My latest late Byzantine hyperpyron

[Bannerknight]

Below is my latest acquisition of a late Byzantine coin, an area I have taken increased interest in after having read Eleni Lianta's 2009 book " Late Byzantine Coins 1204-1453 in the Ashmolean museum".

It is a hyperpyron from the reign of Andronikus II and Michael IX, minted between 1310-1325. Weight 3.35 g, Ex Teutoburger Münzauktion 150, lot 5011, 16.09.2022. Sear number 2396. 

This hyperpyron comes in two classes: The Virgin orans within city walls with either four or six towers. The class with four towers being later in the reign.

 

Sear describes the coin as follows:

An interesting sub-discipline of Late Byzantine coins is the study of sigla, which may have functioned as a form of mint marks. On this coin the following signs on the obverse on each side of the Virgin seems to be K * . /N * .

This corresponds to Bendall (1984:189): Sigla on Palaeologan Hyperpyra. Siglo 188, as seen below:

 

All comments to this post are most welcome. The sources say that the last hyperpyra with this reduced gold content (12K/ 50%) were probably produced around 1340/50. Does anyone know of later hyperpyra (after 1325) being around at recent markets?

Edited October 25, 2024 by Bannerknight

[Simon]

Nice details on your newest. I like it when you can see the emperors face. Congratulations.

[ela126]

I’ve learned a few new things here. Thanks for posting and nice coin! 

[Simon]

Here is my example. It has a flan crack but it is still nice. I bought it back in 21 from Leu. 

Andronicus II Palaeologus, with Michael IX, 1282-1328. Hyperpyron (Gold, 23 mm, 4.12 g, 6 h), Constantinopolis, 1294-1320. Bust of Virgin Mary, orans, within city walls furnished with six groups of towers; to her left and right, MP - Θ. Rev. Christ blessing Andronicus II and Michael IX, kneeling to left and right, respectively; in fields, IC - XC above C - K; to left and right, the names of the emperors. SB 2396. Flan crack, otherwise, very fine.

[Bannerknight]

6 hours ago, Simon said:

Here is my example. It has a flan crack but it is still nice. I bought it back in 21 from Leu. 

Andronicus II Palaeologus, with Michael IX, 1282-1328. Hyperpyron (Gold, 23 mm, 4.12 g, 6 h), Constantinopolis, 1294-1320. Bust of Virgin Mary, orans, within city walls furnished with six groups of towers; to her left and right, MP - Θ. Rev. Christ blessing Andronicus II and Michael IX, kneeling to left and right, respectively; in fields, IC - XC above C - K; to left and right, the names of the emperors. SB 2396. Flan crack, otherwise, very fine.

A very nice specimen! Probably earlier than mine, since it belongs to the six tower class.

[Simon]

3 minutes ago, Bannerknight said:

A very nice specimen! Probably earlier than mine, since it belongs to the six tower class.

Thank You, I bought it on a whim back then. I am curious what the C and K are. I do not see in Lianta other examples with these letters. 

[Bannerknight]

14 minutes ago, Simon said:

Thank You, I bought it on a whim back then. I am curious what the C and K are. I do not see in Lianta other examples with these letters. 

Interesting! Bendall in his Sigla notes that symbols or letters very rarely occur on the reverses of this coinage and always take the form of two letters centrally placed on the coin between the figures of Andronicus, Christ and Michael. The only example he notes for C and K is hyperpyra from Thessaloniki. What the letters and symbols stands for is unclear. Letters may indicate mint officials, but Bendall thinks this is unlikely, given the large number of variations. 

 

[theotokevoithi]

Virigin orans or correctly virgin platitera or virgin vlachernae

[theotokevoithi]

a guess without documentation, knowledge on sigla.

Can it be :

KN (KostantiNu polis) / Istanbul

CK (CaloniK(i)) / Thessaloniki

?

[Bannerknight]

3 hours ago, theotokevoithi said:

a guess without documentation, knowledge on sigla.

Can it be :

KN (KostantiNu polis) / Istanbul

CK (CaloniK(i)) / Thessaloniki

?

That is a guess as good as any. I tend to agree that it may be a mint mark, but attributing it to the town name would be a stretch, and I'm not sure about the Greek. In In the time of the solidus, the mint mark of Thessaloniki was often TESOB, or two stars, one at each side of the angel on the reverse. In the fourth Century, the markings below are registered: