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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,291 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Picked up another Byzantine from the 10th century, this time its of Leo VI "the Wise". Either the son of emperor Michael III or his successor Basil I, Leo VI was born in 866 at Constantinople, and became co-emperor alongside Basil I. The two had a rough relationship; at one point Basil almost had young Leo blinded. In 886, Basil went to his grave believing Leo had something to do with his fatal hunting accident. Leo succeeded Basil, and the new emperor quickly consolidated his rule and appointed allies to positions close to him, and sought to bring certain groups under control, such as the aristocratic families and the Orthodox Church. He also did not tolerate injustice or corruption of any kind; legend says he sometimes roamed around the capital disguised, and would weed out corrupt guards by attempting to bribe them with money. Leo's wars were a mixed bag. He successfully put the heat on the Arabs on the eastern borders, invaded Armenia, and had the Magyars attack the Bulgarians in the north. But his attempt to take back Cyprus failed, and Constantinople and Thessalonika were attacked by the Rus and Muslim forces respectively. Leo VI died in 912 and was succeeded by his brother Alexander. Leo VI, Byzantine EmpireAE follis Obv: +LEON bASILEVS ROM, crowned, bust facing with short beard, wearing chlamys and holding akakia Rev: +LEON EN QEO BA-SILEVS R-OMEON legend in four lines Mint: Constantinople (struck 886-912) Ref: SB 1729  |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Looks a little clipped, but the details are really nice on this coin. They are usually not as nice.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4778 Posts |
Thanks Ron. When you say clipped do you mean accidently or intentional?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Quite the commotion in this thread! Wow...  Edited by VisigothKing
03/16/2015 2:10 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
151 views and only one reply minus my own... this is pretty disppointing. At least this got a couple more replies on the other coin forum. Thanks again Ron.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
3626 Posts |
Sorry VK, it really is a very nice coin and a nice write up. I don't collect Byzantine, I had to have a cut off point somewhere. This is one of the better coins I have seen of the period. You and TIF have some great coins.
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Pillar of the Community
Italy
1790 Posts |
Odd I missed this. Sorry about that.
Very nice!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Unfortunetly I dont have an issue of this ruler to share. Believe me VK we are cut from the same cloth. Its difficult sometimes to research, analyze and condense all this information for the reader. Its even more difficult to do it again when you have a coin you, me and another guy in the world like. On the other hand you have to look at the total number of views and realize that sometimes we leave them speechless, and don't forget sometime I have to do some prerequisite work to ask a question. This is an exception but most of the time you need a Ph.D, a priest and a prayer to ID the coin you put up, yet the ID can be obtained and its always a surprise. When I read VK threads I try not to look at the title and I go right to the coin, look at the picture, go to the top of the article and read the article then read the title of the thread. Its more satisfying to reveal the coin to myself in this way. I have something but its a bit later.. Bronze Anonymous Follis, Class A1, 24 mm x 21 mm x 7.36 grams John I Tzimisces Constantinople mint, 969 - 976 A.D. Obv. EMMANOVHL, facing head of Christ, two pellets in each cross limb, Pallium and colobium, holding ornamented Gospels with both hands, to left IC, to right XC; Rev. + IhSuS / XRISTuS / bASILEu / bASILE (Jesus Christ Kingof Kings) Ref: SBCV1793  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4973 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
I don't know what to tell you about the low number of replies. Seems most people just like looking at the endless treadmill of American coins with slightly different dates and mint marks entombed in plastic.  I tried doing that type of collecting but it was not for me.  I enjoy these types of write ups and read pretty much everything in the ancient section. I just don't comment much because I know so much less than everyone else. Edited by allranger
03/17/2015 1:04 pm
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,291 |
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Posted 03/16/2015 08:40 am
