Triton XVII, Lot: 831. Estimate $2000. Sold for $3000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Tiberius II Constantine. 578-582. AR Siliqua (20mm, 2.26 g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck late 578. ∂ m COSTAN TINVS P P AC, helmeted, diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / GLORIA RO MANORVM, Tiberius standing facing, holding spear in left hand and globus cruciger in right; COB. DOC –; MIBE V19 (same rev. die as illustration); SB –. Good VF, minor scratches. Extremely rare – the second known.

Silver coinage saw only marginal production and circulation in the Byzantine world. In the eastern part of the empire, silver coins were struck only sporadically, primarily as ceremonial issues, as was this coin. These were usually miliarenses and siliquae and were struck to either a heavy standard of 60 miliarenses to the pound or a light standard of 72 to the pound. Meanwhile, the denominations in the west evolved from the old Vandalic system, which relied heavily on silver coins. The smaller half and quarter siliquae, at 288 and 864 to the pound, respectively, were struck and widely circulated there.