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Constantine
VII Porphyrogenitus: June 6, 913 - November 9, 959 and
Romanus II:
April
6,
945
- March 15, 963
Click here to see the coins for sale in our store from this
period
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Constantine VII, Porphyrogenitus and Romanus II, AV Solidus, 945-959, Constantinople
+IhS XIS REX REGNANTIuM
Facing busts of Christ, wearing nimbus cruciger, three pellets in each limb of cross, pallium and colobium, right hand raised in
benediction, book of Gospels in left
COnStAnt' CE ROmAn' AuVV b R
Facing busts of Constantine VII, with short beard on left, and Romanus II, beardless on right, each wearing crown, holding long patriarchal
cross between them, Constantine wearing loros, Romanus wearing chlamys
20mm x 22mm, 4.39g
SB 1751; DO 15 (Class XV); CBN 15-22; Wroth (BMC) 60-63 and 65-6; Ratto 1905
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Constantine VII, Porphyrogenitus and Romanus II, AV Solidus, 945-959, Constantinople
+IhS XIS REX REGNANTIuM
Facing busts of Christ, wearing nimbus cruciger, three pellets in each limb of cross, pallium and
colobium, right hand raised in
benediction, book of Gospels in left
COnStAnt' CE ROmAn' AuVV b R
Facing busts of Constantine VII, with short beard on left, and Romanus II, beardless on right, each wearing crown, holding long patriarchal
cross between them, Constantine wearing loros, Romanus wearing chlamys
20mm, 4.41g
SB 1751; DO 15 (Class XV); CBN 15-22; Wroth (BMC) 60-63 and 65-6; Ratto 1905
Ex
Glenn Woods
Image courtesy of Lawrence Woolslayer Collection
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Constantine VII, Porphyrogenitus and Romanus II, AV Solidus, 945-959, Constantinople
+IhS XIS REX REGNANTIuM
Facing busts of Christ, wearing nimbus cruciger, three pellets in each limb of cross, pallium and
colobium, right hand raised in
benediction, book of Gospels in left
COnStAnt' CE ROmAn' AuVV b R .
Facing busts of Constantine VII, with short beard on left, and Romanus II, beardless on right, each wearing crown, holding long patriarchal
cross between them, Constantine wearing loros, Romanus wearing chlamys
19mm x 20mm, 4.37g
SB 1751
Note: This example has a pellet at the end of the reverse legend.
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Silver copy of an AV Solidus, imitating
Constantine VII and Romanus II. +IhS XIS REX REGNANTIUM Facing busts
of Christ, wearing nimbus cruciger, tunic and himation, right hand raised in
blessing, holding book of Gospels in left. COnSTAnT On ROmAn AIIAIA
(sic) Facing busts of Constantine VII, with short beard on left, and
Romanus II, beardless on right, each wearing crown, holding long patriarchal
cross between them, Constantine wearing loros, Romanus wearing chlamys.
18mm. 1.98g. For AV Solidus type, SB 1751; DO 15 (Class XV); CBN
15-22; Wroth (BMC) 60-63 and 65-6; Ratto 1905. Ex Middle East
Numismatics, eBay, April 2004
Sent to David Sear for inclusion to his notes
on Byzantine forgeries. CoA received on June 24, 2004:
"This is a copy, in silver, of a gold
solidus type of the joint reign of the Byzantine emperors Constantine VII
Porphyrogenitus (913-959) and his son Romanus II (945-963). It appears not
to be a coin of recent manufacture and may even be a contemporary with the
authentic issues. Patterns in silver and bronze of various solidus types
are known for this reign (cf. DOC Classes IX and XI, plate XXXVI) but these
issues are stylistically comparable to contemporary gold solidi whereas this
piece is clearly inferior. The die size is smaller than on regular
mid-10th century solidi and the engraving is of markedly inferior style with a
blundered inscription on reverse. The conclusion to be drawn from this is
that in all probability the coin is a forgery of the period, though in the
absence of precise information on provenance it is pointless to speculate on its
possible origin."
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