The crosses have it - an anonymous follis of Basil II and Constantine VIII

[robinjojo]

I'm not sure about the scarcity of this variety of what is otherwise a pretty common coin, but this example has crosses in the nimbus and on the book on the obverse, and a very small cross at the bottom and top of the reverse.  This follis does have rough, encrusted surfaces, and there are few cleaning marks, but the crosses are quite clear on the obverse and somewhat clear on the reverse, with the help of magnification.

I'm not sure if this coin is a class A2 or A3 follis. It's weight puts it at the low end of the A2 class and at the higher end of class A3.

This coin was one of my very recent "budget" purchases at $46.

Byzantine Empire, AE follis, Basil II and Constantine VIII, Class A2, 976-1025.

SB 1813

31mm; 12.65 grams

 

Edited November 6, 2024 by robinjojo

[Bannerknight]

1 hour ago, robinjojo said:

I'm not sure about the scarcity of this variety of what is otherwise a pretty common coin, but this example has crosses in the nimbus and on the book on the obverse, and a very small cross at the bottom and top of the reverse.  This follis does have rough, encrusted surfaces, and there are few cleaning marks, but the crosses are quite clear on the obverse and somewhat clear on the reverse, with the help of magnification.

I'm not sure if this coin is a class A2 or A3 follis. It's weight puts it at the low end of the A2 class and at the higher end of class A3.

This coin was one of my very recent "budget" purchases at $46.

Byzantine Empire, AE follis, Basil II and Constantine VIII, Class A2, 976-1025.

SB 1813

31mm; 12.65 grams

I see the Wildwinds database has a similar coin, which is described as a rare variety.

Basil II and Constantine VIII Class A2 anonymous follis. AD 976-1028. Constantinople mint. 
+EMMANOVHA IC-XC, Christ, nimbate bust facing, with a cross 
in each limb of the nimbus cross, holding book of gospels 
decorated with a cross. 
IhSUS XRISTUS bASILEU bASILE legend in four lines, cross above and below. 

Sear SB 1813 var; DOC 14.22 var. 
Rare variety with crosses on the bible, the sections of the nimbus and on the reverse. 

With permission of TimeLine Auctions 
(www.timelineauctions.com), July 2018

[robinjojo]

Thanks!

I found another example, a sold coin in a very nice grade at VCoins:

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/herakles_numismatics/71/product/byzantine_empire_anonymous_follis_attributed_to_basil_ii__constantine_viii_class_a2_rare_with_cross_on_book_of_gospels/1775608/Default.aspx

[ela126]

Nice piece. I know nothing of rarity but it’s one of the recognized types on the table. I know DOC recognizes 51 types, which I think this table is generated from.

yours is a type 32 I believe.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Anonymous Byzantine Class A Folles

[robinjojo]

2 minutes ago, ela126 said:

Nice piece. I know nothing of rarity but it’s one of the recognized types on the table. I know DOC recognizes 51 types, which I think this table is generated from.

yours is a type 32 I believe.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Anonymous Byzantine Class A Folles

Thanks!  Yes, I noticed that type number when I was doing my initial research.  That link is my main go-to for anonymous folles.  Interestingly Metcalf refers to type 32 as an A3 class follis, which I guess could be true, since I am not very familiar with the nuances to distinguish A2 and A3 class folles, aside from weight range.  Both classes have numerous varieties/combinations of ornamentation.

[catadc]

The type with cross everywhere is not rare for a class A. I believe it brings a small premium because people like the Jesus+cross combination more than the Jesus+random ornaments.

How is the surface of the coin? Particularly the obverse, 2 o’clock on the nimbus, right cheek, mid-left part of the book. Patina chip, “black dust” or just cleaned areas?

My coin of that type, 10.5g:

 

[robinjojo]

14 hours ago, catadc said:

The type with cross everywhere is not rare for a class A. I believe it brings a small premium because people like the Jesus+cross combination more than the Jesus+random ornaments.

How is the surface of the coin? Particularly the obverse, 2 o’clock on the nimbus, right cheek, mid-left part of the book. Patina chip, “black dust” or just cleaned areas?

My coin of that type, 10.5g:

 

 

Thanks for the information, and that's a wonderful example by the way.

I guess the quality of my photos is not very good, photographing dark bronzes with rough surfaces has always been a challenge for me.

I don't see any evidence of a patina chip, but the surfaces are a bit rough (earthen encrusted but not corroded), and there are some cleaning marks which are especially evident to the lower left of the obverse, near the shoulder of of Christ .  That dark patch on the left side of the book is where some of the earthen patina was removed, exposing the dark brown surface below.  The same applies for that dark spot on the nimbus at 2 o'clock.  Someone got a little carried away cleaning this coin, but fortunately most of the patina is still intact.  

The overall strike for my example is decent but not as bold and clean as your coin.  The die work is different as well, generally crude, with smaller crosses and a lower relief portrait for my coin.  

I really wasn't expecting a great rarity, or even a scarce coin, especially for an A2 type follis, but the presence of these crosses was a pleasant surprise.  The photo of the coin from the seller was a little hazy and the ornamentation was none too clear. 

I agree that the coin is an A2, despite Metcalf calling this variety, type 32 an A3 follis.  So, I will add this documentation to the coin's label.

Thanks again.

Edited November 8, 2024 by robinjojo