19. heraclius (610-641): thessalonica and the western mints. · 265 regnal year 7 (616/7). 19....

265

19. Heraclius (610-641): Thessalonica and the western mints.

Thessalonica. (Hoard A: sixteen (16) Class 3 folles.) D. O. Class 1; 20 nummi (610-612). dNhñRAC LIuSPPAVC.

Armoured bust facing wearing helmet and paludamentum and holding globus cruciger. XX, regnal year to left, TñS below. 19.1. Regnal year 1 (610/611). D. O. - , MIB 225. 5.12 gms. 200. 1531.11.

1

Class 1; dekanummia (10 nummi). MIB 231 (612-617). dNhñRAC LISPAVC (or similar).

Armoured bust facing wearing helmet with cross within plume. X, regnal year to right. Regnal year 3 (612/3). 19.2. D. O. 85 (CON). 2.24 gms. 180. 1575.11.

2

Regnal year 4 (613/4). 19.3.* D. O. 86 (CON). 2.20 gms. 180. 1537.11.

Regnal year 7 (616/7). 19.4. D. O. - . 3.09 gms. 190. 2024.14.

D. O. Class 2; 40 nummi (612-624). dNhñRAC LIuSPPAVC (or similar). Two standing figures. M, regnal year to right, TñS below. Regnal year 3 (612/3). 19.5.* D. O. - , MIB 217. 10.06 gms. 180. 462.94.

Regnal year 4 (613/4). 19.6. D. O. 134, MIB 217. 12.54 gms. 180. 796.02.

266

D. O. Class 2; 40 nummi (612-624). Two standing figures. M, regnal year to right, officina letter (B) beneath, íñC below. Regnal year 5 (614/5). 19.7.* D. O. 135a, MIB 220. 10.08 gms. 180. 775.02.

Regnal year 6 (615/6). 19.8.* D. O. (136), MIB 220. 8.16 gms. 160. 1625.12.

Regnal year 7 (616/7). 19.9.* D. O. 137, MIB 220. 10.46 gms. 170. 774.02.

19.10.* D. O. 137, MIB 220. 10.26 gms. 180. 168.87.

Regnal year 8 (617/8). 19.11.* D. O. (138), MIB 220. 10.57 gms. 160. 1611.12.

3

Regnal year 13 (622/3). No obverse legend. 19.12.* D. O. - , MIB 220. 7.96 gms. 180. 515.95.

4

267

D. O. Class 2; 40 nummi (612-624). Regnal year 14 (623/4). 19.13.* D. O. - , MIB - . 3.02 gms. 180. 1520.12.

D. O. Class 2; 20 nummi (613-624). dNhñRAC LIuSPPAVC (or similar). Two standing figures. K, regnal year to right, íñC below. Regnal year 5 (614/5). 19.14. D. O. 140, MIB 228. 5.68 gms. 180. 364.90.

Regnal year 6 (615/6). 19.15.* D. O. 142, var., MIB 227. 7.22 gms. 170. 800.02.

Regnal year 8 (617/8). 19.16. D. O. - , MIB 228. 3.09 gms. 180. 2050.14.

5

Regnal year 10 (619/620). 19.17. D. O. 45, MIB 228. 3.72 gms. 180. 1399.08.

Regnal year 13 (622/3). 19.18.* D. O. - , MIB - . 3.10 gms. 180. 1607.12.

Regnal year 14 (623/4). 19.19.* D. O. - , MIB - . 3.54 gms. 180. 1036.06.

268

Class 2; dekanummia (10 nummi). MIB 232 (614-623; intermittently). dNhñRAC LIuSPPAVC. Profile bust right. X, regnal year to right. Regnal year 8 (617/8). 19.20. D. O. 97 (CON). 2.25 gms. 180. 91.85.

19.21. D. O. 97 (CON). 1.81 gms. 000. 1643.12.

Regnal year 9 (618/9). 19.22.* D. O. - . 2.11 gms. 180. 1582.11.

6

D. O. Class 3; 40 nummi. MIB 221 (621-630). No obverse legend. Three standing figures. M, regnal year to right, officina letter (B) beneath, íñC below. Regnal year 13 (622/3).

19.23.* D. O. - . 8.62 gms. 180. 1264.06.

7

Regnal year 14 (623/4). 19.24. D. O. (146). 9.73 gms. 180. 1445.09.

19.25. D. O. (146). 7.65 gms. 180. 695.00.

8

19.26. D. O. (146). 5.95 gms. 190. 1717.12.

9

269

Regnal year 17 (626/7). 19.27.* D. O. - . 6.78 gms. 160. 1266.06.

10

Regnal year 18 (627/8). 19.28.* D. O. (148). 11.01 gms. 180. 871.03.

19.29. D. O. (148). 5.72 gms. 180. 1265.06.

11

Regnal year 19 (628/9); officina A. 19.30.* MIB - , D. O. - . 7.21 gms. 160. 172.87.

12

D. O. Class 3; MIB 221 (621-630). Regnal year 19 (628/9); officina B. 19.31. D. O. 149. 6.58 gms. 180. 1267.06.

13

19.32. D. O. 149. 5.85 gms. 170. 1268.06.

14

19.33. D. O. 149. 5.35 gms. 180. 1270.06.

15

19.34. D. O. 149. 5.27 gms. 180. 1271.06.

16

270

D. O. Class 3; MIB 221 (621-630). Regnal year 19 (628/9). 19.35. D. O. 149. 5.22 gms. 150. 1272.06.

17

19.36. D. O. 149. 4.54 gms. 180. 1269.06.

18

19.37. D. O. 149. 3.78 gms. 180. 1273.06.

19

Regnal year 20 (629/630). 19.38. D. O. 150. 6.93 gms. 000. 1274.06.

20

19.39. D. O. 150. 5.41 gms. 160. 1275.06.

21

19.40.* D. O. 150, var. 4.78 gms. 170. 1014.03.

19.41. D. O. 150, var. 4.40 gms. 150. 1276.06.

22

19.42.* D. O. 150. 4.39 gms. 160. 116.86.

19.43. D. O. 150. 4.19 gms. 180. 1277.06.

23

271

D. O. Class 3; uncertain regnal year. 19.44. MIB 221. 9.41 gms. 160. 1278.06.

24

19.45.* MIB 221. 7.34 gms. 180. 1600.11.

D. O. Class 3; 20 nummi. MIB 229 (622/3 and 626-630). No obverse legend.

Three standing figures. K, regnal year to right, íñC below. Regnal year 18 (627/8). 19.46.* D. O. - , MIB - . 2.33 gms. 180. 996.05.

Regnal year 19 (628/9). 19.47. D. O. - , MIB - . 3.01 gms. 180. 1594.11.

D. O. Class 5; 40 nummi and 30 nummi (629/630). Heraclius, to left, wears military dress and holds a long cross; Heraclius Constantine, to right, wears a chlamys and holds a globus cruciger. 40 nummi. MIB 222. No obverse legend. M, regnal year 20 (X/X) to right, officina letter beneath, íñC below. 19.48. Officina A. D. O. - . 9.71 gms. 210. 626.99.

25

30 nummi. MIB 224. No obverse legend. ã, regnal year 20 (X/X) to right, officina letter beneath, íñC below. 19.49. Officina å. D. O. 152. 5.71 gms. 090. 1630.12.

26

272

Thessalonican folles dated year 31 (X/X/X/I). MIB 223. No obverse legend. Three standing figures. M, date arrangement for year 31 (X/X/X/I) to right, officina letter (B) beneath, íñC below. 19.50.* D. O. - . 10.18 gms. 180. 1279.06.

27

19.51. D. O. - . 7.90 gms. 180. 971.04.

Carthage; 20 nummi. MIB 234 (611/2). DNñ RACãIOPPAV. Armoured facing bust wearing crown with cross. XX, indictional year 15 (Iñ) to right, KRT1 below. 19.52.* D. O. - . 8.07 gms. 180. 697.00.

28

MIB 235 (621-641). DNñ RACãIOPPAV. Armoured facing bust wearing crown with cross. XX between star and ñ, KRT1 below. 19.53.* D. O. 235. 4.59 gms. 120. 79.85.

29

Carthage; 10 nummi. MIB 237a (610-641). DNñRAC ãIOPPAV. Armoured facing bust, beardless, wearing crown with trefoil.

X between N and M each with pellets above and beneath; star below. 19.54. D. O. 236. 3.14 gms. 010. 1053.06.

30

19.55. D. O. 236. 2.01 gms. 180. 1974.13.

31

Carthage; 5 nummi. MIB 239 (610-641). DNñRA …. . Armoured facing bust, beardless, wearing crown. V between two stars each with pellets above and beneath. 19.56. D. O. (239). 1.50 gms. 170. 193.87.

273

Catania; 10 nummi. MIB 240 (612-623). DNñRAC LIVSPPAVC. Armoured bust facing wearing crown and holding globus cruciger and shield. I, regnal year to right, CãT below. Regnal year 13 (622/3). 19.57. D. O. 254. 3.18 gms. 180. 92.85.

MIB 241 (623-629). No obverse legend. Two busts facing each wearing crown and paludamentum. I, regnal year to right, CãT below. Regnal year 16 (625/6). 19.58. D. O. 257. 4.07 gms. 160. 483.95.

19.59. D. O. 257. 3.16 gms. 180. 101.85.

32

Catania; 5 nummi. MIB 242 (610-641). DNñ …. . Profile bust right. V between two stars, CãT below. 19.60. D. O. - . 1.51 gms. 180. 1297.07.

Syracuse; countermarked issues. D. O. Class 1 (MIB Km 4) (circa 615-622). Armoured bust facing with short beard; Heraclian monogram to right. SCLS with bar above. 19.61.* D. O. 241d. The host coin is a follis of Justin I (14.80 gms). 359x.90.

D. O. Class 2 (MIB Km 5) (circa 629-632). Two busts facing, each wearing a crown with cross and paludamentum; Heraclius has a short beard. SCLS with bar above. 19.62. D. O. 242b. The host coin is a year 21 Constantinople follis of Heraclius, officina å (4.54 gms). 68.85.

274

Class 2a/Km 5a (circa 632).

Two busts facing, each wearing a crown with cross and paludamentum; Heraclius has a medium length, and Heraclius Constantine a short, beard. Heraclian monogram and SCLS with bar above. 19.63.* D. O. - , MIB - . The host coin is an unidentifiable follis (6.72 gms). 242a.88.

Class 3 (MIB Km 6) (circa 632-641).

Two busts facing, each wearing a crown with cross and paludamentum; Heraclius has a long, and Heraclius Constantine a short, beard. Heraclian monogram and SCLS with bar above. 19.64. D. O. 243. The host coin is a cut-down unidentifiable follis (6.36 gms). 61.84.

33

Rome; 20 nummi. MIB 243b (612-622). DNhR … . (mainly garbled). Two busts facing. XX, ROM below. 19.65. D. O. 262. 3.29 gms. 160. 42.84.

MIB 244 (622-625). Legend illegible. Three busts facing each wearing crown with cross. K, X above, remainder of regnal year to right, ROM below. Regnal year 13 (622/3). 19.66.* D. O. 264. 3.68 gms. 180. 1029.05.

34

Ravenna; 40 nummi. MIB 251 (616-630; intermittently). DNN hñRAC …. . Three busts facing; Martina, to left, wears a jeweled robe and a crown with three pinnacles. M, regnal year to right, ã beneath, RAV below. Regnal year 7 (616/7). 19.67.* D. O. 289. 6.67 gms. 200. 1547.11.

35

275

Ravenna; 40 and 20 nummi. MIB 252 (625-626). DNN hñRACLI CONPPA (partly illegible).

Three busts facing. m, regnal year 16 (X/V/I) to right, A beneath, RAV below. 19.68. D. O. (292). 6.83 gms. 180. 1407.08.

36

MIB 254 (632-636). No obverse legend.

Three standing figures; Heraclonas, to left, is uncrowned.

M, Heraclian monogram above, regnal year to right, ã beneath, RAV below. 19.69. Regnal year 25 (634/5). D. O. 304. 6.73 gms. 180. 558.95.

37

Ravenna; 20 nummi. MIB 259 (616-619). Legend fragmentary

Three busts facing. K, regnal year to right, RA below. 19.70. Regnal year 8 (617/8). D. O. (289b). 2.99 gms. 160. 1050.06.

REFERENCES AND GENERAL NOTES Thessalonica. The coinage is relatively straightforward and is generally set out according to the classes identified in the D. O. catalogue. The end-date for Class 2 requires discussion, however (see 19.12-13 and 19.18-19). In addition, the dekanummia (10 nummi) and what appear to be Class 6 folles also need some explanation. There is no example of the rare Class 1 follis in the collection. 10 nummi (19.2-4 and 19.20-22). D. O. gives only a rare dekanummium of year 2 (Ratto 1304) to Thessalonica which is unlikely given the numbers of half folles struck. (Hence Class 1 and Class 2 (omitting the D. O. prefix) are used in the catalogue in connection with this denomination.) The dated dekanummia do not bear a mint mark and, by contrast, MIB gives them all to Thessalonica. In my view, the facing bust type also belongs to Thessalonica. There appears to be a distinction in the method of their manufacture: the facing bust types seem to be struck on fresh flans whereas those with a profile bust are, presumably, struck on earlier coins cut into quarters (no undertypes can be made out, however). The fact that the dates of Class 1 overlap with those of the Class 2 (profile bust) coins is also problematic, but the good style of the latter points towards Thessalonica. If this is correct, the two classes together would constitute a much larger coinage than the issues marked CON and might have met the need for small change over a wider area of the eastern Mediterranean. Examples of both classes (although particularly Class 2) seem to be commonly found on Cyprus. D. O. references are given even though they relate to the attribution of Class 2 by Grierson to Constantinople. 19.3. The ticket (of P. J. Donald) states: see MIB (3) no. 226 for style, confirming attribution. MIB 226 is the corresponding Thessalonican half follis of regnal year 4. 19.5. Overstruck on a Nicomedia follis of Phocas. 19.7. There are two undertypes, one of which is a year 8 follis of Phocas. 19.8. Overstruck on a follis of Phocas. 19.9. Overstruck on a Constantinople follis of Phocas. 19.10. Overstruck on a year 4 follis of Phocas. 19.11. Overstruck on a follis of Phocas. 19.12. The iconography is that of D. O. Class 2 while the module and weight seems to be of Class

276

3. A Class 2/3 mule is unlikely in view of the absence of the obverse legend that appears only on Class 2. Nor, in view of the date of the following coin (no. 19.13), does an issue of Class 3, on which the die cutter neglected to include a third figure, any longer appear likely. This catalogue also includes 20 nummi coins for regnal years 13 and 14 (see 19.18-19). As the three standing figure type (MIB 229) was introduced in year 13, the two classes must have been struck side by side for a year or so. Both the scarcity of the later Class 2 coins and the organisational weakness of the mint suggested by the apparent striking of both types in years 13 and 14 may be explained by the unstable conditions associated with Avar incursions into the Balkans. 19.13. Probably the latest regnal year for Class 2 (see note above). Although the date arrangement is partly obscured, only regnal year 14 (X/II/II) seems possible in view of the very light weight of the coin. The date is not listed in MIB for Class 2. It overlaps with the introduction of the Class 3 follis in the previous year. 19.14. The date arrangement in D. O. is u/II. 19.18. Regnal year 13 is not listed in MIB. With a Baldwins ticket stating the regnal year to be unpublished. 19.19. Regnal year 14 is not listed in MIB. The mint mark is illegible but the style, particularly of the Imperial dress, permits clear attribution to Thessalonica. 19.22. Unusually well preserved with a complete obverse legend. Regnal year 9 appears to be unpublished. 19.23. Martina is to the right – the hoops on her crown are quite clear. 19.27. The date arrangement seems to be X/1/II (probably standing for regnal year 17 – see below) but it is difficult to be certain. 19.28-29. The date arrangement is X/1I/II. There is uncertainty about the meaning of 1 – see the footnote to D. O. (147). In view of the large module and high weight of the coin here, year 18 (1 as a five rather than six) seems likely. Similar arguments apply to the following several coins which must logically be of regnal year 19 since the date arrangement for year 20 is X/X. 19.30. MIB 221 does not record officina A for any date of issue. The weight is relatively high. Bonhams/Vecchi, sale no. 8, lot 759, provides an example of officina A for year 20, with the date arrangement X/X. The third officina is recorded for regnal year 15. 19.40-41. These two coins, die-linked by reverse, have a pellet in the lower loop of the officina letter B. 19.42-43. Struck from the same obverse die.

19.45. Probably regnal year 14 (X/II/II). 19.46-47. MIB does not list either regnal year 18 or 19. (The 1 is again interpreted as a five.) See also chapter 38; additional coin number 5 (18.47a), a half follis with the clear date arrangement of X/X. Thus the half folles continued to be issued until the probable date of mint closure (630). 19.50-51. These two coins were struck from the same pair of dies. The type is rare – about half a dozen examples are known. Although they might be termed Class 6 folles, the iconography is unlike the Class 6 folles of Constantinople and the long gap following the previous Thessalonican issue in year 20 (629/630) is hard to explain. Equally, however, there are the folles of regnal year 31 marked CONí (see 17.166-168) which have been taken to mean that there was some form of coining activity at Thessalonica in the last year of the reign. If the coins do belong to regnal year 31 (640/41) it is possible that an obverse die belonging to an earlier Thessalonican class was used. If so, Martina would be portrayed on the coin, but, in the tradition of the mint, indistinguishably from the figure of Heraclonas. Carthage. 19.52. Although two other dates are theoretically possible (since the reign encompassed two further indictional cycles), the beardless bust points conclusively to 611/2. 19.53. The Emperor is shown with a short beard. The date implied by the letter ñ on the reverse is meaningless. Sicily. 19.61. The mint mark and officina letter of the host coin are illegible. 19.63. The reverse countermark belongs to D. O. Class 3. The obverse countermark appears to be a variant of D. O. Class 2 as Heraclius has a medium length (rather than short) beard and Heraclius Constantine is shown with a short beard rather than beardless. If the portraiture is deliberate, the countermark would seem to be an unpublished interim type issued between Classes 2 and 3. Rome and Ravenna. 19.66. The figure on the left is probably Martina (see D. O. Volume 1, Part 1, footnote to 263). The X above the denominational mark K and the digits to its right combine to form the regnal date. 19.67-68. While the figures of Heraclius (centre) and Heraclius Constantine (right) are competently engraved on 19.67 (MIB 251), particular care

277

seems to have been taken with the Imperial regalia worn by Martina. On 19.68 (MIB 252) the figures seem to be less well engraved and, with the cursive m, it seems to be a distinctive issue but this is not recognised in D. O.

1 Agora Coins, February 2011.

2 Found on Cyprus.

3 Lanz Numismatik, April 2012.

4 Ex N. Fairhead collection.

5 Gitbud and Naumann, July 2014.

6 Found on Cyprus.

7 Hoard A, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 176.

8 Baldwins, December 2000.

9 Hoard C, Numismatic Chronicle 2013, no. 67.



12 Sotheby’s, 16 July 1987, ex lot 47.













25 Baldwins, February 1999.

26 W. Leimonstoll, August 2012.


Supplement to ONS Journal 193 – Autumn 2007, Two recent Heraclian coin hards, pp. 3-7, fig. 1. 28

Baldwins, December 2000. 29

The coin is accompanied by what looks like a Goodacre ticket albeit uninformative. 30

Baldwins, August 2006. 31

October 2013, D. Markov. 32

Hirsch auction 147, August 1985, lot 716. 33

Spink auction no. 40, December 1984, ex lot 328. 34

Divus Numismatik, September 2005. 35

Gitbud-Naumann, June 2011. 36

Dix, Noonan, Webb auction, 29 September 2008, lot 6230. 37

Baldwins, October 1995.

19. heraclius (610-641): thessalonica and the western mints. · 265 regnal year 7 (616/7). 19....

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