![BYZANTINE. Phocas, Solidus, 602-610 AD [ARB-50] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ARB-50-3.jpg)
Description
Phōkás (Phocas), Byzantine Usurper Emperor succeeding the Justinian Dynasty 602-610 AD, Gold Solidus (4.44g, 21mm), Constantinople mint 602-610 AD, fifth Officina “Є”. Obverse: Draped and cuirassed bust of Phocas facing, wearing Imperial Crown and holding globus cruciger aloft in right hand, legend surrounds, “∂N FOCAS PЄRP AVC”. Reverse: Angel stands facing, draped and with wings spread, holding long staff surmounted by staurogram (tau-rho) in right hand and globus cruciger in left, exergual-ground line below, mintmark and fineness “CON OB” in exergue, legend surrounds, “VICTORIA AVÇЧ Є”. Sear-618; DOC-5. Some minor graffiti in the shape of an “O” each side and struck with rusty dies, else a bold portrait and lustrous, Extremely Fine, reverse near Extremely Fine.
The obverse Latin legend reads “Dominus Noster, Focas, Perpetuus Augustus”, with an English translaton of “Our Lord, Focas, the perpetual Augustus”. The reverse Latin legend reads “Victōria Augustōrum” followed by the 5th officina letter “Є”, with an English translation of “Victory of the Augusti”. The Latin in the reverse exergue reads “Cōnstantīnopolis, obryzum”, with an English translation of “of the city of Constantinople, pure gold” – this had an unabridged meaning of “minted in the city of Constantinople, 1/72 of a Roman Pound of pure gold”, as “OB” was short for the Latin “obryzum” as well as the Greek numerals for “72”.
