An interesting 'Latin' trachion/stamenon from the late first half of the 13th century

[seth77]

This was a 3.5EUR buy from last autumn that did not get the attention it deserved.

AE18x16mm 1.19g copper trachy small module minted at Constantinople(?), ca. 1240(?)
Full-length figure of beardless and nimbate saint wearing short military tunic, breastplate and sagion; right hand spear resting over shoulder; left hand holding shield?
[Π/P/φ/P]Γ/...[HH/T]OC; Full-length figure of emperor, wearing stemma, divitision, collar-piece and paneled loros of simplified type; right hand holds trilobate scepter; left hand holds globus cruciger.
Lianta 103-106; CLBC 11.31.1; R. Glanfield Type IV; cf. Malloy 22, Metcalf NC(1973) Peter and Paul #177 pl. 9, 30; Jordanov ("Coins and Coin Usage in Medieval Bulgaria, 1081-1261", Sofia, 1984) Pl. XXVI, 7; cf. Sear 2042/2053

 

Similar, but large module here. Apparently this is a very rare type.

I would have thought that it's a coinage of 1240s Thessalonica Series III (spanning Ioannes and Demetrios of the Komnenodoukai and after) considering the appearance and style -- and also why it came together with an offering of various Thessalonica trachea but also Latin(!). Now seeing the large module, I also see the obvious stylistic similarities with the 'religious types' -- Hendy types P, R, S, T and Metcalf/Grierson type U of 'Constantinople' (or Veroe cf. Metcalf).

This could also continue the discussion about the origin of Thessalonica Series III and a possible connection to 'Latin' ('Venetian') minting also somewhere between Thessalonica and Constantinople ca. +/-1240. And then there's the interesting possible reverse legend [Π/P/φ/P]Γ/...[HH/T]OC or similar -- that can be interpreted as possibly alluding to Baldwin II, who was in fact 'born in the purple' -- the only Latin emperor who could have truthfully claimed that. Metcalf notes though that the 'Peter and Paul hoard' had a large module reading K/OM/NH/NOC on reverse and that the type itself is an imitation in different modules of the original Ioannes III Vatatzes coinage of Magnesia Type K; on the other hand there are differences between the modules as noted by Metcalf (pp. 163-4) and the reverse legend could account as one of these differences.

R. Glanfield assigns it to his 'post-Hendy types' list and notes two other specimens -- one of the Gorny & Mosch Sale 134 Lot 3325 was assigned to Andronikos III. Another one from Nomos Obolos Web Auction 5, Lot 1030.

This is one of the more obscure issues of a series that we have become accustomed to call 'Latin' trachea/stamena, but as with much of the material that comes from the 'Peter and Paul hoard' (Metcalf) it is possible that this is not actually a 'Latin' coinage but rather a local Thracian minted under Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria, possibly at Veroe in central Thracia or further east towards the Black Sea shore, as the 'Latin Empire' was continuously reduced to the environs of Constantinople after Jean de Brienne (1237).

Edited July 29, 2022 by seth77

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Very interesting!

[quant.geek]

@seth77 I didn't notice the original post in the other forum.  That is an outstanding find! I didn't realize there was a smaller version of that particular type.  I will post mine here . I have a very large bag of Latin Empire coins that I need to go through, just don't seem to have the time to do it...

 

Latin Rulers of Constantinople: Anonymous (1204-1261) Æ Trachy, Constantinople (Lianta 103-106; CLBC 11.31.1)

Obv: Full-length figure of beardless and nimbate saint wearing short military tunic, breastplate and sagion; right hand spear resting over shoulder; left hand holding shield; O/Δ/ΓI to left; O/C to right

Rev: Full-length figure of emperor, wearing stemma, divitision, collar-piece and paneled loros of simplified type; right hand holds trilobate scepter; left hand holds globus cruciger

Edited July 30, 2022 by quant.geek

[seth77]

1 hour ago, quant.geek said:

@seth77I have a very large bag of Latin Empire coins that I need to go through, just don't seem to have the time to do it...

Sounds like a great problem to have.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I also have a mystery bag, from when coins where cheaper in the 90's.