Item number: A4637

Reference number: BCV#738; Grierson#273

Year: AD 613-625

Material: Gold

Size: 17.0 x 17.3 mm

Weight: 4.48 g record

Manufactured by: Constantinople mint, First Workshop

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2025

This is a solidus struck at Constantinople by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius during the period of AD 613 to 641.

The obverse features two frontal busts: Heraclius on the left and his son, Constantine III, on the right. Both wear cruciform crowns and are draped in a chlamys, signifying their status as co-emperors, with a cross potent positioned in the field between them. The bust of Constantine III is smaller and his crown is of a simpler design, identifying the specimen as a Class IIb gold coin. The circumscription, “DD NN HERACLIUS ET HERA CONST PP AVG,” translates to “Our Lords Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine (Constantine III), Perpetual Augusti.” The reverse depicts a cross potent set upon a three-stepped base. The surrounding legend reads “VICTORIA AVGV,” followed by the letter “A,” signifying the “Victory of the Augusti” and the first officina. While some commentators suggest the terminal “A” may be an abbreviated regnal date for year 11 (IA), this interpretation conflicts with other historical records and remains a subject for further investigation. In the exergue, “CON” denotes the mint of Constantinople, while “OB” represents obryzum, certifying the coin’s composition of refined gold.

In AD 608, Heraclius joined his father, the Exarch of Africa, in initiating a rebellion against Emperor Phocas. Following the capture of Constantinople and the execution of Phocas in AD 610, Heraclius was crowned Emperor. His reign was largely defined by the existential threats posed by the Sasanian Empire to Asia Minor and Egypt. He launched several successful counter-offensives, reclaiming Jerusalem and recovering the True Cross; his campaigns penetrated the Sasanian heartland, forcing the Persians to evacuate occupied territories and earning him great acclaim throughout the Christian world. However, the exhaustive wars with Persia caused him to overlook the rising Islamic power in the Arabian Peninsula. By the time of his death, the burgeoning Arab forces had already annexed the Empire’s provinces in Egypt and Syria.

However, the prolonged wars with Persia led to Heraclius neglecting the rising Islamic forces in the Arabian Peninsula. By the time of Heraclius’s death, the emerging Arabs had already seized the empire’s territories in Egypt and Syria.

The True Cross: It is rumoured to be the cross on which Jesus died. Since the 4th century, the legend of the True Cross has been prevalent among Christians, and it is considered one of the important relics with miraculous powers.

物件編號: A4637

參考書目編號: BCV#738; Grierson#273

年代: 公元 613-625 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 17.0 x 17.3 mm

重量: 記錄為 4.48 g

製造地: 君士坦丁堡造幣廠，第一作坊

來源: 福君錢幣 2025

這是一枚公元613至641年，時任拜占庭帝國皇帝的希拉克略於君士坦丁堡鑄造的索利都斯金幣。

金幣正面的兩個人像，從左至右是希拉克略和兒子君士坦丁三世。父子頭戴十字架皇冠和身著櫛孔扇貝斗篷，象徵兩人是帝國的共治皇帝，兩人之間的空隙以拐杖十字架為飾。君士坦丁三世頭像較小，皇冠簡略，屬於二型B類金幣。外圈的拉丁銘文「DD NN HERACLIUS ET HERA CONST PP AVG」，意為「我主 希拉克略和希拉克略·君士坦丁(君士坦丁三世) 永恆(的)奧古斯都」。金幣背面是釘上耶穌的各各他十字架，周圍的拉丁銘文是「勝利 奧古斯都們 第一作坊」，字尾符號「A」是一的意思。有論者認為可能是紀年符號「11/IA」的省寫，但與其他史料扞格，詳情待考。下方「CON」是君士坦丁堡，也就是金幣鑄造地點的簡稱，「OB」表示以赤(純)金打造。

公元608年，希拉克略跟隨擔任阿非利加總督的父親，發起針對皇帝福卡斯的叛亂。公元610年，攻克首都君士坦丁堡和處死福卡斯後，希拉克略加冕為新任拜占庭皇帝。希拉克略在位期間，主要面對波斯薩珊王朝針對小亞細亞和埃及的威脅，他組織數次反攻，攻克耶路薩冷奪回真十字架外，甚至深入薩珊王朝腹地，迫使波斯放棄佔領的領土而得到基督教徒的推崇。不過連年和波斯的戰爭，卻導致其忽略阿拉伯半島日益崛起的伊斯蘭勢力。希拉克略駕崩之際，新興的阿拉伯人已經奪去帝國在埃及和敘利亞的領土。

希拉克略對內則持續深化希臘文化的影響力，他是首位自稱「巴西琉斯」頭銜即希臘語中的皇帝，並且奠定希臘語為官方語言。希拉克略的希臘化政策也深切影響日後巴爾幹半島的宗教和文化地貌。

真十字架: 傳聞是耶穌死時被釘上的十字架，自公元4世紀起，真十字架就開始盛行於基督徒的傳說中，具有神奇的力量是重要聖物之一。