Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 1635. Estimate $1500.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $4250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CONSTANS II. 641-668 AD. AV Solidus (4.31 g, 6h). Syracuse mint. Dated IY 15 (641/2 AD). dN CONSTAN TINUS PP AV, narrow, crowned facing bust, holding globus cruciger / VICTORIA AVGU, cross potent on three steps; D IE/CONOB. DOC II -; Spahr -; MIB II -; SB -. Good VF, scratch on reverse, slight clipping. Rare and important. ($1500)

This previously unknown Syracusan solidus forms the terminus for a brief run of Indictional dated gold that began under Heraclius with IY 5 (631/2 AD) - SB 881D - and continued through IY 14 (640/1 AD) - SB 881E. Its narrow-faced portrait parallels the issues of Constantinople which have been attributed with some reservation to the brief reign of Heraclonas. See Triton VII, lot 1100, and Triton VIII, lot 1371, for similar Constantinopolitan solidi. Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas were Heraclius' designated successors, and they may have continued the indictional dating formula until Heraclius Constantine's untimely death in May 641 and Heraclonas' dismissal in September of the same year. Since that would represent the end of the 15th Indictional year, Constans may have decided to eliminate the IY dating on the Syracuse issues.