1. Artemide Aste
  2. Artemide LVI (23 - 24 ottobre 2021)
  3. The Byzantine Empire
Appealing Rare Dynastic Issue
Lot 497:
Constans II, with Constantine IV, Heraclius, and Tiberius. (641-668). AR Half Siliqua, Carthage mint, 662-668 AD. Obv. Crowned, draped, and cuirassed facing busts of Constans II and Constantine IV; cross between. Rev. Crowned, draped, and cuirassed facing busts of Heraclius and Tiberius. D.O. 133; MIB 158; Sear 1052. AR. 0.58 g. 12.00 mm. RR. Very rare and in excellent condition for issue. Prettily toned. Good VF. The Chinese dynastic histories of the Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang mention several embassies made by Fu lin (拂菻), which they equated with Daqin (the Roman Empire). These are recorded as having begun in the year 643 with an embassy sent by the king Boduoli (波多力, Constans II Pogonatos) to Emperor Taizong of Tang, bearing gifts such as red glass and green gemstones. Other contacts are reported taking place in 667, 701, and perhaps 719, sometimes through Central Asian intermediaries. These histories also record that the Arabs (Da shi 大食) sent their commander "Mo-yi" (摩拽伐之), to besiege the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, and forced the Byzantines to pay them tribute. This Arab commander "Mo-yi" was identified by historian Friedrich Hirth as Muawiyah I (r. 661–680), the governor of Syria before becoming the Umayyad caliph. The same books also described Constantinople in some detail as having massive granite walls and a water clock mounted with a golden statue of man. The Byzantine historian Theophylact Simocatta, writing during the reign of Heraclius (r. 610–641), relayed information about China's geography, its capital city Khubdan, its current ruler Taisson whose name meant "Son of God" (Tianzi), and correctly pointed to its reunification by the Sui Dynasty (581–618) as occurring during the reign of Maurice, noting that China had previously been divided politically along the Yangzi River by two warring nations.
(Wikipedia).
Start price € 500
Current price € 750
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