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Denomination: Anonymous Folles, Bronze                    Date:  969-1092 CE

History:  

This coin is part of a grouping of coins called “Anonymous Folles”. These coins are so-called because they do not bear the name or mark of any particular ruler. They were issued during the period between 969 and 1092 and include purely religious images and inscriptions. 

This particular coin is especially interesting because the obverse bears a portrait of Jesus Christ. The reverse side of most of these coins has the inscription in Latin “Jesus Christ, King of Kings”.

According to sources from that period and numismatic data anonymous folles started to be struck during the period of John I. The copper coinage Byzantine Empire, between the accession to the throne of John I in 969 and the great monetary reform of Alexius I in 1092 is distinguished from that of earlier centuries in two respects. First, there is a portrait of Christ on copper coins, although it was an application preferred only on golden coins until that time. Second, they were not struck in the name of any emperor.

Description:

The obverse design of Class B coins follows those of Class A, with the addition of small squares at the end of each limb of the cross in Christ’s halo, a pellet in each of the upper quarters of the cross, and a pattern of five dots on the book of Gospels. 

The reverse inscription is in three lines, reading IS XS ЬASILЄ (“Jesus Christ King of Kings”), divided by a Cross Potent set on two steps. This is an abbreviated version of the inscriptions used on Class A coins. 

These coins were often overstruck on Class A2 folles and are commonly attributed to Romanos III who reigned from 1028-1034