Romaion Empire

r o m a i o n  e m p i r e

Renamed Constantinople in 330 AD, the ancient city of Byzantion gave its name to a combined Greek and Roman culture that lasted for almost 1000 years. The 'Byzantines' never referred to each other as such; they called themselves Romaioi, the Greek word for Roman. In 1453 AD, the Ottoman Turks overran Constantinople, putting an end to the Romaioi and the Middle Ages.

Special thanks to Dane Kurth for help with attributions.

r e f e r e n c e s

SBC = David R. Sear, Byzantine Coins and their values, Seaby, London (1974)
DO = A. Bellinger & P. Grierson, Catalogue of Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and the Whittemore Collection, 5 Volumes, Washington, DC(1966-73)
WBC = P. D. Whitting, Byzantine Coins, G. P. Putnam & Sons, New York (1973)
BBC = George E. Bates, Byzantine Coins, Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1971)
ACC V = Wayne G. Sayles,Ancient Coin Collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine Culture, Krause, Iola, Wisconsin (1998)
B/E BCC = Harlan J. Berk and Victor England, Byzantine Copper Coins, Public Auction December 7, 1989, Berk/England, Chicago (1989)

Imperial Byzantine Coinage

Tiberius II Constantine
September 26, 578 - August 14, 582

Tiberius II Constantine (578 - 582 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
Officinae: Β
580/1 AD
SBC 441
30 mm.
12.07 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Crowned bust facing holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre; no cross above. S M TIb CONSTANT PP AVG (or similar)
Reverse: Large 'M'. Year ςI = 7 = 580/1 CE.

Tiberius II Constantine (578 - 582 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Theopolis
SBC 450
28 x 24 mm.
7.32 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse: Year IIII

Tiberius II Constantine (578 - 582 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: Ravenna
SBC 472
16 x 18 mm.
4.49 gm.
Die position=11h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius
August 13, 582 - November 22, 602

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Α
SBC 492
30 x 32 mm.
12.37 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Α
583/4 AD
SBC 496
22 mm.
5.54 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing holding globus cruciger and shield. D N TIbER MAVRC PP A (or similar)
Reverse: Large 'K' between ANNO and numerals designating the regnal year (II = year 2); cross above, officina letter 'A' below.

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Constantinople
SBC 496
25 x 23 mm.
6.05 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bust facing.
Reverse: Large K; ☩ above, &Delta below. Year I.

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Γ
SBC 497v.
23 x 22 mm.
5.25 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse:
Reverse:
Note: Unsure of this attribution.

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
Officinae: Α (?)
587/8 AD
SBC 512
30 mm.
11.00 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing holding globus cruciger and shield. D N MAVV TER PP A
Reverse: Large 'M' between ANNO and numerals designating the regnal year (ς = year 6); cross above, officina letter 'A' (?) below. In exergue, 'NIKO'.

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
Officinae: Β
595/6 AD
SBC 512
28 mm.
11.91 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing holding globus cruciger and shield. O N MO P I K I O (sic).
Reverse: Large 'M' between ANNO and numerals designating the regnal year (XIIII = year 14); cross above, officina letter 'B' below. In exergue, NIKO.

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Cyzicus
SBC 518
33 x 32 mm.
13.23 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Theoupolis
Officinae: Γ
SBC 533
29 mm.
10.22 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Theoupolis
602 AD
SBC 533
29 mm.
11.02 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bust facing, wearing crown with 'trefoil' ornament and consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped sceptre. D N MAUΓI CN P AUT
Reverse: Large 'M' between ANNO and numerals designating the regnal year (XXI = year 21); cross above, officina letter Γ below. In exergue, THEUP*.

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: Theoupolis
SBC 536
19 x 18 mm.
2.68 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE 12 Nummi
Mint: Alexandria
SBC 543
15 mm.
3.90 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE 12 Nummi
Mint: Alexandria
SBC 543
15 x 16 mm.
4.76 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: Catania
SBC 580
18 x 16 mm.
4.29 gm.
Die position=_h
Obverse:
Reverse: Large 'I'; Year I

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: Catania
SBC 581v.
15 x 14 mm.
3.80 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: Syracuse
SBC 583
14 mm.
4.32 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse: Large 'X'

Maurice Tiberius (582 - 602 AD) (?)
AE Half Follis
Mint: [?]
SBC [?]
22 x 21 mm.
5.99 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse:
Reverse: Large 'K'

Theodosius
circa 589 - November 22, 602

Phocas
November 23, 602 - October 5, 610

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AV Solidus
Mint: Constantinople
SBC 620
21 mm.
4.45 gm.
Die position=?h
Obverse: Diademed and cuirassed bust facing, wearing crown without pendilia and holding globus cruciger. dN N FOCAS PERP AVG
Reverse: Angel standing facing, holding globus cruciger and chi-rho topped staff. CONOB in exergue. VICTORIA AVGu I (officina 'I')

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Α
SBC 644
23 x 24 mm.
6.69 gm.
Die position=1h
Obverse: Facing bust.
Reverse: Large 'XX'; ✶ above.

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
Officinae: Β
SBC 659
32 x 27 mm.
9.30 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Facing bust.
Reverse: Large 'XXXX'. Year μ = 5 = 606/7 CE.

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Theuopolis
SBC 671
26 x 25 mm.
9.94 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Phocas and Leontia standing, facing.
Reverse: Large 'm'; ☩ above. Year IIII = 4 = 605/6 CE

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Theoupolis
SBC 673
22 mm.
4.67 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Phocas and Leontia standing, facing.
Reverse: Large XX, ☩ above. Year I.

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AE 12 Nummi
Mint: Alexandria
SBC 679
13 x 12 mm.
1.94 gm.
Die position=10h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: I ☩ B. In exergue: ΑΛΕΞ

Phocas (602 - 610 AD)
AE 12 Nummi
Mint: Alexandria
SBC 679 (?)
16 x 14 mm.
2.36 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Diademed, draped and cuirassed beardless bust right, in extremely crude style; barbarized legend.
Reverse: Large IB with cross between. ALEX in exergue.
Note: This coin may be a local, irregular issue of the period, from the Sasanian conquest (circa 620) or even an Arab-Byzantine issue.

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