Stockholms Auktionsverk Sickla proudly presents a unique collection of Byzantine gold coins from the 4th to the 13th centuries. This collection, consisting of 78 coins, showcases the Byzantine Empire's economic strength and cultural richness. Many of the coins, minted in Constantinople, depict portraits of emperors and symbolic figures, transforming them into historical artworks of great significance.
At the heart of this collection is a period that began with the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, whose reforms in the 4th century established a stable and long-lasting coinage system. Constantine introduced the solidus, a gold coin that maintained an impressive purity equivalent to 23 karats and weighed approximately 4.5 grams. Over the following 700 years, the solidus and its smaller denominations, the semissis and tremissis, became the standard currency of the Byzantine Empire, embodying the empire's enduring economic power and cultural stability. While many of these coins were minted in Constantinople, the empire's core, their circulation spread throughout the entire Byzantine realm.
Among the collection's highlights is a tremissis coin from Empress Aelia Pulcheria, valued at 80,000 kronor, serving as a reminder of her influence in the 5th century. Another noteworthy coin is a histamenon minted during the reign of Emperor Constantine IX in the 11th century, which some theories link to a supernova observed in 1054, adding an extra layer of intrigue.
Stockholms Auktionsverk Sickla now offers this extraordinary collection for sale—a rare opportunity for collectors and history enthusiasts to acquire a piece of the Byzantine Empire's golden era. Each coin serves as a bridge to a lost world of emperors, wars, faith, and culture, now waiting to be rediscovered by a new owner.
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