Rare Trebizond Aspron Trachy

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 1115. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $3000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Andronicus I Gidon. Emperor of Trebizond, 1222-1235. AR Aspron Trachy (2.97 g, 6h). The Theotokos, nimbate, standing facing, right hand placed on her chest, left hand raised in benediction; MHP monogram and QV flanking head, star to left / Christ Chalkites: Christ, nimbate, standing facing, right hand placed on his chest, holding Gospels in left; IC XC flanking head, O/X/A/L to left, K/H/(TH monogram)/C to right. S. Bendall, “A Further Note on a Possible Early Coinage of the Empire of Trebizond”, NumCirc CXIV.4 (August 2006), fig. 1; cf. S. Bendall, “An Early Coinage of the ‘Empire’ of Trebizond?”, NumCirc CX.3 (June 2002), 1 = DOC IV pl. XXXVII, El. 1 = SB 2148 for a similar piece; Triton X, lot 869. EF. Very well struck with no flat spots. Very rare.

Christ Chalkites was a highly venerated icon that was located in the vestibule of the Imperial Palace in Constantinople, which gave it a close association with the emperor. Representations of this icon are found in two forms, an earlier one with Christ raising his right hand in benediction, and a later form with Christ placing his right hand on his chest. The latter is found on a number of Byzantine issues, such as the histamena of Theodora and folles of Constantine X.

This coin belongs to a very rare issue that was originally attributed to Nicaea in DOC, but S. Bendall's analysis (op. cit. above) of two groups of these coins reveals that they are actually early issues of Trebizond under Andronicus I Gidon.