Help in identification of a Byzantine coin

[Andrey5]

Would appreciate any help in identifying this Byzantine coin.

http://avscoins.com/Byzantine.jpg

Billon, weight 2.84 g

[NumisMattic2200]

I've no idea, but it's a nice grade

[dougsmit]

I am no expert in these but I believe it is Alexius III 1195-1203 AD showing Christ on one side and the emperor with St. Constantine on the other. This one is pretty nice as these go since finding a single coin with three clear faces is not all that easy.

[Arminius]

Yes, maybe Alex III, compare the visible letters of your coin with this description:

 

 

Alexios III. (Angelus-Comnenus), Constantinopolis mint,

Billon Aspron Trachy (25-27 mm / 3.56 g), 1195-1203 AD.,

Obv.: IC - XC / [+ KЄRO] - HΘЄ - I , Bust of Christ facing, beardless, wearing nimbus cross, holding scroll and raising hand in benediction.

Rev.: AΛЄZIW [ЄCP TW KWCTANTI] , Alexios and St. Constantine standing facing, holding labara, globe cross between.

Sear BC 2012.

 

regards

[Andrey5]

Yes, maybe Alex III, compare the visible letters of your coin with this description:

 

 

Alexios III. (Angelus-Comnenus), Constantinopolis mint,

Billon Aspron Trachy (25-27 mm / 3.56 g), 1195-1203 AD.,

Obv.: IC - XC / [+ KЄRO] - HΘЄ - I , Bust of Christ facing, beardless, wearing nimbus cross, holding scroll and raising hand in benediction.

Rev.: AΛЄZIW [ЄCP TW KWCTANTI] , Alexios and St. Constantine standing facing, holding labara, globe cross between.

Sear BC 2012.

 

regards

 

Many thanks!

Unfortunately, very little is visible of the legend. The figure of the bearded saint (with nimbus) on my coin is lower than the figure of the emperor, while on all the images of Alexios III Billon Aspron Trachy which I could find online Alexios and St. Constantine are of the same height. Could this indicate that this is a coin of another ruler?

The size of my coin is 23,95-27,05 mm

[dougsmit]

on all the images of Alexios III Billon Aspron Trachy which I could find online Alexios and St. Constantine are of the same height. Could this indicate that this is a coin of another ruler?

 

These coins have a 'feature' that make this unlikely. The cup shape required both dies to have exactly the same curve or there would be no good transfer of detail on part of the surface. This was worked around in many cases by double striking the coins with a small shift in angle between the two. As a result, the same die could strike one coin with figures of equal height and the next, shifted differently, might show one higher. Take, for example, this Alexios III:

 

Note the figure of St. Constantine at the right is higher. His halo shows for both strikes but one is slightly higher than the other. Between the two figures is a globe with cross on top which appears twice (once from each strike). The shape of the right one is distorted from the angle of the strike. These same dies could produce a very different coin with a slightly different shift. Note that the portrait of Christ is also doubled to the right side.

 

There are coins of this type that ahow no double striking but these tend to be missing much detail. To get a perfect strike form one blow would require well matched dies and a lot of luck. The best coins of the type tend to be those with double strikes that aligned better than my example placing the areas of confusion between the two strikes in places where they would be less distracting.

[Andrey5]

Thanks a lot, Arminius and dougsmit, for the identification and explanations!