Preview
Creation Date
969–976
Geography
Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey)
Culture
Byzantine
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
21 mm
0.078 oz. (2.2 g)
Credit Line
Gift of Brad Hostetler, 2022
Accession Number
2022.31
Provenance
Purchased by Brad Hostetler from Fotios Ioakeim (Limassol, Cyprus) on February 18, 2020.
Condition
The obverse is worn, and the facial details of the emperor and parts of the cross are faded. The writing is very faded and worn, and the scratching around the lines of the writing contributes to the difficulty in identifying the letters on the coin. The coin is extremely thin, and the silver is very soft, so the coin is scratched around the relief. The reverse is scratched, the letters are worn, and the scratches stay between the lines of writing. The minting is more visible on the obverse of the coin and is in relatively good condition. - Zoe Zehnder (’26), December 2022
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
Obverse:
+IWAnnI|EnX•WAVTO|CRAT,EVSEb’|bASILEVS|RWMAIW’
John, in Christ, Autokrator, Pious Emperor of the Romans
Reverse:
+IhSYSXRI STYSnICA❉
Jesus Christ is victorious
References
Grierson, Philip. 1973. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, vol. 3, Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717–1081. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, no. 7, p. 596.
Description
This silver miliaresion was minted in Constantinople during the reign of John I Tzimiskes (969–976). The coin's obverse contains the most text but is indecipherable because of the wear; it should read “John, in Christ, Autokrator, Pious Emperor of the Romans” (Grierson 1973, pp. 596–598). On the reverse, there is a front facing bust of a bearded John. He is depicted within a circle at the center of a cross on steps, wearing a loros and a crown with a cross on top. The inscription surrounding the image reads, “Jesus Christ victorious.” The loros, one of the most distinctive and essential ceremonial imperial costumes, is the long, narrow embroidered cloth that wraps around the torso and covers the body while it rests over the left arm (Galavaris 1958, p. 106). This garment is based on the trabea triumphalis of Roman consuls and was an integral part of imperial portraits (Galavaris 1958, pp. 101-106).
This particular coin was minted in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). It is a miliaresion, a silver denomination, valued at 1/12th of the gold solidus, and equal to 24 folles (Grierson 1999, p. 44). Its fluctuating value in this period meant that silver coins were becoming more accessible to all civilians of the Byzantine Empire. In the era in which it was used, it was primarily used for the needs of the state, such as collecting taxes. The greater availability and circulation of these coins allowed for the propaganda of the imperial figures to be widely spread. The coin makes a lasting image of John I and accentuates his status within the empire. The silver denomination of this coin made the image of John I widely accessible to all citizens in the empire; the coinage solidifies his image as a Roman emperor.
The miliaresion of John I’s predecessor, Nicephorus II Phokas, implements much of the same or similar imagery on the coin's reverse (Grierson 1973, pl. XLI, nos. 6.1, 6.12). They are both depicted wearing similar clothing, the loros and the crown topped with a cross (Grierson 1973, p. 585). The coins share a similarity in propaganda messaging, including the religious motifs connecting the emperor to divine right. The cross, the crown, and the loros are all images that are present in both coins and emphasize the connection between the crown and the faith of the empire. The loros elevates the emperor to a god-like status and associates the imperial figure with the word of God (Galavaris, pp. 101–109). The crown is the emperor’s crown with a cross atop.
Bibliography
Dumbarton Oaks. 2022a. “The Imperial Image.” In God’s Regents on Earth: A Thousand Years of Byzantine Imperial Seals. Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Collection. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://www.doaks.org/resources/online-exhibits/gods-regents-on-earth-a-thousand-years-of-byzantine-imperial-seals/the-imperial-image
Dumbarton Oaks. 2022b. “John I Tzimiskes (969-976).” In God’s Regents on Earth: A Thousand Years of Byzantine Imperial Seals. Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Collection. Accessed December 1, 2022. https://www.doaks.org/resources/online-exhibits/gods-regents-on-earth-a-thousand-years-of-byzantine-imperial-seals/rulers-of-byzantium/john-i-969201376
Galavaris, George P. 1958. “The Symbolism of the Imperial Costume as Displayed on Byzantine Coins,” American Numismatic Society Museum Notes 8: 99–117.
Grierson, Philip. 1973. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, vol. 3, Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717–1081. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Grierson, Philip. 1999. Byzantine Coinage. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Morrisson, Cécile, and Jean-Claude Cheynet. 2001. “Prices and Wages in the Byzantine World.” In The Economic History of Byzantium: From the Seventh Through the Fifteenth Century, ed. Angeliki E. Laiou, 815–878. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Zoe Zehnder (’26) for ARHS 110 (Fall 2022)