An emperor's signature and his coins

[voulgaroktonou]

The other day, while thumbing through a book in our library (Manuel II Palaiologos (1350-1425): a Byzantine emperor in a time of tumult, by Siren Çelik, Cambridge University Press, 2021), I found an illustration of an autograph of the emperor himself, from a contemporary chrysobull, or imperial decree ratifying the ownership of lands belonging to the Pantokrator Monastery in Eastern Macedonia. As I have already seen an autograph of Constantine XI, this has given me a purpose to follow up when I retire, (αν θελει ο Θεος!) to collect autographs of Roman emperors attached to documents in eastern monasteries. Because it might be problematical to visit monasteries with scissors in hand, I will probably restrict myself to photographs of said documents.

The wording follows closely the inscriptions found on his stavrata: 

+Μανουήλ  εν Χριστώ τω Θεώ πιστός βασιλεύς / και αυτοκράτωρ [των] Ρωμαίων ο Παλαιολόγος

Manuel, in Christ, God, faithful emperor and autocrat of the Romans, the Palaiologos.

 

Below, some of my stavrata and halves of Manuel.

Stavrata. From left to right, upper row and lower row:

Constantinople, 1391-1395. Stavraton. 7.94 gr. 25.3 mm. 5 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Beneath, sigla ε/φ  -  (/π. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: + MA[NOVHΛ ЄN X AV]TOKPATOP O Π / AΛЄOΛOΓOC ΘV XAPITI BACIΛЄ in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right.

Sear 2548; DO 1308-9; LPC 160,1 var. PCPC 332, 1.

 

Constantinople, 1403 -1425. Stavraton. 6.95 gr. 25 mm. 6 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Beneath, sigla M – M. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: [+ MANOVHΛ ΔЄC]ΠOTIC O ΠAΛЄOΛOΓO[C] / ΘV XA[P]ITI BACIΛЄVC TON ΡωΜ in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right.

 Sear 2549; DO 1398-1400; LPC 160,1; PCPC 332; Ashmolean 1905-6.

 

Constantinople, 1394 -1425. Stavraton. 7.41 gr. 25.8 mm. 12 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Beneath, sigla B. – B. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: [+ MANO]VHΛ ΔЄCΠOTHC O ΠAΛЄOΛOΓ / ΘV XAPITH BACIΛЄV TON ΡωΜ in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right.

Sear 2549; DO -; LPC 160,1; PCPC 332, 3; cf. Ashmolean 913 = PCPC 332.3

 

Stavrata. From left to right:

Constantinople, 1403 -1425. Stavraton. 6.79 gr. 25.6 mm. 6 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Sigla: above and below IC, pellet / K; above and below XC, pellet / M. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: [+ MANOVH]Λ ΔЄCΠOTHC [O] ΠAΛЄ [O] / ΘV XAPHTH BACIΛЄVC TON ΡVΜЄON ιn two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right.

Sear 2549; DO 1397; PCPC 332

 

Constantinople, ca. 1420 - 1425. Stavraton. 7.04 gr. 24.9 mm. 6 hr.

Obv: IC – X. Sigla: beneath IC, ΓΚ ligature, 2 pellets above; beneath X, lis, pellet above. Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: + MAN[OVH]Λ ΔЄCΠOTHC O ΠAΛЄ[OΛΟΓΟC] / [+]ΘV APHTH BACIΛЄV[C] TON ΡOΜЄ[ON] in two circles around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla, pellet to left and right.

S2549 (this coin); DO 1406; LPC 160,1; PCPC 332, 6; Ashmolean 910-11

 

Half Stavrata.

Constantinople, 1391-95. Half Stavraton. 3.43 gr. 20.5 mm. 7 hr.

Obv: Anepigraphic. St. Demetrius, nimbate, riding horse right. [Above, manus Dei]

Rev: +MANHΛ ЄN X[ω ΤΟ Θω ΠΙCΤ BACI]ΛЄVC in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel, holding in right hand a scepter cruciger. To right, Palaiologan monogram.

Sear 2550; DO 1312; LPC 162, 3; PCPC (333). LHS Numismatik 97 (Despot Collection), lot 353. Ex Collection Nadia Kapamadji. The rare half stavrata with a mounted St. Demetrius on the obverse continue the type used by John V and belong to the earliest issues of Manuel’s reign, his Class I. Specimens of this class are often found pierced and worn. On the subsequent issues, the mounted Saint is replaced by a portrait of Christ.

 

Constantinople, 1391-1423. Half Stavraton. 3.70 gr. 19.9 mm. 6 hr.

Obv: IC – X. Sigla: C – φ.  Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev:  + BACIΛЄVC MANOVHΛ [O] ΠAΛЄO in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla φ C.

Sear 2551 var; DO 1453-55; PCPC 334, 26 var.; Ashmolean 952 and 958. This is a scarce variant of the usual reverse inscription, putting the title βασιλεύς before Manuel’s name.

 

Constantinople, 1394-95, 1399. Half Stavraton. 3.62 gr. 20.6 mm. 7 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Sigla: 2 pellets.  Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: + MANOVHΛ BACIΛЄVC O ΠAΛЄOΛΟΓΟC in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla: 2 crosses, pellet above each.

Sear 2551; DO 1325-27; PCPC 334, 25; LPC 160,2; Ashmolean 950-1.

 

Half Stavrata, public mint. From left to right:

 

Constantinople, 1403-1425 (public mint). Half Stavraton. 3.67 gr. 20.5 mm. 7 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Siglum: in left field, 2 pellets above “check mark” device.  Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: + MANOVHΛ XO TO ΘΟ ΠΙCΤΟC BA in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla: 2 pellets. This and the following coin differ from the 2 previous ones in their reverse inscriptions, which recall the titulature of the emperor’s signature on the chrysobull discussed above. The legend of this specimen reads: +Μανουήλ  [εν] Χ[ριστ]ώ τω Θ[ε]ώ πιστός βα[σιλεύς]. In DOC V, 2, pp. 217-220, Grierson discusses the series, noting the hypothesis favored by Bendall and Morrisson of 2 separate mints in Constantinople, one supplying the needs of the government, with the coins bearing the Pistos legend being the products of a public mint serving the needs of merchants. Sear 2552; DO 1472-79; LPC 160, 2; PCPC 345

 

Constantinople, 1403-1425. (public mint). Half Stavraton. 3.63 gr. 19.3 mm. 8 hr.

Obv: IC – XC. Sigla: nil.  Nimbate bust of Christ facing, right hand raised, left holds Gospels.

Rev: [+ MANOVH]Λ ЄN Xω TΘ Θω ΠΙCΤΟC B in a single circle around nimbate and crowned facing bust of Manuel. Sigla: Δ - star, pellet above each.  Sear 2552; DO 1519-20; LPC 160, 2; PCPC 345

 

[ela126]

My goodness. Amazing… the overall quality on the halves seem to be consistently very high, sometimes barring on “too good to be Byzantine”.

Hopefully with what seems like the largest assembly of Manuel pieces here, there may be one less bidder for the offering at Leu on Monday.

That being said, I expect your focus is on a specific Anastasius piece.

[voulgaroktonou]

On 12/5/2024 at 10:38 PM, ela126 said:

My goodness. Amazing… the overall quality on the halves seem to be consistently very high, sometimes barring on “too good to be Byzantine”.

Hopefully with what seems like the largest assembly of Manuel pieces here, there may be one less bidder for the offering at Leu on Monday.

That being said, I expect your focus is on a specific Anastasius piece.

I was watching that one, but was not comfortable where the bidding was headed. I will remain content with my 2 of the three denominations for the type!😀

[ela126]

11 minutes ago, voulgaroktonou said:

I was watching that one, but was not comfortable where the bidding was headed. I will remain content with my 2 of the three denominations for the type!😀

i watched it live.. that grew considerably in the last 5 minutes...

Your two pieces are very attractive by comparison, i agree with you

[voulgaroktonou]

6 hours ago, ela126 said:

i watched it live.. that grew considerably in the last 5 minutes...

Your two pieces are very attractive by comparison, i agree with you

I must be maturing. Years ago when I failed to get a coin I really wanted, I would enter a funk lasting for weeks. Now the disappointment disperses like smoke in a breeze... 😄