Coins and Antiquities Consignment Shop
  10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!! Please Call Us If You Have Questions 252-646-1958 Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! All Items Purchased From Forum Ancient Coins Are Guaranteed Authentic For Eternity!!! Internet Challenged? We Are Happy To Take Your Order Over The Phone 252-646-1958 Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!!

×Catalog Main Menu
Fine Coins Showcase

Antiquities Showcase
New & Reduced


Show Empty Categories
Shop Search
Shopping Cart
My FORVM
Contact Us
About Forum
Shopping at Forum
Our Guarantee
Payment Options
Shipping Options & Fees
Privacy & Security
Forum Staff
Selling Your Coins
Identifying Your Coin
FAQs
zoom.asp
   View Categories
Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Byzantine Coins| ▸ |Empire of Trebizond||View Options:  |  |  |   

Coins of the Empire of Trebizond, 1204 - 1461 A.D.

After Theodore Gabras recaptured Trebizond from the Seljuk Turks c. 1075, Chaldia became a semi-autonomous duchy with Trebizond as its capital. In April 1204, Alexius I Megas Comnenus, a grandson of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos I, took control of Trebizond with assistance from Queen Tamar of Georgia, and was proclaimed emperor. After the Fourth Crusade overthrew Alexios V and established the Latin Empire, the Empire of Trebizond became, alongside the Empire of Nicaea and the Despotate of Epirus one of three Byzantine successor states to claim the imperial Byzantine throne. Despite the Nicaean reconquest of Constantinople in 1261, the Emperors of Trebizond continued to style themselves as Roman emperor for two decades and to press their claim on the imperial throne. Emperor John II of Trebizond gave up the Roman imperial title and claim to Constantinople 21 years after the Nicaeans had recaptured the city, altering his imperial title from "Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans" to "Emperor and Autocrat of all the East, Iberia and Perateia." The Trapezuntine monarchy survived the longest among the Byzantine states. The restored empire ended with the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453. Trebizond lasted until 1461, when the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II conquered it after a month-long siege and took its ruler and his family into captivity. The Crimean Principality of Theodoro, an offshoot of Trebizond, lasted another 14 years, falling to the Ottomans in 1475. Trebizond Empire

Empire of Trebizond, John IV, 1446 - 1458

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |John| |IV,| |1446| |-| |1458||asper|
In 1979 an American coin dealer bought a coin scale from a California collector who has acquired it from a dealer in Austria. In the scale the dealer found a secret drawer which contained 167 coins, of which 164 were aspers of Trebizond. The hoard was purchased, analyzed and offered for sale by Alex Malloy in 1980. This coin was not offered in his sale.

The coin comes with a copy of Alex Malloy's catalog, Medieval Coins XVII, 1980, which includes Malloy's analysis of the Austrian Scale Hoard of Late Trebizond Aspers.

Prior to distribution of this hoard, the only published specimens of this type were in the Hermitage in Leningrad and there were none in the British Museum.
ME46264. Silver asper, Austrian Scale Hoard of Late Trebizond Aspers, p. 8, class II, 143 in Malloy Medieval Coins XVII, 1980, VF, weight 0.833 g, maximum diameter 13.6 mm, die axis 315o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1446 - 1458; obverse John on horseback right, head facing; reverse Saint Eugenius on horseback right, head facing; very rare; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Manuel I Megas Komnenos (died March 1263) was an Emperor of Trebizond, from 1238 until his death. At the time Manuel reigned, the Empire of Trebizond comprised a band of territory stretching along the southern coast of the Black Sea. Although Michael Panaretos, a 14th-century Greek chronicler, calls Manuel "the greatest general and the most fortunate" and states he ruled "virtuously in the eyes of God", the only event he documents for Manuel's reign is a catastrophic fire striking the city of Trebizond in January 1253. The major events of his reign are known from external sources, most important of which is the recovery of Sinope in 1254, which had been lost to the Sultanate of Rum forty years before.
BZ89549. Silver asper, Sommer T3.13.6 (same obv. die), Sommer T3.13.1 (same rev. die), Retowski 119 - 153 var. (sigla), SBCV 2601, aEF, well centered on a tight flan, some high points not fully struck, small dark spots, weight 2.820 g, maximum diameter 21.3 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse O/ANT/ΓI/O - EΣ/ΓE/NI/O, Saint Eugenius standing facing, nimbate, long cross in right hand, four pellets on cross shaft, flanked by three pellets left and four pellets right, pellet upper right; reverse M/N/Λ - OKMH (MH ligate), Manuel standing facing, labarum in right hand, akakia in left hand, Manus Dei (hand of God) upper right, four pellets on labarum shaft, four pellets inner left; from the Robert Watcher Collection; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 but, caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity, he was exiled by the Vandal king Huneric. Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc). Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505.
BZ89547. Silver asper, cf. Sommer T3.15, Retowski 169 - 182, SBCV 2601 (unlisted sigla), gVF, highest points flatly struck, die break obverse 6:00, typical tight flan, weight 2.376 g, maximum diameter 22.2 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse O/A/Γ/I - I/EV/ΓE/N (Γ on right blundered), Saint Eugenius standing facing, nimbate, long cross in right hand, two pellets on cross shaft, two pellets over single pellet inner left; reverse MH/N/IΛ - O/K/N (MH ligate, N's retrograde), Manuel standing facing, standard in right, akakia in left, Manus Dei (the hand of God) upper right, pellet on labarum shaft; from the Robert Watcher Collection; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, John II, 1280 - 1297 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |John| |II,| |1280| |-| |1297| |A.D.||asper|
Marco Pollo passed through Trebizond in 1295. John's government confiscated 1000 gold hyperpyra, robbing Pollo's party of a significant portion of the fortune they had spent decades abroad risking their lives to acquire. Marco omitted the episode from his account, so not to detract from his successful image. It was revealed only years later in his uncle's will.
ME47139. Silver asper, cf. SBCV 2610, aVF, weight 2.915 g, maximum diameter 22.6 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1280 - 1297 A.D.; obverse A within circle / EV/ΓE-NI/O/Σ, St. Eugenius standing facing, long cross in right hand; reverse IW/OK/HN-NI/O/Σ (HN ligate), John standing facing, labarum headed scepter in left hand, globus cruciger in right hand, Manus Dei (hand of God) upper right; ex Harmer Rooke Numismatists auction, NYC, 6 Jul 1988, lot 1207; rare variation; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Alexius IV, 1417 - c. 1447 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Alexius| |IV,| |1417| |-| |c.| |1447| |A.D.||half| |asper|
Trebizond was founded about 1204 A.D., probably following the Crusader takeover of Constantinople. It was surrounded by Muslim states and constantly paid tribute to them. Trebizond did not fall to the Ottomans until 1461, nearly a decade after Constantinople, but its emperor was little more than a puppet for the Sultan.
ME03134. Silver half asper, cf. Sommer T14.3, Retowski 24, SBCV 2641, VF, weight 0.8 g, maximum diameter 13.8 mm, die axis 135o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1417 - c. 1447 A.D.; obverse St Eugenius seated on horse walking right star below, monograms left and right; reverse Alexius IV seated on horse right, star below; from the Woolslayer Collection, ex Wayne Sayles; rare; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 but, caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity, he was exiled by the Vandal king Huneric. Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc). Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505.
BZ94298. Silver asper, Retowski 81, Sommer T3.10.4 var. (sigla), SBCV 2601, VF, light tone, tight flan, weight 2.858 g, maximum diameter 22.5 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse O/A/Γ/I - I/EV/ΓE/NI, Saint Eugenius standing facing, nimbate, long cross in right hand; reverse MH/N/IΛ - O/K/M/N, Manuel standing facing, standard in right, akakia in left, Manus Dei (the hand of God) upper right, two pellets on and two pellets flanking labarum shaft (sigla), four pellets on band falling from right hand (sigla); These coins have special control marks on them called sigla. You have them in the description - pellets on shafts and in fields. Your description (and probably refs, esp. Retowski) do not match. No pellets on obverse shaft or inner left. Reverse two pellets on shaft and two flanking, the four in a diamond shape.; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 but, caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity, he was exiled by the Vandal king Huneric. Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc). Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505.
BZ58698. Silver asper, Sommer T3.13, SBCV 2601, cf. Retowski 119 - 153, VF, clear legends, small die break obverse inner left, weight 2.811 g, maximum diameter 23.6 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse O/ANT/ΓI/O - EΣ/ΓE/NI/O, Saint Eugenius standing facing, nimbate, long cross in right, pellet (or more than one) on cross shaft, pellet inner left; reverse MH/N/IΛ - O / K/MH/N/O (MH ligate, N reversed), Manuel standing facing, labarum with X on staff in right, akakia in left, Manus Dei upper right, two pellets on labarum shaft; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 but, caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity, he was exiled by the Vandal king Huneric. Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc). Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505.
ME14747. Silver asper, Sommer T3.8.3, Retowski 68, SBCV 2601, aEF, flat areas, weight 2.835 g, maximum diameter 23.0 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse O/ANT/Γ/I/O - E/Σ/ΓE/NI/O, Saint Eugenius standing facing, holding long cross in left hand, pellet above right shoulder, pellet above E; reverse M/N/Λ - OKH, Manuel standing facing, labarum with X on staff in right hand, akakia in left hand with four pellets on ribbon, Manus Dei upper right, pellet above right shoulder; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 but, caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity, he was exiled by the Vandal king Huneric. Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc). Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505.
BZ58696. Silver asper, Sommer T3.15.3 (same dies), cf. Retowski 174 - 177, SBCV 2601, VF, weight 2.810 g, maximum diameter 21.3 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse O/ANT/ΓI/O - EΣ/ΓE/NI/O, Saint Eugenius standing facing, long cross in right; reverse M/N/I/Λ - O/K/N, Manuel standing facing, standard in right, akakia in left, Manus Dei upper right; SOLD


Empire of Trebizond, Manuel I Comnenus, 1238 - 1263 A.D.

|Empire| |of| |Trebizond|, |Empire| |of| |Trebizond,| |Manuel| |I| |Comnenus,| |1238| |-| |1263| |A.D.||asper|
Saint Eugenius of Carthage was elected Bishop of Carthage in 480 but, caught up in the disputes of his day between Arianism and mainstream Christianity, he was exiled by the Vandal king Huneric. Gunthamund, who succeeded Huneric, allowed Eugenius to return to Carthage and permitted him to reopen the churches. After eight years of peace Thrasamund succeeded to the throne, arrested Eugenius and condemned him to death, but commuted the sentence into exile at Vienne, near Albi (Languedoc). Eugenius built there a monastery over the tomb of St. Amaranthus the martyr, and led a penitential life till his death on 13 July, 505.
BZ58697. Silver asper, cf. Sommer T3.13.6, Retowski 119 ff., SBCV 2601, VF, weight 2.888 g, maximum diameter 21.4 mm, die axis 180o, Trebizond (Trabzon, Turkey) mint, 1238 - 1263 A.D.; obverse [O/ANT/Γ/I/O] - E/Σ/ΓE/NI/[O], Saint Eugenius standing facing, holding long cross, four pellets in vertical line lower left, three pellets forming triangle upper right; reverse [M/N/Λ] - K/HM (HM ligate), Manuel standing facing, standard in right, akakia in left, Manus Dei upper right, three pellets in vertical line left; SOLD




  




You are viewing a SOLD items page.
Click here to return to the page with AVAILABLE items.
The sale price for a sold item is the private information of the buyer and will not be provided.



REFERENCES

Bellinger, A. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol IV: Alexius I to Michael VIII, 1081-1261. (Washington D.C., 1966).
Bendall, S. "The mint of Trebizond under Alexius I and the Gabrades" in NC 1977.
Edwards, K. Corinth VI: Coins, 1896-1929. (Cambridge, MA, 1933).
Grierson, P. Byzantine Coins. (London, 1999).
Hendy, M. Coinage and Money in the Byzantine Empire 1081-1261. (Washington D.C., 1969).
Ratto, R. Monnaies Byzantines et d'autre Pays contemporaines à l'époque byzantine. (Lugano, 1930).
Retowski, O. Die Münzen der Komnenen von Trapezunt. (Braunschweig, 1974).
Sabatier, J. Description générale des monnaies Byzantines. (Paris, 1862).
Sear, D. Byzantine Coins and Their Values. (London, 1987).
Sommer, A. Die Münzen des Byzantinischen Reiches 491-1453. Mit einem Anhang: Die Münzen des Kaiserreichs von Trapezunt. (Regenstauf, 2010).
Svoronos, J. Journal International d 'Archéologie Numismatique, Vol. II. (Athens, 1899).
Wroth, W. Catalogue of the Coins of the Vandals, Ostrogoths, Lombards and of the Empires of Thessalonica, Nicaea, and Trebizond in the British Museum. (London, 1911).

Catalog current as of Thursday, March 28, 2024.
Page created in 1.39 seconds.