Coin

Item number 3095/1437 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Byzantine coin of Basil II, 976-1025. Obverse: large cross crosslet resting on four steps; in centre of cross, there is an ‘X’; to left, there is a small bust of Basil II, wearing a crown with cross and a loros, an embroidered and jewelled scarf; to right, there is a small bust of Constantine VII, Basil II’s brother, who wears a crown with cross and a chlamys; to left, inscription says ‘EnTOVTWnICAT’; to right, ‘bASI[LEICCWn]ST’. Reverse: there is an inscription of five lines, which begins with a cross, and says ‘bASIL/CCWnSTAn/[Π]ORFVROS /ΠISTOIbA[S]/RWMAIW’; above and beneath inscriptions, there are crosses made up of dots. The inscription on the obverse in translation says ‘May Basil and Constantine Conquer’. The inscription on the reverse in translation says ‘Basil and Constantine, Porphyrogenitus, faithful believers, Kings of the Romans’. 'Porphyrogenitus' is the Latin word for ‘born in the purple’ and indicates a son or daughter who was born while their parent was a Byzantine Emperor. It refers to the fact that the colour purple was most often worn by royalty due to the expense of the dyes.