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History's Hinge - 'Ain Jalut

[ole.Grubstake]

Hi Guys-What can someone tell me about this old copper coin?? I have no idea about it except I believe it is Spanish. I would really appreciate the info. You guys haven't failed me yet.
Ole grubstake

[Jesus of Lubeck]

Your copper coin holds the strong possibility of being a Byzantine follis, the main Byzantine copper piece in circulation during the reign of Basil II (Macedonian Dynasty, 976-1025 CE) who was a very successful emperor (co-reigning with his less well-known brother Constantine the VIII.  The follis in your post is thought to have been struck by Basil II and was set at a value of 288 follis to a full weight hestaminon (the hestaminon was equal to about 327.45g in late 10th century CE Byzantine gold).

Numismatists classify this copper or bronze coin as an Anonymous Follis of Christ, who incidentally appears on the obverse of the coin. In fine specimens, the Christ figure is flanked on the left by the Latin letters IC and on the left by the Latin letters XC and holds a gospel.  In fine specimens, the reverse inscription reads Ihsus / Xristus / Basileu / Basile.  While the inscription is in the Latin alphabet, the lexemes are Greek and translate: Jesus / Christ / King/ of Kings (inflected).

The follis continued into later reigns and the reverse inscriptions tended to become more abbreviated than that of the Basil II form. A specialist might assign this coin to a different reign, but I should be in the ball park.

It is worth remarking that the latinized Greek inscription continues on in several successive reigns of Byzantine emperors.  Not being a professional Byzantinist, is there anyone in the community that can take the time to explain the need to latinize Byzantine copper coins? 

Fair Winds and Following Seas

David (Lubby)

[Solomon]

Marvellous work, David.

Never having seen such a coin before, I had wondered if it was a coin at all, but a medallion. Though I realised it was perhaps Byzantine, I hesitated to say so. The lettering confused me.

With your identification, I found these web references, which others may be interested in following:

Basil II, 10 January 976 - 15 December 1025 A.D

Byzantine Coinage, c.950 to 1204AD

Byzantine coins

   
Class A2 anonymous follis. +EMMANOVHA IX-XC, Nimbate bust of Christ holding book of gospels / +IhSUS / XRISTUS / bASILEU / bASILE in four lines, adornments above & below.

The reign of Basil II (Macedonian Dynasty, 976-1025 CE) coincides with the original Cyrillic alphabet as a writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire in the tenth century to write the Old Church Slavonic liturgical language.

Solomon

[Jesus of Lubeck]

Hello Solomon,

Yes, very good points and thank you very much for the links you provided.  As I know you are aware, the Balkan peninsula?s ethnographic composition was radically altered during the course of the early medieval period.  Several of the Byzantine dynasties after the VI century were hard-pressed in their attempts to Christo-Hellenize the Salvs and bring them within the orbit of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.  During the co-reign of Basil II and Constantine VIII, the dispute between the Bishop of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople was developing toward the Great Schism (1054).

Now the Glagolitic alphabet, which evolved out of the alphabet transmitted to the Slavs by Saints Cyril and Methodius, bears a very strong relationship to the Byzantine Greek alphabet (as well as Old Church Slavonic).  Given the theological and political stresses at work in the 10th and 11th century Balkans between the Papacy and the Byzantine Caesaropapism (so to speak), why would the Byzantine government strike coinage in the Greek language using Latinesque fonts?  It is something of a puzzle. Looking at the link you thoughtfully provided to the on-line Glagolitic alphabet, there are many letters in the follis inscription that diverge from the Greek, the Old Church Slavonic, and the Glagolitic.  Although it may be made only of copper, Grubby?s coin remains a very interesting artifact for a variety of reasons.

Thank you for the information on the spoon, clearly I totally misjudged the true size of the object.

Fair Winds Following Seas,

David Pelfrey

 

[ole.Grubstake]

Thank you guys so much. As usual the help was accurate and swift. It is such a pleasure having such knowledgable members.
Grubby