THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST ON COINAGE

18621. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. JUSTINIAN II, FIRST REIGN, AD 685-695. Gold solidus, 4.35 g, 19 mm. Issue of Constantinople officina ?.

Obv. IhS CRISTOS RЄX REgNANTIЧM, bust of bearded Christ Pantocrator, facing, holding the Gospels and raising his right hand in benediction. Rev. D IЧSTINIANЧS SЄRЧ Ch[RIST], Justinian standing, facing, wearing loros and holding cross potent on a twostepped base, CONOP in exergue. Sear, 1248.

NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 3/5, Surface 4/5, “clipped”. During Justinian’s “First Reign” Christ appears for the first time on coinage, shown as a bearded man with the traits of a classical philosopher, accompanied by the legend “Rex Regnantium” (“King of Kings”). The great French numismatist Guy Lacam has referred to this bearded portrait as the “Christ of the Ascension and Redemption.”

18630. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. ROMANUS III, AD 1028-1034. Gold histamenon nomisma, 4.41 g, 23 mm. Issue of Constantinople.

$ 4250

Obv. +IhS XIS RЄX RЄGNANTIЧM, Christ enthroned, facing, holding the Gospels and raising his right hand in benediction. Rev. ΘCE ΒΟΗΘ ΡωΜΑΝω, Virgin standing on right, facing, crowning Romanus on left, Μ - Θ above. Sear, 1819.

NGC graded CHOICE XF, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5.

$ 1250

18623. BYZANTINE EMPIRE. THEODORA, AD 1055-1056. Gold tetarteron nomisma, 4.05 g, 19 mm. Issue of Constantinople. Obv. Bust of Christ Pantocrator, facing, holding the Gospels and raising his right hand in benediction, IC - XC in fields. Rev. + ΘЄOΔ AVC, bust of Theodora, facing, wearing crown with pendilia and loros, holding jeweled scepter and globus cruciger. Sear, 1838.

NGC graded XF STAR, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, a rare and desirable portrait of a Byzantine empress. $ 3750