The Beauty Of The Late Byzantine Coins

If they only looked as good as the drawings, I think more people would be inclined to collect them.

, a close family friend of ours is from Bulgaria, it is true that the laws there are insane according to her.

ALEXIUS I , COMNENUS
POST-REFORM COINAGE / 1092 -- 1118 /

2. 3. 7. A
Billon Aspron Trachy Mint of Const.(Philippopolis ?) Struck 1092 -- 1118
Weight 3.80 -- 3.90 g Diameter 25-31 mm Avg diameter 28 mm
Die diameter 21 mm Die axis -- 180 Ëš Rarity 1


References: Hendy, p.87, Pl. 7. ---;
DOC IV, Part II, Pl. VI, B. (31) .
Grierson ---; Sear 1936.

Notes: This type has high silver content, or has substantial silver plating. The top of the labarum always has a pellet in the middle. In most specimens, the labarum and the emperor's head are proportional to the body, but in other specimens the labarum and head are slightly oversized. There is no concrete evidence to support the suggestions in older numismatic literature that this issue is from the Philippopolis mint -- or that there ever was a mint in Philippopolis. The assumption that these were struck in Philippopolis is primarily based on the major stylistic similarity between this type and the rare hyperpyron numisma, originally found near Plovdiv (2. 1. 5), Sear 1935. It is highly probable some of the dies of both denominations were made by a single die-cutter. But surely the specimens of 2. 3. 6. Ð'. circulated widely in all Bulgaria and cannot be localized only near Plovdiv. For the time being, the question for the mint for both A and B variants remains open. The authors suggest these two variants of 2. 3. 6. type to be separated, as based on stylistic and metric features, we determine variant A (with a standard labarum) as a possible issue of the Constantinople mint.

JOHN II, COMNENUS
/ 1118 -- 1143 /

3. 3. 2.
Billon Aspron Trachy. Mint of Constantinople. Struck 1118 -- 1143.
Weight 3.20 -- 5.00 g. Diameter 25-29 mm, average diameter 26 mm.
Die diameter 18 mm Die axis -- 180 Ëš. Rarity 1.


OBVERSE: IC XC in field. Bust of Christ, bearded and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion, blesses with right hand in front of chest, and holds Gospels in left hand.

REVERSE: circular legend +IWÐ"ECПOTT on left, ПФVPOÐ"NHT or var. on right. Bust of emperor, wearing stemma, divitision, collar-piece and loros; holds in right hand scepter cruciger, and in left, globus cruciger.

References: Hendy, p.105, Pl. 10. 9 -- 11, Pl. 11. 1, 2;
DOC IV, Part II, Pl. IX, B. 10;
Grierson 1070; Sear 1944.

Lovely drawings....
Wonder what other countries have it illegal to collect ancient coins....?

Catalogue of the Late Byzantine Coins, vol. 1 (2011)


MANUEL I, COMNENUS
(1143 -- 1180)

4. 3. 1

Billon Aspron Trachy Mint of Constantinople Struck 1143 -- 1147
Weight 2.90 - 4.20 g Diameter 28-31 mm Avg diameter 30 mm
Die diameter 21 mm Die axis -- 180 Ëš Rarity 1


OBVERSE: IC XC in field. Bust of young Christ, beardless and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion, blesses with right hand in front of chest, and holds scroll in left.

REVERSE: circular legend MANOVHL on left, DECP(T) or var. on right. Bust of emperor, beardless, wearing stemma, divitision, and chlamys; holds in right hand labarum-headed scepter, and in left, globus cruciger.

References: Hendy, p.116, Pl. 14. 10 - 13;
DOC IV, Part II, Pl. XIII, B.10.
Grierson 1087; Sear 1962.

Here is one of my coins of  Alexius I over Nicephorus III. 
Anonymous class "k" bust of Christ / 3/4 length of virgin. 6gms 21mm


The drawings make it easier to see the details for these coins especially since some of them can be an overstruck mess.