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Less Than Ten Known
Lot # 495 - Constans II (641-668). "Ceremonial" Silver Coinage. AR Half Miliaresion or Siliqua, Constantinople mint, 652-654 AD. Obv. [d N CONSTAN]TINЧS[ PP AV] Constans, crowned and wearing chlamys, standing facing, holding globus cruciger. Rev. Cross potent on three steps; to either side, palm frond. D.O. -; MIB -; Sear -; S. Bendall. "A New Silver Ceremonial Coin of Constans II," NumCirc October 2005, p. 306. AR. 2.32 g. 15.50 mm. RRRR. Of the greatest rarity, unknown before 2005. A choice example, in excellent condition for issue, brilliant and lightly toned. Compact and ragged flan, otherwise Good VF/About EF. By the seventh century the silver miliaresion (miliarense) introduced during the reign of Constantine I had virtually vanished from the scene. Its occasional appearance as a donative led to its being described as a "ceremonial" issue, struck for coronations and other imperial celebrations, although this may not have been the sole occasion for the striking of miliaresia. Even rarer are the fractional issues; only a scattering of surviving types have been found for Phocas and Heraclius, some known only by a unique specimen. This previously unknown half miliaresion of Constans joins that limited population. The obverse type has only one parallel, in the follis of Constans dated Indictional year 11 (652/3 AD), struck at Syracuse (SB 1108), and is probably contemporary with the miliaresion issue (SB 986) with facing bust. It is uncertain if there is a specific event to be tied to these issues, and they may have simply been distributed to worthy members of the imperial court and important guests. Curiously, this standing figure seems to provide the closest design prototype for a unique miliaresion of Justinian II (SB 1257A) and the subsequent standing caliph type introduced by the Umayyad ruler al Malik at the end of the century. It should also be noted that while there is documentary evidence for the denomination "miliaresion" as used for a silver coin, the name given its fractional counterpart, the "siliqua", is a later term of convenience, not found in contemporary texts. (Triton IX, 2006,1634 note).
Appealing Rare Dynastic Issue
Lot # 497 - Constans II, with Constantine IV, Heraclius, and Tiberius. (641-668). AR Half Siliqua, Carthage mint, 662-668 AD. Obv. Crowned, draped, and cuirassed facing busts of Constans II and Constantine IV; cross between. Rev. Crowned, draped, and cuirassed facing busts of Heraclius and Tiberius. D.O. 133; MIB 158; Sear 1052. AR. 0.58 g. 12.00 mm. RR. Very rare and in excellent condition for issue. Prettily toned. Good VF. The Chinese dynastic histories of the Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang mention several embassies made by Fu lin (拂菻), which they equated with Daqin (the Roman Empire). These are recorded as having begun in the year 643 with an embassy sent by the king Boduoli (波多力, Constans II Pogonatos) to Emperor Taizong of Tang, bearing gifts such as red glass and green gemstones. Other contacts are reported taking place in 667, 701, and perhaps 719, sometimes through Central Asian intermediaries. These histories also record that the Arabs (Da shi 大食) sent their commander "Mo-yi" (摩拽伐之), to besiege the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, and forced the Byzantines to pay them tribute. This Arab commander "Mo-yi" was identified by historian Friedrich Hirth as Muawiyah I (r. 661–680), the governor of Syria before becoming the Umayyad caliph. The same books also described Constantinople in some detail as having massive granite walls and a water clock mounted with a golden statue of man. The Byzantine historian Theophylact Simocatta, writing during the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), relayed information about China's geography, its capital city Khubdan, its current ruler Taisson whose name meant "Son of God" (Tianzi), and correctly pointed to its reunification by the Sui Dynasty (581–618) as occurring during the reign of Maurice, noting that China had previously been divided politically along the Yangzi River by two warring nations. (Wikipedia).
Lot # 507 - Leontius (695-698). AV Solidus, Constantinople mint. Obv. D LЄO-N PЄ AV. Bust of Leontius facing, bearded, wearing crown with cross on circlet and lozenge pattern loros, akakia in raised right hand, globus cruciger in left. Rev. VICTORIA-AVϚЧ Δ . Cross potent with base on three steps; CONOB below. D.O. 1; MIB 1; Sear 1330. AV. 4.35 g. 19.50 mm. RR. Very rare. Sharply struck, brilliant with underlying luster and superb. Good EF/EF. Of Isaurian origin, Leontius was a very efficient military leader and served capably under several emperors. Constantine IV appointed him strategos of Anatolikon. Justinian II sent him to campaign against the Arabs in Armenia and Georgia, in 686. Defeating the Arab raiders, Leontius campaigned successfully into Azerbaijan and Albania, gathering loot and gaining a reputation for cruelty. This campaign convinced the Caliph Abd al-Malik to renew his treaty with the Byzantines, originally signed during the reign of Constantine IV, with more favorable terms for the Byzantine Empire. The Caliph agreed to share the income from Armenia, Iberia, and Cyprus and increased the amount of yearly tribute paid to the Byzantines. In 692, after a Byzantine defeat at the battle of Sebastopolis due to the desertion of a large contingent of Slavs, Justinian II, holding Leontius responsible, imprisoned him in Constantinople. In 695, after further setbacks against the Arabs, Justinian II released Leontius and appointed him strategos of Hellas. Leontius, once freed from prison, quickly organized a rebellion against the emperor. With support from the Blue faction and the patriarch Callinicus, Leontius and his followers seized Justinian II and proclaimed Leontius as emperor. Leontius had Justinian's nose and tongue slit and him exiled to Cherson in the Crimea.