Sale: CNG 66, Lot: 1724. Estimate $500.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2004.  Sold For $550. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

HERACLIUS, with HERACLIUS CONSTANTINE. 610-641 AD. AV Light Weight Solidus of 22 Siliquae (4.06 gm). Constantinople mint. Struck 613-616 AD. Crowned and draped facing busts of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine / Cross potent on three steps; E//OB+*. DOC II 12; MIB III 59; SB 775. Lustrous EF, graffiti in reverse fields. ($500)

Both obverse and reverse die show signs of extensive die rust, and the reverse is a regular full weight solidus die that has had the exergue re-cut from CONOB to OB+*. Obviously a pair of worn regular series dies was recovered and put back into production for the striking of the enigmatic reduced solidi.