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Romanus II, AV Solidus, 959, Constantinople
+IhS XIS REX REGNANTIVM
Facing busts of Christ, wearing nimbus cruciger, two pellets in each limb of cross, pallium and
colobium, right hand raised in
benediction, book of Gospels in left
O n ZZAnt' CE ROmA'n' AmVVVV
Facing busts of Constantine VII, with short beard on left, and Romanus II, beardless on right, each wearing crown, holding long patriarchal
cross with pellet on shaft and globus on base between them, Constantine wearing
loros, Romanus wearing chlamys, pellet to right of cross base
19mm x 20mm, 4.35g
SB --; DOC III -- (cf. DOC 15 of Constantine VII); F. Füeg, "Vom Umgang
mit Zufall und Wahrscheinlichkeit in der Numismatischen Forschung,"SNR
76 (1997), Plate IV, B4
Notes from a similar example from different dies sold by CNG, Triton IX, Lot 1661, January
2006: Füeg places this issue, which continues the previous issue under
the joint reign with Constantine VII, in the early days of the sole reign of
Romanus II, who succeeded his father after a tumultuous reign of 46 years.
The dies are re-used solidus dies of Constantine, but with the reverse
legend obliterated by over-cutting. Romanus is reputed to have had scant
interest in governing, leaving the administration of the empire to his
wife, Theophano, and a group of advisors led by Joseph Bringas. There
seems to have been little incentive to produce a coinage in the name of
this ineffectual ruler, his only other solidi being two rare types, both
of which were thought to survive in unique specimens at the time the DOC
catalogue was compiled. They are in any case the last solidi struck before
the introduction of the tetarteron by Nicephorus II.
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