Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 1406. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Monday, 10 January 2005.  Sold For $5250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ARTAVASDUS, with Nicephorus. 742-743 AD. AR Miliaresion (1.75 gm, 12h). Constantinople mint. IhSUS XRIS TUS nICA, cross potent on three steps / ARTAUASDOS S NIChFOROS EC Q EU bASILIS+ in six lines. DOC II 6; SB 1545. VF, toned, light scratches, patches of horn silver, double struck. One of the rarest miliaresia in the Byzantine series. ($2000)

From the Malcolm W. Heckman Collection. Ex William J. Conte Collection (Baldwin's 2, 5 October 1994), lot 86.

Artavasdus the Armenian, a close associate of Leo III, assisted in the overthrow of Theodosius III and later married Leo's daughter. We do not know the details, but apparently Artavasdus felt this closeness gave him a say in the succession. When Leo died, leaving Constantine V as his sole heir, Artavasdus rose in revolt, chased Constantine into Asia Minor, and ousted the iconoclast faction in Constantinople. Constantine's position in Asia was too strong, however, and in little over a year he had crushed the usurper's forces and re-entered Constantinople. Except for a few extremely rare gold coins, Artavasdus always associated his son Nicephorus on the coinage, and was clearly intent on founding a new dynasty. His dreams ended in the Hippodrome, where he and his son had their eyes put out.