From about 970 the Byzantine emperors stopped putting their own name and face on bronze coins and showed Christ instead, naming him ‘King of Kings’. These anonymous folles were made for over a century. This class is attributed to the reign of Basil II, known as ‘the Bulgar-Slayer’.
Castings, Coins
KM-982 Byzantine Christ Pantokrator Anonymous Follis
$15.25
Gold overlay casting pendant. Obverse: facing bust of Christ with a cross behind his head, holding the Gospels. Reverse: a four-line Greek inscription, +IhSUS XRISTUS bASILEU bASILE (‘Jesus Christ, King of Kings’). Inscriptions explained: +IhSUS XRISTUS bASILEU bASILE is Greek written in mixed letters: ‘Jesus Christ, King of Kings’.
