Jesus Christ Class I Anonymous Ancient 1078AD Byzantine Follis Coin Christian Cross
Coins from this period are some of the first coins we see with the image of Jesus Christ on the obverse. This particular coin has one of the most pleasing depiction of Christ and is said to be very accurate to his actual human appearance. Very well struck with great details.
Struck during the reign of Nicephorus III - 24 March 1078 - 4 April 1081 A.D.
Reference: Sear 1889
Bust of Jesus Christ facing, wearing nimbus crown, pallium and colobium, and raising right hand in benediction, in left hand, the book of Gospels, IC to left, XC to right; within border.
Latin cross, with X at center, and globule and two pellets at each extremity; in lower field, on either side, floral ornament; in upper field, on either side, crescent.
For more than a century, the production of Follis denomination Byzantine coins had religious Christian motifs which included included Jesus Christ, and even Virgin Mary. These coins were designed to honor Christ and recognize the subservient role of the Byzantine emperor, with many of the reverse inscriptions translating to "Jesus Christ King of Kings" and "May Jesus Christ Conquer". The Follis denomination coins were the largest bronze denomination coins issued by the Byzantine empire, and their large size, along with the Christian motif make them a popular coin type for collectors. This series ran from the period of Byzantine emperors John I (969-976 A.D.) to Alexius I (1081-1118 A.D.). The accepted classification was originally devised by Miss Margaret Thompson with her study of these types of coins. World famous numismatic author, David R. Sear adopted this classification system for his book entitled, Byzantine Coins and Their Values. The references about this coin site Mr. Sear's book by the number that they appear in that work. The class types of coins included Class A1, Class A2, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, Class H, Class I, Class J, Class K. Read more and see examples of these coins by reading the JESUS CHRIST Anonymous Class A-N Byzantine Follis Coins Reference.
