends for this particular type.

Latin Rulers of Constantinople: Anonymous (1204-1261) BI Large Module Trachy, Constantinople (Sear 2022; DOC IV.B2; CLBC 11.2.1)

Obv: IC XC in upper field; Christ, bearded and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion, seated upon throne with back; blesses with right hand in front of chest, and holds Gospels in left hand
Rev: MANOVHA ΔЄCΠOTHC; Full length figure of emperor wearing stemma, divitision and chlamys, holds sword in right hand, point resting on ground, and in left, globus cruciger
Dim: 4.6 g; 32 mm

[ela126]

Just to jump on board the class I Anon train. Here’s one with a little too much photo editing (but really not all that much)

Still not as good as some of the others though, this was a “large snack”.

[quant.geek]

That particular type, as mentioned before, is a tough little guy to get in good condition. Congrats! I'll hold off a bit to post mine due to posting rules for this thread...

[Simon]

8 hours ago, quant.geek said:

That particular type, as mentioned before, is a tough little guy to get in good condition. Congrats! I'll hold off a bit to post mine due to posting rules for this thread...

They are just guidelines Ram, no time limit, I just thought it would be better to limit each post to one coin. Like visiting a museum, you don't just look at a wall of art you visit each piece. 

[quant.geek]

Its a great suggestion, so I am not bothered by it. Slamming a bunch a coins makes you overlook it as I have seen in other forums I have posted. So, without further ado, here is two of similar coins:

 

 

Here is a Bulgarian imitation of the previous coin:

[Edessa]

Alexius III Angelus-Comnenus, AD 1195-1203. BI Aspron Trachy (24x26mm, 2.90g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck AD 1195-1197. Obv: KE RO-HQ[EI]; Nimbate, bearded, facing bust of Christ Emmanuel wearing tunic and kolobion, holds scroll in left hand; IC-XC across fields. Rev: [AΛЄ] ΣIⲰ [ΔЄCΠ] (pellet in circle) [KOMNHNⲰ]; Full-length figure of emperor on left and of a nimbate St. Constantine on right holding between them globus cruicger. Emperor and Saint wear stemma, divitision, collar-piece and jeweled loros of simplified type; both hold labarum-headed scepter; Symbol in field to right. Ref: DOC 3; SB 2013.

[CassiusMarcus]

I like this Byzantine I got from CNG 

 

Constantine VIII nomisma! 
 

I would very much like a Heraclius solidus as well as a Justinian I 

[Orange Julius]

1 hour ago, Edessa said:

Alexius III Angelus-Comnenus, AD 1195-1203. BI Aspron Trachy (24x26mm, 2.90g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck AD 1195-1197. Obv: KE RO-HQ[EI]; Nimbate, bearded, facing bust of Christ Emmanuel wearing tunic and kolobion, holds scroll in left hand; IC-XC across fields. Rev: [AΛЄ] ΣIⲰ [ΔЄCΠ] (pellet in circle) [KOMNHNⲰ]; Full-length figure of emperor on left and of a nimbate St. Constantine on right holding between them globus cruicger. Emperor and Saint wear stemma, divitision, collar-piece and jeweled loros of simplified type; both hold labarum-headed scepter; Symbol in field to right. Ref: DOC 3; SB 2013.

I like the coin but also really like the look of that blue background. Black, gray and white are the usual backgrounds, and often I think colors are distracting… but that blue is really nice! It looks great with bronze hues and I’m sure it would look great with silver as well. I’m going to try it out!

Edited April 18 by Orange Julius

[Edessa]

7 hours ago, Orange Julius said:

I like the coin but also really like the look of that blue background. Black, gray and white are the usual backgrounds, and often I think colors are distracting… but that blue is really nice! It looks great with bronze hues and I’m sure it would look great with silver as well. I’m going to try it out!

I am using Remove.bg. It's very easy to choose from a large background color pallet. Of course, Photoshop does the same thing, but I find that program to be a lot more work. I have tried many different colors but generally find that the same shade of blue that CNG uses works for a wide range of coin types and colors. The CNG version has a textured background that I have not tried to replicate.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

20 hours ago, CassiusMarcus said:

I like this Byzantine I got from CNG 

 

Constantine VIII nomisma! 
 

I would very much like a Heraclius solidus as well as a Justinian I 

Great coin @CassiusMarcus - almost has an ethereal quality. Maybe this was a goal of Byzantine numismatic artistry, to link the temporal world with that beyond - heaven.

Edited April 18 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[Simon]

One of the first coin reform Billion trachea. These are difficult to find.  Not full struck on obv but beautiful reverse. 

Alexius I  SBCV -1919  28mm 3.62g

[rasiel]

Hmmmm.... attractive Byzantine is almost an oxymoron. Ok, what about this one? There's a certain elegant minimalism in the Theophilus era. Looks like a cartoon but can't quite place it. Was it the palace guard in Shrek?

Rasiel

[JeandAcre]

@Simon, Rats, the .jpgs of my billon trachy of Alexius are relentlessly eluding capture.  But on your example, the completeness of the reverse legend is truly exceptional for the denomination, even as early as this.  Loving that. 

Oddly enough, it looks as if I haven't already posted this AR histamenon nomisma.  Best I can do.  ...Well, for some of us, this gets to be beautiful, too.  Sear 1905.

[ela126]

23 hours ago, rasiel said:

Hmmmm.... attractive Byzantine is almost an oxymoron. Ok, what about this one? There's a certain elegant minimalism in the Theophilus era. Looks like a cartoon but can't quite place it. Was it the palace guard in Shrek?

Rasiel

Really like this coin. I’m not a gold collector but I really appreciate this style 

[ela126]

So, I very much dislike the idea of reshowing a recently shared coin (showed this in October or so), but I it is an attractive one. I cleaned this sand patina myself and I felt like I did a good job. happy with the facial expression on the coin, although I wish it were a smile, Anastasius did a wonderful job as emperor and should have more of a smile on there. 

Anastasius 1 - Antioch - SB 47 - 17.83g

[Simon]

 

How about a nice A2.

Edited April 20 by Simon
changed pic background color.

[voulgaroktonou]

Must not let my wife know I’m about to submit a post with the theme “Something Attractive!” to a Byzantine coin forum or she will laugh me out of the house. But I’ve cinched up my loros, gathered up my courage, and here goes! But shreds of self esteem prevent my sharing what I find MOST attractive: the stavrata of John V to the end of the dynasty. So instead, my offering is an aniconic miliaresion of Michael II (820-829).

Leo III (717-741)  introduced this denomination, which fit well into the Iconoclastic movement he promoted. This broad, thin silver coin was unlike any previous issues from the imperial mint. Its fabric and types, rejecting any portraiture, religious or secular, are derived from the Arabic dirhem, which are sometimes found overstruck by miliaresia. Replacing the portrait of the ruler on the obverse are his name and titles, with a cross on steps and inscription on the reverse.

While the first issues of the denomination under Leo III and his immediate successors tend to be clumsy in execution and style, by the 9^th c., the lettering of the inscriptions, in Greek, but with a mixture of Greek and Roman letters, is long, refined, and elegant, as this example illustrates.

Mint is Constantinople. 2.25 gr. 24 mm. 12 hr. Sear 1641; DO 6; BNP 1-3; BM 5; T. 21; R. 1811. Michael is named along with his son Theophilos, now raised to the throne with his father.

Obv: + MIXA / HL S ΘЄOFI / LЄ ЄC ΘЄЧ / ЬASILIS RO / MAIOҺ. Legend in five lines. Triple border of dots.

The Greek is: ΜΙΧΑΗΛ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΟΦΙΛΕ ΕΚ ΘΕΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΣ ΡΟΜΑΙΩΝ. The names are in the vocative case, indicating an acclamation is understood, along the lines of: “Oh, Michael and Theophilos, by grace of God, emperors of the Romans [may you conquer!]

 

Rev: IҺSЧS XRIS - TЧS ҺICA. Cross potent set on three steps. Triple border of dots.

  ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΝΙΚΑ: Jesus Christ conquers.