10. tiberius ii constantine (578-582). · 10. tiberius ii constantine (578-582). eighty five coins,...

97

10. Tiberius II Constantine (578-582). Eighty five coins, including six found together as part of “hoard A”, 11 as part of “hoard B” and one as part of “hoard C” (see references and general notes).

Constantinople; 40 nummi. MIBEC 23b (578). OmTIbCON STANTPPAVC. Armoured bust facing. M, regnal year (4) to left, officina letter beneath, CON below. 10.1.* Officina B. D. O. (10). 15.95 gms. 150. 433.94.

1

10.2. Officina ñ. D. O. - . 14.03 gms. 200. 1745.12.

2

MIBEC 25 (579-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Consular bust facing. m, regnal year to right, CON followed by officina letter below.

10.3. Regnal year 5 (579). Officina B. D. O. 11b. 17.20 gms. 030. 306.89.

10.4. Regnal year 5 (579). Officina å. D. O. 11d. 17.17 gms. 200. 763.02.

10.5. Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina A. D. O. 13a. 12.47 gms. 180. 1043.06.

98

MIBEC 25 (579-582). 10.6.* Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina à. D. O. 13c. 13.10 gms. 180. 1469.10.

10.7. Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina à. D. O. 13c. 12.76 gms. 030. 1346.07.

10.8. Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina å. D. O. 13d. 12.64 gms. 200. 1746.12.

3

10.9. Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina å. D. O. 13d. 12.40 gms. 000. 1961.13.

10.10. Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina ñ. D. O. 13e. 12.83 gms. 010. 1512.10.


4

99

MIBEC 25 (579-582). 10.12. Regnal year 8 (581/2). Officina ñ. D. O. 14e. 12.84 gms. 000. 1711.12.

5


6



Constantinople; 30 nummi. MIBE 27 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Bust facing, wearing crown with cross and cuirass and paludamentum. XXX, CON followed by officina letter below. 10.16. Officina ñ. D. O. 15f. 13.25 gms. 200. 1749.12.

7

10.17. Officina ñ. D. O. 15f. 11.64 gms. 020. 59.84.

8

100

Constantinople; 20 nummi. MIBEC 29-30 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Armoured bust facing. XX, CON , or CON followed by officina letter, below. 10.18.* MIBEC 29/30. CON or CONñ. 7.94 gms. 180. 1506.10.

10.19. MIBEC 30. Officina A. D. O. 17a. 6.13 gms. 030. 870.03.

10.20. MIBEC 30. Officina B. D. O. 17b. 6.02 gms. 180. 880.03.

10.21. MIBEC 30. Officina ñ. D. O. (17e). 5.29 gms. 200. 1074.06.

9

Constantinople; 10 nummi. MIBEC 31A (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Bust facing, wearing crown with cross and cuirass and paludamentum. X within border. 10.22.* D. O. 20a. 2.81 gms. 150. 445.94.

Constantinople; 5 nummi. MIBEC 33A (578-582). dmTIbCONTAPP. Profile bust right. u within border. 10.23.* D. O. 22. 2.26 gms. 010. 881.03.

101

Thessalonica; 20 nummi. MIBEC 65 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Enthroned figures facing. K, regnal year to right, TñS below. 10.24. Regnal year 5 (579). D. O. 23. 6.22 gms. 180. 1571.11.

10.25. Regnal year 6 (579/80). D. O. 24. 5.59 gms. 180. 848.02.

10.26. Regnal year 6 (579/80). D. O. 24. 5.53 gms. 180. 646.99.

10.27.* Regnal year 7 (580/81). D. O. 25. 6.26 gms. 180. 1596.11.

Thessalonica; 10 nummi. MIBEC N65 (579-582). dmTIbCONSTANTPPAV. Profile bust right. I, regnal year to right, TñS below. 10.28. Regnal year 7 (580/81). D. O. - . 2.28 gms. 180. 993.05.

Nicomedia; 40 nummi. MIBEC 34 (578). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Armoured bust facing. M, regnal year (4) to left, officina letter beneath, NIKO below. 10.29. Officina B. D. O. - . 14.39 gms. 190. 1106.06.

10

10.30. Officina B. D. O. - . 13.22 gms. 190. 359t.90.

102

MIBEC 35 (579-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Consular bust facing. m, regnal year to right, NIKO followed by officina letter below. 10.31. Regnal year 6 (579/80). Officina B. D. O. 29b. 16.44 gms. 180. 325.90.

11


12

10.33.* Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina B. D. O. 30b. 12.95 gms. 200. 1338.07.

10.34. Regnal year 7 (580/81). Officina B. D. O. 30b. 12.16 gms. 210. 1751.12.

13

10.35.* Regnal year 8 (581/2). Officina A. D. O. 31a. 12.71 gms. 200. 177.87.

14


15

103

MIBEC 35 (579-582). 10.37.* Regnal year 8 (581/2). Officina B. D. O. 31b. 12.70 gms. 200. 1076.06.

16

10.38. Regnal year 8 (581/2). Officina B. D. O. 31b. 12.21 gms. 180. 1752.12.

17

Nicomedia; 30 nummi. MIBEC 36 (578-582). dmTIbCONS TANTPPAVI. Bust facing, wearing crown with cross and cuirass and paludamentum. XXX, NIKO followed by officina letter below. 10.39.* Officina B. D. O. (32b). 13.00 gms. 200. 12.83.

Nicomedia; 20 nummi. MIBEC 38 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Armoured bust facing holding globus cruciger. XX, NIKO followed by officina letter below. 10.40. Officina A. D. O. (33a). 6.77 gms. 200. 786.02.

10.41. Officina A. D. O. (33a). 5.24 gms. 210. 813.02.

10.42. Officina A. D. O. (33a). 5.09 gms. 000. 941.04.

104

Nicomedia; 10 nummi.

MIBEC 39 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPP.

Bust facing wearing cuirass and paludamentum. X within border.

10.43.* 3.62 gms. 200. 750.01.

10.44.* 3.37 gms. 180. 1603.12.

18

10.45. 3.19 gms. 180. 171.87.

19

Nicomedia; 5 nummi. MIBEC 40 (578-582). dmTIb ANT (fragmentary). Profile bust right. u within border. 10.46.* D. O. 22. 0.99 gms. 000. 889.03.

20

Cyzicus; 40 nummi. MIBEC 41 (579-580). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Consular bust facing. m, regnal year to right, KYZ followed by officina letter below. 10.47. Regnal year 5 (579). Officina A. D. O. (34). 15.10 gms. 180. 2022.14.

21


22

105

Cyzicus; 30 nummi.

MIBEC 42 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Bust facing, wearing crown with cross and cuirass and paludamentum. XXX , KYZ followed by officina letter below.

10.49. Officina A. D. O. 37a. 12.90 gms. 330. 1466.09.

23

Cyzicus; 20 nummi.

MIBEC 43 (578-582). dmTIbCONS T( ). Armoured bust facing holding globus cruciger. XX, KYZ followed by officina letter below. 10.50. Officina A. D. O. - . 6.99 gms. 030. 294.89.

Cyzicus; 5 nummi. MIBEC 45 (578-582). DmTIb PPAVI. Profile bust right. U within border. 10.51.* 2.06 gms. 010. 881.03.

Antioch; 40 nummi. MIBEC 46 (578). dmTIbCON STANTPPAVI. Armoured bust facing. M, regnal year (4) to right, officina letter beneath, tHñuP or tHñuP‹ below. 10.52.* Officina à. D. O. (39b). 15.39 gms. 190. 1077.06.

24

10.53. Officina à. D. O. (39b). 14.80 gms. 200. 326.90.

106

MIBEC 47a/b (579-582). dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (often blundered). Consular bust facing wearing crown with cross or trefoil. m, regnal year to right, tHñuP‹ below. 10.54. MIBEC 47a (cross). Regnal year 5 (579). D. O. 40. 15.31 gms. 180. 1468.10.

10.55. MIBEC 47a (cross). Regnal year 6 (579/80). D. O. 41. 13.61 gms. 160. 1753.12.

25


26


10.58.* MIBEC 47a (cross). Regnal year 8 (581/2). D. O. 44. 12.36 gms. 180. 1754.10.

27

10.59. MIBEC 47b (trefoil). Regnal year 8 (581/2). D. O. - . 11.09 gms. 180. 1755.12.

28

107

Antioch; 30 nummi. MIBEC 48 (578-582). dmTIbCON STANTPP. Consular bust facing. XXX, tHñuP below. 10.60. D. O. (45). 9.34 gms. 230. 318a.92.

Antioch; 20 nummi. MIBEC 49 (578). dmTIbCON S TANTPPAV. Armoured bust facing. K, regnal year (4) to right, R below. 10.61. D. O. 46. 8.32 gms. 160. 153.87.

MIBEC - (578-580). Blundered Legend. Consular bust facing wearing crown with a flat top surmounted by a cross. XX, regnal year to right, R below. 10.62.* Regnal year 5 (579). 6.32 gms. 180. 1523.10.

10.63.* Regnal year 6 (579/80). 5.86 gms. 180. 1635.12.

29

MIBEC 52 (580-581). dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding mappa and shield and wearing a dome-shaped crown surmounted by a cross.

XX, pellet between, regnal year (7) to right, R below. 10.64. D. O. (48). 15.54 gms. 140. 1415.08.

30

MIBEC 54 (578-582). dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre. XX, pellet between, regnal year to right, R below. 10.65.* Regnal year 8 (581/2). D. O. (49). 6.79 gms. 190. 354.90.

108

Antioch; 10 nummi. MIBEC 56 (578). dmTIbCON TANTPPAVI (blundered). Armoured bust facing. I, regnal year (4) to right, tHñuP‹ below. 10.66. D. O. (50). 2.99 gms. 180. 234a.88.

MIBEC 57 (579). dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Armoured facing bust. X, regnal year (5) to right, R below. 10.67.* D. O. 51. 3.00 gms. 180. 144.09.

MIBEC - (580-582). dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing. X, regnal year to right, à below. 10.68.* Regnal year 7 (580/1). D. O - . 3.16 gms. 180. 2048.14.

31

Alexandria; 12 nummi. MIBEC 62b, var. (578-582). dmCONS ( ). Profile bust right. I B; cross with looped head on three steps between; AΛñz below. 10.69.* D. O. 56, var. 4.24 gms. 040. 923.04.

Ravenna; 10 nummi. MIBEC 67 (578-582). DmTIbCO NSTPPAV. Armoured bust facing. I between crosses, all within wreath. 10.70.* D. O. 66. 3.13 gms. 000. 5.81.

Military issues. MIBEC 68a/b. dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding eagle-tipped sceptre and mappa (MIBEC 68a) or cross (MIBEC 68b). m, date arrangement to right, CON below. 10.71.* MIBEC 68a. CON; II. 9.97 gms. 000. 2061.14.

109

10.72.* MIBEC 68b. CON; u. 9.40 gms. 180. 742.01.

32

MIBEC 69. dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre.

m, date arrangement to right, CON followed by officina letter below. 10.73.* CONå; u. 12.09 gms. 190. 604.97.

10.74. CONå; u. 8.77 gms. 180. 582.96.

10.75. CONñ; 1. 9.44 gms. 010. 748.01.

33

MIBEC 70a. dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre.

m, date arrangement to right, NIKO followed by officina letter below. 10.76. NIKOA; 1I. 13.58 gms. 190. 505.95.

34

10.77. NIKOA; 1I/I. 11.02 gms. 190. 744.01.

35

110

MIBEC 70a. 10.78. NIKOA; 1I/I. 10.03 gms. 190. 2012.14.

MIBEC 71. dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre. m, date arrangement to right, KYZ below. 10.79.* 1I. 13.98 gms. 000. 2031.14.

10.80. 1I. 10.18 gms. 010. 503.95.

10.81. 1I. 7.86 gms. 180. 745.01.

36

MIBEC 72a. dmTIbCON S TANTPPAVI (blundered). Consular bust facing holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre. m, date arrangement to right, tHñuP below. 10.82. 1I. 9.75 gms. 180. 565.95.

37

10.83. 1I. 9.39 gms. 330. 370.90.

111

MIBEC - . ( )TIOC NT( ). Legend blundered. Consular bust facing holding mappa in right hand. XX, date arrangement (year 5; u) to right, tñHuP below. 10.84.* D. O. - . 6.51 gms. 180. 884.03.

38

MIBEC 73. dmTIbCONS TANTPPAVI. Armoured bust facing holding globus cruciger and shield. XX, ROM below. 10.85. D. O. 61. 4.51 gms. 180. 627a.99.

REFERENCES AND GENERAL NOTES Tiberius II was proclaimed Emperor in September 578, just before the death of Justin II. His earliest coins are dated regnal year 4, deriving from his accession as Caesar in December 574. The consular bust was introduced in January 579 after the beginning of the next regnal year (5). Coins dated regnal year 6 (579/80), 7 (580/81) and 8 (581/2) were issued by the four major eastern mints. The pentanummia are anonymous, i.e., mint marks are absent. D. O. (22) – in the section on Constantinople - makes tentative mint attributions for several coins. 10.1-2. MIBEC 23b: Christogram above M.

10.6. The engraving of both the mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre is unusually crude but I think the coin is regular. 10.18. An intriguing coin which, at first sight, lacks any officina letter following the mint signature CON. Closer inspection suggests a faint letter, possibly an ñ, although there are no other areas of flatness on the coin. One possibility is an altered die with the officina letter removed. It is interesting that MIBEC dates the CON issue to 582, preceding the coins with officina letters. This is indeed the logical sequence of issues and it seems safest to conclude that the coin here is, in fact, MIBEC 30, probably dateable to 579-582. Only one illustration of MIBEC 29 is available (the plate coin itself - from the Bridge collection) and there is no suggestion, from that coin, of a recut die. 10.22. This coin resembles MIBEC pl. 14, 44 which Hahn gives to Cyzicus. The excellent style, though, points to Constantinople. 10.23. D. O. Is of little help in attribution to a mint; Nicomedia is possible here. 10.27. The coin is possibly a contemporary copy – it is fairly crudely made. The date arrangement (u/II) is quite clear, however. 10.33-34. Die-linked by obverse. 10.35-36. Die-linked by obverse. 10.37-38. Die-linked by obverse. 10.39. The obverse legend is largely off-flan. 10.43 and 10.45. The button-like eyes are characteristic of Nicomedia. D. O. gives all the dekanummia to Constantinople. 10.44. The attribution is uncertain with the shape of the pendilia perhaps indicating Nicomedia; the shape of the head, though, is reminiscent of the style of the Cyzicus mint under Maurice. 10.46. The attribution to Nicomedia is tentative. 10.51. Given to Cyzicus on the basis of the heavily striated reverse border. 10.52-53. Struck from the same obverse die. 10.58. The style of the portrait is unusual; the NC paper describes it as “good”. 10.59. The ornament on the crown has the appearance of a trefoil – the major criterion for distinguishing Antioch issues of Maurice from those (bearing a cross) of Tiberius II. Hahn (in MIBEC, p. 41) identifies the coin as rare and important although his subsequent comments are cryptic. Since this coin must belong to the reign of Tiberius, it is possible that that the change in portraiture was ordered during the final days of his reign. 10.62-63. These are intriguing coins which, while of the normal consular type (the Emperor holds a mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre) possess a style that is distinct from MIBEC 52-54 (regnal years 6-8)

112

which have a dome-shaped crown. By contrast, the flat-top crown shown here resembles both MIBEC 49 (regnal year 4) and the anomalous, undated, coin that is MIBEC 51a/D. O. 47. It seems that MIBEC 51a should be expanded into a substantive coinage for years five and six and it may be that D. O. 47 was an experimental striking. I am grateful to Peter Donald for pointing out the particular features of these coins. The further comments are my own. 10.63. The Imperial device above the crown is unclear. The only part of the legend that is legible is to the right and reads CTS, unlike the garbled inscription on coins of the later years of Tiberius II and the early years of Maurice. The date arrangement (1) is more typical of Tiberius II. On coins of Maurice the date arrangement 1 occurs only rarely. 10.65. Attributed by D. O. and MIB to Maurice; see D. O. volume I, page 346, footnote to no. 100 (Maurice). While the trefoil is characteristic of Maurice, the date arrangement suggests that the proper attribution is to Tiberius. 10.67. The dekanummium counterpart of the half folles 10.62-63. Only regnal year 5 is noted in MIBEC. 10.68. 1I. MIBEC 60b lists regnal year 8 only (Bridge collection). 10.69. Neither MIBEC nor D. O. list this type for Tiberius II. The former gives a similar coin to Maurice (VV106) on the basis of the obverse legend being retained after 582 and the depiction of a staurogram on Alexandrian gold coins of that Emperor (p. 55). See also 14.8. 10.70. MIBEC (p. 127) misdescribes the reverse of this type. Military issues. Hahn (MIBEC pp. 42-43) discusses these issues only briefly while proposing, without substantial explanation, that the years given on the coins represent actual dates. He suggests that only the army possessed the administrative ability to provide a large scale coinage over the considerable area covered by the operations of the “military mint”. In practice, the supply of coinage was undertaken by mint workers who accompanied the armies and the mint signatures probably represent little more than a convenient and familiar way of marking the coins. Some issues may have been produced in the western part of the empire. These interesting coins deserve greater study generally. 10.71-72. While of a similar iconographical type, these two coins are of quite distinct style. 10.72. The obverse is struck from the same die as MIBEC 68b and it seems likely that the date

arrangement here is, similarly, u. The cross held in the Emperor’s right hand is unusual for a military issue. See 12.47 for a coin of similar style with a legend in the name of Maurice. 10.73-74. Struck from the same obverse die. 10.73-75. Like most of the military issues, the Imperial insignia seem to be crudely engraved compared to the prototypes. 10.79-81. The reverses were struck from the same die. The obverses of 10.79 and 10.81 were probably struck from the same obverse die although it is difficult to be sure. Year 6 is also known for this type (Pecunem internet auction no. 41, lot 944). 10.84. Military half folles for Tiberius II appear to be unknown. The mint mark is partially blundered but the portrait style seems to conform to that of the folles.

1 Coin Hoards, Numismatic Chronicle, 1995, pages

354-358, no. 70 (pl. 57, 68:70). 2 Hoard B, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 26.

3 Hoard B, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 27.


5 Hoard C, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 61.



8 Spink sale number 40, 6-7 December 1984, ex lot

327. 9 Hoard A, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 21.

10 Hoard A, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 22.

11 Baldwins, January 1990.



14 Donald, P. J. and Whitting, P. D., A VIIth Century

Hoard from Cyprus, Numismatic Circular, June 1977, 162-165, no. 4 (Paphos Hoard). 15

Hoard A, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 23. 16


Hoard B, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 33. 18

W. Leimonstoll, March 2012. 19

Sotheby’s, 16 July 1987, ex lot 147. 20

Mansfield, S. J., A hoard of twenty Byzantine copper coins, Numismatic Chronicle, 2003, pages 354-355, no. 5. 21

Numismatik Lanz, April 2014; ex Dr H. Voigtlaender collection. 22

Baldwins, February 1999. 23

Goldberg Auctions, California, 29-30 October 2009, lot 386. The Goldberg sale material describes the coin as “ex Christov family collection”. There is a second ticket which implies that the coin is also ex CNG mail bid sale 55, 13 September 2000, lot 165. 24


Hoard B, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 34.

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26




The gift of P. J. Donald. 30

Agora Coins, Gorny and Mosch sale no. 170, October 2008, ex lot 3317/8/9. 31

Lanz Numismatik, July 2014; ex Dr H. Voightlaender collection. 32

Baldwins, November 2001. 33


MIBEC 70a plate coin. 35




Mansfield, S. J., A “Military” Half Follis of Tiberius II, Numismatic Circular, August 2003.

10. tiberius ii constantine (578-582). · 10. tiberius ii constantine (578-582). eighty five coins,...

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