Description
Denomination: Aspron trachy made of electrum
Period: Byzantine empire
Date: 1152 – 1167
Origin: Constantinople mint
Condition: Near mint state. an excellent example of this often poorly struck coin
Obverse: Christ Pantokrator enthroned. facing; IC-XC across fields. holding Book of Gospels and raising right hand
Reverse: Manuel standing facing on left. wearing stemma. jewelled loros. holding akakia and the Virgin Mary standing facing; wearing tunic and maphorium. holding patriarchal cross between them; M-[O]V across upper fields [the legend Manuel in Greek would be to left]. MANUHA to left DECPO[TH] to right in Greek lettering
Size and Weight: 33mm. 3.54g
References: Sear 1958
Features and Provenance: This coin is unusual in more ways than one. The most obvious aspect is the shape. it is cupped. or as numismatists call it. scyphate. The reason for the shape is unknown but aids stacking and helps this already thin coin’s sturdiness and durability. The next thing is that it is made of Electrum. a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver – the more gold the more orange the coin would be. They were called Aspron Trachy which means white and uneven. The obverse is the concave side and the reverse the convex.
Manuel I would probably not have taken the throne if he was alive today. The lack of communication was to his advantage. His father named him as successor on his deathbed after campaigning in Cilicia. doing so ahead of Manuel’s elder brother. The army agreed to this. To ensure that his brother. who was at home in Constantinople. would not take the throne and the family fortune ahead of him. Manuel sent a messenger to arrest his brother. When the messenger arrived they had heard nothing of the king’s death and the arrest was completed.
Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between
Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear
Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of legend etc present. visible and clear
Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present. but maybe worn
Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible
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