Description
Tiberius III ‘Apsimar’, Byzantine Emperor from 698-705 AD, Gold Solidus (4.39g, 20mm), struck at Constantinople mint. Obverse: Crowned and Cuirassed Bust of Tiberius III ‘Apsimar’ facing forward, his beard short, wielding his spear forward and shield, which bears a motif of a horseman spearing a fallen enemy, legend around, “D tIbЄRIЧS PЄ AV”. Reverse: Cross Potent set on three steps, legend around, “VICTORIA AVςЧ S”, “CONOB” in exergue. Sear-1360. Unfortunate reverse graffiti, otherwise a quite attractive and choice obverse; a somewhat scarcer Byzantine type. Details Extremely Fine / about Extremely Fine.
This gold Solidus of Tiberius III ‘Apsimar’ was struck during ‘the Twenty Years’ Anarchy’, a term used by modern scholars that refers to the time between the deposition of Emperor Justinian II in 695 to the ascent of Leo III ‘the Isaurian’ and the beginning of the Isaurian Dynasty in 717. The obverse Latin legend reads “Dominus Tiberius Perpetuus Augustus”, translating to “Lord Tiberius, Perpetual Augustus”. The reverse Latin legend reads “Victoria Augustorum” followed by the 6th officina letter “S”, translating to “Victory of the Augusti”.