Item number: A257

Year: AD 1071-1078

Material: Electrum (Gold with Silver)

Size: 27.1 x 27.0 x 0.7 mm

Weight: 4.35 g

Manufactured by: Constantinople mint

Provenance: Coincraft 2018

This is a Histamenon nomisma coin minted during the reign of Emperor Michael VII between AD 1071 and AD 1078. During Michael VII’s rule, the gold content of the currency steadily decreased. Unlike in the past when coins were made of pure gold, they were now crafted using electrum, a mixture of gold and silver.

The coin has a cup-shaped appearance, with a Christ half-length bust on the convex side. Christ is depicted with a long beard, gesturing with his right hand in a prayer gesture while holding a Gospel book in his left hand. Behind Christ is a halo representing divinity, with five dots adorning each arm of the cross. The Greek letters “IC XC” on either side of Christ represent “Jesus Christ.” Above the letters is a horizontal bar, symbolising the halo of divinity.

On the concave side, at the centre, is Emperor Michael VII dressed in the new style court robe developed by the Byzantine Empire in the Middle Ages, called the “Loros,” a narrow robe adorned with embroidered grid patterns. He wears a crown decorated with crosses and pendants known as “Pendilia.” In his right hand, the emperor holds a Roman military standard transformed into the “labarum,” a Christianised symbol, while his left hand supports a globe with a cross. The Greek inscription around the periphery reads “MIXAHΛ RACIΛO Δ,” meaning “Michael Ducas Emperor,” denoting the emperor’s name and title.

In the mid-10th century, there was a transformation in the Byzantine solidus coin system, transitioning into two denominations: the “Histamenon” in Greek, representing the “standard,” and the “Tetarteron,” which weighed only one-fourth of the solidus. Concurrently, the Byzantine Empire began minting coins in a concave shape, referred to by numismatists as “Scyphate” (cup-shaped) coins due to their appearance.

The craftsmanship required to produce cup-shaped coins was highly intricate, making it difficult for outsiders to replicate, perhaps serving as a motivation for minting them. The process involved placing a metal blank between the concave and convex dies on a coining press, initially striking the central portrait on both sides. Subsequently, the dies for the emperor’s name and title around the periphery were applied. Due to the curvature of the coining press, the images and inscriptions on the coins might suffer from irregularities or blurriness caused by uneven pressure.

In AD 1067, following the death of his father, Constantine X, Michael VII’s mother was compelled to marry the general Romanos under the threat of the army, who soon proclaimed himself as Romanos IV. However, in AD 1071, Romanos IV was captured by the Seljuk Turks in the Battle of Manzikert, and the throne returned to the hands of Michael VII.

During Michael VII’s reign, the Byzantine Empire faced severe economic crises and internal rebellions. In AD 1078, Michael VII was overthrown by his own generals and subsequently exiled to a monastery, where he remained until his death.

物件編號: A257

年代: 公元 1071-1078 年

材質: 琥珀金

尺寸: 27.1 x 27.0 x 0.7 mm

重量: 4.35 g

製造地: 君士坦丁堡造幣廠

來源: 錢幣工藝 2018

這是公元1071至1078年，時任皇帝的米海爾七世鑄造的希斯塔麥倫金幣。米海爾七世統治時期，貨幣的含金量不斷下降，不再像過去使用赤(純)金，而是以摻加白銀的琥珀金作為原料。

金幣的外表為杯狀，作為正面的凸面是蓄長鬍的基督半身胸像，右手比劃祈禱手勢，左手托著一本福音書。基督背後是代表神性的十字光圈，十字的每邊都有五顆圓點作為裝飾。基督兩側的希臘文「IC XC」代表「耶穌基督」。單字上方的一條橫槓，則是象徵神性的光圈。

作為背面的凹面，正中央是皇帝米海爾七世，身穿拜占庭帝國在中世紀發展的新式朝袍，名叫「洛羅斯」的繡花網格狀窄長袍。並戴著以十字架和名為「彭迪利亞」吊墜裝飾的皇冠。皇帝的右手持著羅馬軍旗演變而來，帶有基督教色彩的「拉布蘭旗」，左手則捧著有十字架的地球儀。外圍的希臘文銘文「MIXAHΛ RACIΛO Δ」意思是「米海爾·杜卡斯 皇帝」，即皇帝的名諱和頭銜。

公元10世紀中葉，拜占庭的索利都斯金幣體系出現變化，變革為希臘語代表「標準」的「希斯塔麥倫」，和重量僅四分之一的「特塔特倫」兩種幣值。同一時間，拜占庭開始將硬幣鑄造為弧形，錢幣學家按其外觀稱為「杯狀」硬幣。製作杯狀錢幣的工藝非常繁雜，外人難以仿造或許就是鑄造的動機。需要將金屬板放置於凹面和凸面的機床間，先打印雙面中央的人像模具。接著，才是外圍的皇帝名字和頭銜模具。由於機床具備弧度，因此錢幣的圖像和銘文多少會因受力不均，產生缺漏或模糊現象。

公元1067年，米哈爾七世的父親君士坦丁十世過世後，他的母親在軍隊威脅下被迫嫁給羅曼努斯將軍，不久後者便自立為羅曼努斯四世。不過公元1071年，羅曼努斯四世在曼齊刻爾特戰役遭到塞爾柱土耳其人俘虜，皇位又重新回到米哈爾七世之手。米哈爾七世在位期間，帝國面對嚴重的經濟危機和叛亂。公元1078年，米哈爾七世遭到手下的將領推翻，就此流放至修道院直到逝世。