Tiberius II Constantine. 578-582. Æ Follis (36mm, 15.29 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. Dated RY 5 (AD 578/9). VF.

Keystone 17 – The W. Toliver Besson Collection
Lot: 316. Estimated: $ 75

Byzantine, Bronze

Sold For $ 120. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Tiberius II Constantine. 578-582. Æ Follis (36mm, 15.29 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. Dated RY 5 (AD 578/9). Crowned facing bust, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and scepter surmounted by eagle supporting cross / Large M, cross above; A/N/N/O - Ч (date) across field; CONB. DOC 11b; MIBE 25; SB 430. Dark red and earthen-brown patina, some roughness and cleaning scratches. VF.

From the W. Toliver Besson Collection. Ex Andre Constantine Dimitriadis Collection (Heritage 3035, 3 September 2014), lot 32215 (part of).

A talented soldier, Tiberius II Constantine strove hard to stem the tide of defeat and invasion on all imperial fronts. With military resources limited, the Slavs pushing into Greece, the Lombards laying siege to Ravenna, and the Persians invading Armenia, he had his hands full. Temporarily buying off the Slavs and Lombards, he concentrated on the Persian front and was rewarded when his general Maurice won a notable victory. Free-spending where Justin had been overly frugal, Tiberius seems to have tried an early version of "stimulus spending" which nearly bankrupted the state. Charismatic and affable, Tiberius perhaps deserved a longer reign, but fell ill after eating some poorly prepared (or possibly poisoned) food. He died after naming his protege Maurice as his successor.

Closing Date and Time: 22 July 2026 at 11:45:00 ET.



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