THE COINAGE OF HERACLIUS

AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF the Roman Empire in the West (476 CE), the Eastern Empire, with its capital at Constantinople, survived for another 977 years. We call that empire "Byzantine", but it called itself Roman, or rather Romaion, because its language was Greek, and its faith was Orthodox Christian.

Much of the credit for this survival goes to Heraclius (or Herakleios), who began his career as a rebel against a brutal tyrant, and ended it by founding a dynasty that endured four tumultuous generations.

The complex coinage of Heraclius is mostly common and affordable, offering endless challenge and delight for collectors. In 1982, the late great numismatist Philip Grierson wrote, "…the coins are of such slovenly fabric that they have been little sought after by collectors (p. 85)." The growing number of enthusiastic Byzantine collectors,and the strong bids these coins often bring at auction, indicate how this has changed.

To read the complete article, see:
CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series - Heraclius: The Greatest Emperor You've Never Heard of (https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/coinweek-ancient-coin-series-heraclius-the-greatest-emperor-youve-never-heard-of/)

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