An Unpublished Cherson Mint Issue

CNG 99, Lot: 793. Estimate $2000. Sold for $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Maurice Tiberius, with Constantina and Theodosius. 582-602. Æ 8 Pentanummia – Follis (28mm, 10.38 g, 7h). Cherson mint. XЄP-CωNOC, Maurice and Constantina standing facing, neither with nimbus, holding globus cruciger and cruciform scepter, respectively; cross in field above / Theodosius standing facing, without nimbus, holding long cross; large H to right. DOC 300 var.; Anokhin –; MIBE 158a var.; SB 606 var. (all with cross in upper rev. field). Good VF, dark green patina, very minor surface cracks on reverse. Extremely rare variant.

Such anonymous types are commonly given to Maurice Tiberius based on similar coins which explicitly name the emperor. This attribution, however, is far from certain, and Hahn has reattributed the comparable issue with cross (MIBE 158a) to Phocas.