A Heraclian hoard from Syria / William E. Metcalf

8/9/2019 A Heraclian hoard from Syria / William E. Metcalf

1/21

H E R A C L I A N

HOARDFROM SYRIA

(PLATES X I V - X V I )

W I L L I M

E.

M E T C L F

In April 1974, Robert J.Myers acqu i red a lo t o f 147Byzan t ine coppers,

said to cons t i tu te a hoa rd , in Be i ru t . In

July

of the same year the lot

w as offered fo r examina t ion to the Amer ican Numismat ic Society;

u p o n

de terminat ion that

th e

bu lk

of the lot did

i ndeed appear

to be a

hoard ,

i t was

p u r c h a s e d

by the

M u s e u m .

Sixteen coins of the

t en th

and eleventh centuries were patent ly

extraneous.

T he

coins

of the

sixth

and

seventh centuries were

a ll

covered with a r a the r dark green pat inat ion; this w as lacking on al l

th e

la ter

co ins and even if

thei r

da tes had no t r endered

them

obvious

intruders

they

cou ld easi ly have been separated from

th e

rest. W h e t h e r

anything has been r emoved is of course impossible to determine, bu t

the presence of one exceedingly

rare

and two scarce var ieties

would

suggest that

the

hoa rd

h a s n o t

been t ampered wi th .

C A T A L O G U E O F T H E H O A R D

T he f o rmat is similar to

that

employed by G. E.

Bates ,

ANSMN 14

(1968)

83-109

except that r e fe rence is m a d e only to the Catalogue o f

Byzantine Coins

in the

Dambarton Oaks Collection

and in the

Whiemore

Collections

edited

by

Alfred

R.

Bellinger

and

Phil ip

Grierson. Pieces

i llustrated in the pla tes are marked with an asterisk.

109


2/21


3/21


4/21

114 WILLIAM E. METCALF

JUSTIN II 565-78)

D N I V S T I N V S P P A V G

ustin

and ophiaseated

l l Abov e, cross

unless

otherwise indicated)

N I C O M E D I A

HER A C L I A N HO A R D

D N I V S T I N V S P P A V C

ustin

l l Above, c

N O

C O N S T A N T I N O P L E

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

26

29

30

29

29/32

29

29

13.93i

12.90l

15.64

/

14.19

/

13.59t

12.851

14.49i

DN I V ST

THESSALONICA

31

32.

22

19/21

5.95J

5.14|

CON

Yr. IIOf f . T

I I

Above, P

;

cross between

heads

Yr. H

Off.

B 26b

Yr. i

Off.

A

Above,

29a

Yr. 4 l Off. A 32a

Yr. 4

Off.

A 34a

I I

Yr. X

Off.

B 38b

Date obscure. Off.

A

N V S P P A V

ustin

and ophia

seated

rv.

Above, cross

1

TG S

Yr.

G

66

Date

obscure.

Above,0

568/9

569/70

570/1

571/2

572/3

574/5

570/1

33. 29

13.33

Yr. 4

Of f .

A

34. 32 12.311 Yr. 4l O f f .

35. 812.10

Yr.

4lOf

36. 29 12.931 Yr. 4l Off.

Cross between

37.39

14.72

Yr.

4

Off

I I

38. 32

9.14

\. X

Of f .

A

1

K YZ

39. 28

13.15

t Yr. 4

Off.

I I I

ANTIOCH

T H G H P

40. 32

12.57

1 Yr. Hl Off.

41. 28

12.33

1

Yr. 4

Off.

T

I I

1

T H 6 H P

42. 29 11.39l Yr. X Off.

T


5/21

M

B

M

A

m

A

I

J

B

l

O

X

B

]

X

B

3d

3

3

5

SW

KNZDq

A

oA

GEB

HC

1

4

Y

I

4A

3

(b

Ao

5B

X

6

(

T

w

n

C

X

5*

YXA

]


6/21

118

52.* 32 11.62J

WILLIAM E. METCALF

X

Yr. X Off. obscure. 45 602

] R P P [ Overstruck

on

Tiberius II,Constantinople,

O f f .

T

Both

coinshave

t

instead

of the

usual above

M. The ANS

possesses

another with

t f rom

officina

G.

N I C O M E D I A

Armored bust plumed helmei

NIKO

53.32 11.29|

Yr

XOff.A lOOa 591/2

]GPP

Overstruck

on

Justi-

nian I,Cyzicus.

Consular

bust

trefoil on crown

l

l l

Above, cross

NTIO H

54.

29

11.46

55.29

12.61

THGHPS

Y r . I I I

OnTATCO[

Y r . I I

] TSC[ JSPPA7 I

154 584/5

155 585/6

HERACLIAN HOARD

56. 28

12.13

57. 30

59. 29

HERSON

60.

28

Y r . I I

H

j T ATPPV

11.94J

Y r . Q l l

MTIP[ ]TPP

M

Above

58.

28 11 84| Yr.

Nm HTI

9.34Yr

X

X

Same inscript

II To L,Theodosiu

long staff wi

10.6l/

Nomintmar

DNIQ[

ONST NTINOPLE

PHOCAS

60

Phocas and

Leontia

Above,

_L

CON


7/21

M

O

]

O

C

C

A

A

O

2

Gwm

AA

r

w

omm

ommA

C

K

6A

I

7

4

YB

I

sC

t

7

7

Y

l

B

]

Y

O

A

O

O

YO

]

Y

N

YA

YA

P

jA

A

T

74YH

i

J

C

7

8

9

Y

m

w

Q


8/21

122

WI LLI A M E. METCALF

I N T E R R E G N U M

608-10)

Heradius

and his

father

in

consular robes both crowned

M

Above,

cross

ALEXANDRETTA

G C N

74.* 27/29 12.32

l Yr. X

Off .

A

I N I

17

610

Its patination leavesnodoubt that this coinis an integral partof the

hoard, and the presenceof so

rare

an issue in the lot

suggests

thatno-

thing

has

been

withheld

from

it. The

variety with crowned busts

is

extremely

rarewhen

he

published DOC Vol.

II, Grierson

knew only

threeexamplesof it. This coinisfromthe sameobverse die sDO 17.

H ERA CLI U S

610-41)

Armored bust; cross

on

crown

l l

Above,

cross

CON

/ Yr. II Off. A

]hRACLI

Overstruck.

Y r. I I Off.

] P G R A V

Overstruck.

CONSTANTINOPLE

75.

27/29 10.14

76. 28 11.91 /

70c 611/2

d

HERACLLAN H O A RD F

Heradius and Heradius Con

M

Above,

77. 32 11.97| Y r. O f f .B

78. 30 12.74

79. 24/29 11.20

81. 34 12.23

82. 27

9.96

Inscription ob

Y r.

I I Of f .

l

Inscription ob

struck

on a

fo

Yr. 7, mint

ob

Y r.

Off .

A

l i

d d N N f

Overst

Phocas.

80.* 25/29 12.75 Yr. II Off .A

ddNNh GRAC

Yr. I I Off . A

I I

Mark abov e 1

]GRACONS[

O

follis of

Phoca

Yr. 7 off .B

Yr. II Off . T

I I

Mark aboveM

scription obscu


9/21

W

o

a

H

]

l

1

M

M

s

]

]

Y

I

]

Y

I

I

s

Y

]

O

P

7

(

H

9A

C

e

D

T

iMm

wm

Hw

2

f

Y

Y

Y

1

T

m

W

tMM

ow

F

AC

u

c

9

9

YA

6

Y

Im

1

O

PYO

A


10/21

126

WILLIAM E. METCALF

93.

31

9.92

94. 28/32 12.52 [

95. 23/26 7.41

96. 30

12.82 4

97.

29

13.39

\

29

12.42

99. 27

12.27

100. 30 12.09

Yr. H

Off.

B

Inscription

and

mark above

M

obscure. Overstruck

on

a

follis

of Phocas, Con-

stantinople.

Yr. H Off. obscure

] R A C O N .

Overstruckon a

follis

of

Phocas.

Yr. i

Off.

A

Cross above

1 1

Inscrip-

tion obscure; overstruck.

80b

80

81c 615/6

81d

r. Q

Off.

A

Cross above1 1

j G T h G R A q

Overstruck on a follis of

Phocas, Nicomedia

Yr . 4

Off.

A

Off.

A

Class2

613-5/6

Date, inscription andmark

above

1 1

obscure. Over-

struck on a follis of

Justin

II, ConstantinopleYr. 4.

Off. A

Cl a s s 2

Date and inscription ob-

scure. Overstruck on afol-

lis of Phocas, Nicomedia

Off.

A,perhaps Yr.1.

Class

2

Off.

Date

obscure.

]R

ACO[.

Overstruck

on a

follis

of

Constantinople.

Date, Off.

and

inscription

obscure. Overstruck on a

follis of

Phocas, Constanti-

nople Yr. 4 .

Off.

T

Class2

H E R A C L I A N HOARD

101. 30 11.36

Off. A

102. 30

11.071

103.

27

11.01

104. 28/30 11.00

105. 29

10.76

106. 30 10.00 t

Date and in

scure. Overs

Off.

T

Dateobscure.

Off.

B

Date and in

scure.Crossab

struck.

Off. G

Date

obscure.

Overs trucko

stantinople O

scure.

Off. B

Dateobscure

Overstruck

o

follis of Phoc

nople.

Date and

off

Twice

overstr

Maurice.

A date

II and

officina mark

are

visib

the rightleg of the denomination mark

another 1 1they probably do not acco

a third

1 1

and the cross above it, are

Heraclius

Heraclius onstantine

Above, cr

107. 26 8.60 Yr. Q l Off.B


11/21

M

B

wR

H

A

D

D

o3

A

N

w

H

D

9

C

Am

A

N

1

1

1

1

1

1

N

YA

I

sAC

s

YA

I

s

YA

]

J

C

Y

]

YB

]

OM

YB

]

O

HH

1

8

I

s


12/21

13 0

W I L L I A M

E.

ME T CA L F

123. 30 11.09 j Yr. II O ff. B 159b

I I

] J N N h [

Overst ruck.

124.3 13.46| O ff .B Class2 613-5/6

Dateand inscription obscure.

125. 31

11.29J

Of f. A Class 2

Date

and inscription ob-

scure.

Overstruck on Pho-

cas

Yr. 1.

Armored bust;

plume

on keimet

Above, cross

G Y Z I C U S

126. 31 11.08 j Yr. II Off . A 168b 611/2

J P e R P A V C

Overstruck.

Heraclius

Heraclius Constantine

and

Martina standing

l I Above, cross

C Y P R U S l

K V P R

127.

25 5.03| Yr. Hl

Off .

T 18 5

I I

U N C E R T A I N

128. 32 10.18/ M Above, cross. Yr.

I I

I I Off .

A

Obv . :

Tw o

standing figures.

H E R A C L I A N

H O A R D F

129.

32

130. 26

131. 20

132.

133.

134.

135.

136.

137.

138.

139.

140.

141.

142.

143.

27

35

32

30

28/30

29

33

30

29/37

30

25

30

1 2 4 6 l Obv. : Tw os t

Date,mint

a

scure.

6.90

?

Appears

to

figures on ea

4.40

l

K; beneath ,

th ree

s t andi

inscription.

XTR N O

A N O N Y M O U S

C L A S S

A-2

9

11.94

Bellinger, AN

14.14

V ar .26

12.11

i

V a r .

31

9.64Var .

39

14.07 Var .41

8.58

Var .

41

12.27 Uncertain

va

A N O N Y M O U S C L A S S B

ca

11.15J

10.66

l

10.42

9.32|

6.06|

Overstruck o

Overstruck

o

144. 28

145. 32

146. 26

147.

26

A N O N Y M O U S

C L A S S

C

1

10.74

\|

A N O N Y M O U S C L A S S

I

ca

4 6 |

4 33;


13/21

S

3

O

c

o

u

t

Q

O

,

C

5

O

O

V

3

u

o

^

W

^

a

S

u

S

a

5

o

'

U

v

1

t

n

O

HM

C

5

H

C

M3

S

I

f

A

t

o

i

A

p

i

TM

AA

C

T

N

C

A

S

C

A

C

C

O

im

7

2

2

58

1

0

1

1

1

0

5

1

1

2

4

1

4

1

1

0

0

0

3

2

4

1

1

6

1

0

2

0

0

1

7

8

M

w

S

tmm

GC

oH

R

oAm

z

dm

2N

4

E

BH

1


14/21


15/21

M

m

w

m

M

7

1

2

1

5

1

0

7

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

2

3

1

3

1

1

2

2

5

1

0

4

5

0

2

3

H

6

6

6

6

6

6

O

D

(

6

6

O

im

AM

0

1

0

0

0

1

3

3

5

C

0

1

4

1

3

1

0

1

0

1

1

0

8

T

1

4

4

8

5

4

4

3

8

2

1

1

3

(

(


16/21


17/21


18/21


19/21


20/21


21/21

Documents

A Heraclian hoard from Syria / William E. Metcalf