The Roman Empire
Domitian


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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Coin Description:
Grade: NGC Gem MS Strike: 5/5 Surface: 5/5
Owner: Kohaku
 
Set Category: Ancients
Set Name: The Roman Empire
Slot Name: Domitian
Research: Currently not available

Owner's Description

According to legend, the Greek explorer Byzas of Megara founded the ancient city of Byzantine sometime in mid 7th century BC. Strategically located on the shores of a narrow channel linking the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, the city was frequently fought over in ancient times among the Greeks, the Persians, and, of course, the Romans. In 330 AD, Augustus Constantine chose the area as the site for the new capital of the Roman Empire, naming it Constantinople. Afterwards, the city would evolve into the center of Eastern Roman Empire, which then transitioned into the Byzantine Empire. These latter terms are modern descriptors with ill-defined delineations (those living in Constantinople - locale notwithstanding - continued to consider themselves Romans for many centuries). According to attribution by NGC Ancients, Zeno was the last Eastern Roman Emperor, and Anastasius I the first Augustus of the Byzantine Empire. Anastasius was born in lands today refered to as the Balkans, probably around 430 AD. With one eye colored blue and the other black, he earned the nickname Dicorus, or two-pupiled. His family had some standing in the Empire, and, as such, Anastasius served in Augustus Zeno’s court as a silentarius (a palace official). When Zeno died heirless in 491 AD, the Augusta Ariadne was called upon to select a successor, and she decided on Anastasius. Ariadne’s rationale was not entirely clear, although Anastasius had a reputation as an effective financial minister, and would soon prove up to the task of ruling an Empire. The two married soon after the ascension. During his reign, Anastasius employed his expertise in finances to the benefit of the Empire. He issued a remission of taxation, and enacted a coinage reform, involving three denominations of gold (the solidus and its half and third) and five of copper (the follis, worth 40 nummi and various fractions down to a individual nummus). This coin is an example solidus struck in Constantinople during Anastasius’ reign. The design is typical for the period. The obverse depicts the helmeted and cuirassed bust of the Emperor, three-quarters facing to the right, holding a spear and shield. On close examination, it can be seen the shield bears the image of a horseman spearing a fallen enemy, a favorite theme on the coinage of Costantine’s sons. On the reverse stands Victory with a staff, once again a common design for the period’s gold coinage. Naturally, Anastasius had more to deal with than the Empire’s finances. He fought a bitter war against the Persians in the first decade of the sixth century AD, finally achieving an uneasy truce. Afterwards, Anastasius built a formidable wall to protect Constantinople, spanning between two seas (the Marmara and the Euxine). He also dealt with usurpers, most notably Longinus, the brother of Zeno, who insisted that he was rightful heir to the throne. In addition, there was strife among the various Christian doctrines that were competing at the time. Despite such challenges, Anastasius succeeded in the transition from palace official to Augustus, and reigned for twenty-seven years, until his death by natural causes. Anastasius' greatest achievement would, appropriately, also serve as his legacy: an accumulation of 320,000 pounds of gold in the Empire’s coffers. Coin Details: BYZANTINE EMPIRE, Anastasius I, 491-518 AD, Gold Solidus (4.48 g), Constantinople, NGC Grade: Gem MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust, three-quarters facing to right, holding spear over shoulder and shield decorated with horseman spearing a fallen enemy, D N ANASTA-SIVS P P AVG, Reverse: Victory standing left, holding staff surmounted by reversed P; star in left field; mintmark officina Z, CONOB in exergu45020 Aviation Drive . Dulles, Virginia 20166 e, References: DOC I 7e; MIB 7; SB 5.

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