Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 1653. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $5000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ANASTASIUS II (Artemius). 713-715 AD. AV Tremissis (1.28 g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck 713 AD. DN ANASTA[SIUS MULTUS AN], crowned facing bust, holding globus cruciger and akakia / VICTORIA AVSUS, cross potent; CONOB. DOC II 1; MIB III 6; SB 1466. Good VF, edge crimped. Extremely rare, the second and finest known. ($1000)

Both the semissis and tremissis of Anastasius II without his given name, Artemius, are known from unique published specimens; the only other tremissis is in the Dumbarton Oaks collection. Artemius was protasekretis, or chief of staff of the imperial court at the time of the overthrow of Philippicus on 3 June 713, and appears to have gained the throne solely due to the lack of another viable candidate. He took the throne name of Anastasius upon his coronation the next day. Judging by their extremely rarity, coins with his throne name alone may have been produced for only a few weeks or even days. The Constantinople mint quickly went over to the standard "Artemius Anastasius" type, although the western mints were more flexible in their legend construction. Anastasius II proved an energetic ruler during his brief reign, preparing for the looming conflict with Arab armies in Asia Minor, but the still-disaffected Opsikion troops deposed him after less then two years in favor of the non-entity Theodosius of Adramyttium. Anastasius fled to sanctuary at a monastery in Thessalonica, but in 719 returned to Constantinople at the head of a mercenary army of Bulgars. The fratricidal confrontation between Anastasius and Leo III was headed off when the Bulgars betrayed him to Leo, who had him beheaded.