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Byzantine Gold Coins

Constantine moved the capital of Rome to Byzantium which he renamed Constantinople (Constantine's city) in 324.

Though the official fall of Rome is set at 476 AD, I will use Jovian (364) as the first Byzantine Emperor because his rule re-established Christianity as the official religion of the Empire after a brief return to paganism under his predecessor Julian. From his reign onward through the 15th century Christianity remained the dominant religio-politcal force of the Eastern and Western Empire.

The symbolism of Jovian's solidus pictured above and below provides a wonderful microcosm of religious and political dominance: The emperor-general holding the Standard of Christ while a bound pagan captive cowers at his feet.

Despite the tremendous violent upheaval of this period the Byzantine Emperors managed to maintain a consistent purity to their gold coinage of .95 to .98 fineness - perhaps the greatest tribute to the power of Constantinople.

This changed after the rule of Basil II Bulgarocthonos (killer of Bulgars), 976-1025. From this time onward the coins assumed different shapes in varying degrees of debasement, representing the demise of the Byzantine empire.

click on the coin to see the image enlarged

....................................BYZANTINE GOLD COINS PAGE 2

Jovian, (363-364)
Solidus, Sirmium 363-364, AV (4.41 g.) DN IOVIAN – VS P F P AVG Jovian r. Rev. SECVRITAS – REI PVBLICE Emperor, in military attire, standing facing, head l., holding standard with Christogram and globe; to his l., a bound captive seated l., with phrygian (pagan) cap; in exergue, SIRM palmette. C 16. Depeyrot 24/1. RIC 109. Provenance: CNG. Rare.
EF................................sold

Honorius, 393-423 Solidus 402/406, Ravenna. (4,48 g.) Obv. D N HONORI – VS P F AVG Draped, cuirassed bust to r. with pearl diadem.
Rev. VICTORI – A AVGGG Emperor standing to r., holding standard and Victory on globe, while spurning bound captive with his l. foot. In field R – V. COMOB in exergue. RIC 1287. Cohen 44.
NGC graded: CH XF strk 5/5, surf 4/5
$1250

The Goths, like the Norse, Teutons and Celts, were another tribe of the Indo-Aryan migrations. They were the principle nemesis of the late Romans. Alaric, a Visi (east) Goth sacked Rome in 410. Honorius, the Western Roman Emperor, cleverly enlisted Alaric's aid in attacking a common enemy, the Vandals who had ransacked the Iberian povince. The Visigoths then settled in Western Gaul and Iberia, ruling Iberia for the next several centuries, where they produced an interesting gold coinage. Odoacer, an Ostro (West) Goth deposed the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augusts in 475. By 488 Theodoric (grk: God's gift) the Great had conquered all of Italy. The gold coinage of the ostrogoths is imitative of the Roman coinage of the period.

OSTROGOTHS. Theoderic the Great. AD 493-526. AV Tremissis (1.49 g.). Rome mint. Struck in the name of Anastasius I, circa AD 491-518. draped, and cuirassed bust right / Victory facing, head left, holding wreath and cruciger in outstretched hands; star in right field; CONOB. COI 14/2; cf. MIB I, 10; cf. MEC I, 115.
ex-Golden Horn collection RARE
Bold EF..................................Sold

There is tremendous controversy about what constitutes genuine Visigothic coinage, as these coins have been counterfeited since their inception, through the middle ages and on into modern times. Early forgeries would have been intended to be used as currency, later forgeries were intended to fool collectors. Here below are two wonderful types, both identified by Alois Heiss in 1872 as genuine, and both later called into question by Vico and Cores in 2006.

Visigothic Spain Saint Hermenegild (579-585) AV Tremisis type 3 Ermenegildi, bust right with cross/ Regi * deo * Vita Victory hodling crown. Heiss 87/3, pl2 fig2.
Heremengild was ther first Western European sainted martyr.
Provenance: none, of unverifiable authenticity.

EF....................................POR

VISIGOTHIC SPAIN - ERVIGIO (680-687) AV tremissis - Salamantica mint - I D N M N ERVIG Bust of christ? /Salamantic Ervigio bust King? inside edifice. Ervigio was held hostage by the clergy - perhaps as depicted on this coin. Heiss plate 190, fig 10.
Provenance: none - of unverifiable authenticity.

Nice VF............................POR

The Lombards, another Indo-Aryan Germanic tribe, invaded northern Italy in the 6th century. They quickly adopted Roman names and customs and converted to Catholicism in the 7th Century. By the turn of the millenium they were subsumed by the Franks and Normans. But they produced an interesting gold coinage for about 300 years.

LOMBARDS, Beneventum. Arichis II. As Princeps, 774-787. AV Tremissis (1.20 g). Type 2. D N SVI CTORIL, crowned facing bust, holding globus cruciger / VITIR— PRINIPI, cross potent; A to right,; C ONO B. Oddy 442; CNI XVIII 3; BMC Vandals 11; MEC 1, 1097. Provenance: Jean Elsen. Rare

Good EF..........................sold

Heraclius (575-641) is sometimes called the first Byzantine Emperor as he changed the official language of the Empire from Latin to Greek, and he began the process of hellenization that characterizes much of the Byzantine period. He also battled the new rising force of the Islamic East which had been recently united by the warrior-king Muhhamed.

Heraclius, with Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas. 610-641. AV Solidus (20mm, 4.50 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 8th officina. Struck 632-635. Figures of Heraclonas, Heraclius, and Heraclius Constantine standing facing, all wearing chlamys and holding globus cruciger; cross to upper left / VICTORIA AVςЧ, cross potent set on three steps; monogram to right; H//CONOB. DOC Type 33e; MIB 39; SB 758

NGC Graded MS stk 5/5 surf 4/5
$1500

Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine 613-641 Av solidus (4.44g) Constantinople mint. Facing busts of heraclius and Hercalius Constantine, Cross potente on three steps. Ex James Fox collection. Exceptional quality.

NGC graded: MS**, strike 5/5, surface 4/5
$1450

Tiberius III (Apsimar). 698-705. AV Solidus (4.28 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 4th officina. D τIbЄRI ЧS PЄ AV, crowned cuirassed bust facing, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman spearing a fallen enemy / VICTORIA AVGЧ, cross potent set on three steps; Δ//CONOB. DOC 1d; MIB 1; SB 1360. superb details, very slightly clipped in antiquity, thus the surface grade. Rare, esp in mint state.

NGC Graded: MS strike 5/5, surf 2/5: clipped noted....................$3200

Justinian II. Second reign, 705-711. AV Solidus (4.28 g,). Constantinople mint. d N IhS ChS RЄN RЄGNANτIЧM, bust of Christ Pantokrator; cross behind / [D N IVS] τINIA NЧS MЧLτЧS AN, Justinian, with globus cruciger inscribed PAX, cross DOC 1 var. MIB 1 var. The only image of a SEMITIC CHRIST supposedly from an ancient icon. If Christ was indeed Judaean, he would have looked like this. Provenance CNG (Triton) Rare
SUPERB MINT STATE............SOLD

Anastasius II, Artemius, (713-715 AD) Gold Solidus (4.43 g), Constantinople, struck 713-715 AD. Crowned bust of Anastasius facing, in short beard, wearing chlamys and holding globus cruciger and akakia. Reverse: Cross potent on three steps; officina theta. D.O.C. 2h.1; MIB 2; Ratto 1718-21; SBC 1463; Fr-152. Rare. Minor area of flat strike otherwise brilliant MS.

NGC graded MS stk 4/5 surf 3/5
$4500

Constantine V Copronymus (AD 741-775), with Leo IV (from AD 751). AV solidus (3.89 g). Syracuse, AD 751-775. CONT[ANEON], busts of Constantine V and Leo IV, / [GNO LEON] P A M, bust of Leo III the Isaurian, holding cross potent DO 15. Sear 1565. Provenance Freeman and Sear.Very Rare mint, esp in MS

NGC graded MS, stk 3/5, surf 5/5
$2,300

Nicephorus II (963-9) introduced a new coin called the tetarteronnomisma (tertarteron Gk.='(lacking): a quarter' nomisma: coin), and the solidus became the histamenon nomisma (histamenon Gk.='full weight'). During the reign of Basil II Bulgarokthonos (killer of bulgars) (976-1025) the histamenon became a larger, thinner coin (but keeping its original weight), then in the reign of Constantine IX (1042-55) it becarne scyphate (cup-shaped). Beginning in the earlier reign of Michael IV (1034- 1041) the purity of Byzantine gold coins was gradually adulterated, falling to 26% by the accession of Alexius I in 1081, reflecting the declining fortunes of the Empire following the death of Basil II.

Basil II Bulgarokthonos, with Constantine VIII. 976-1025. AV Histamenon Nomisma (4.36g) Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator (allmighty). facing busts of Basil ii and Constantine viii. Sear 1796. superior for the issue.

NGC Graded CH AU strike 4/5, sur 4/5
sold

Romanus III 1028-1034 Av Histamenon Nomisma (4.39g) Constantinople mint. Christ Pantokrator enthroned facing / Romanus standing facing, wearing short beard and loros, holding globus cruciger, being crowned and blessed by the Theotokos (Virgin Mary);three pellet on bar above mΘ. DOC 1d.11; SB 1819.

NGC graded CH AU strike 5/5, surf 4/5
sold

BYZANTINE GOLD COINS PAGE 2

For info, comments, purchase requests contact: Jeff Kahn at Jkahn21@nyc.rr.com
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