a heraclian hoard from syria / william e. metcalf
TRANSCRIPT
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8/9/2019 A Heraclian hoard from Syria / William E. Metcalf
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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
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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
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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
]
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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;
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2
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M
w
S
tmm
GC
oH
R
oAm
z
dm
2N
4
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BH
1
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M
m
w
m
M
7
1
2
1
5
1
0
7
0
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0
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6
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8
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1
1
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(
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