Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 1656. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $5500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THEODOSIUS III of Adramytium. 715-717 AD. AR Hexagram (3.05 g, 7h). Constantinople mint. dN thEO[dO SIUS] MUL A, crowned facing bust, with short beard, holding patriarchal globus and akakia / VICTORI AVSU, cross potent on three steps; B/CONOB. DOC II 2 note (referring to Tolstoi 13); Yannopoulos pp. 53 and 84; MIB III 12; SB 1491. EF, toned, a few insignificant flan flaws. Struck from solidus dies. Extremely rare. ($5000)

As pointed out by Yannopoulos, the extremely rare silver coins dating from the second reign of Justinian II to Theodosius are called "hexagrams" only as a matter of convenience; they do not adhere to the hexagram weight standard, and are almost always struck from solidus dies. They are a late "ceremonial" silver coinage with a very small mintage.