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1 Solidus In the name of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine, Cross with flat ends, equal busts with broken legend
| Issuer | Avar Khaganate |
|---|---|
| Year | 629-796 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Solidus (629-796) |
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| Obverse description | Two facing busts of equal size occupy the obverse field: the left bust is crowned and bearded, the right bust is crowned and mustachioed, with a cross potent positioned between them. Both effigies are rendered in a crude, barbarous style derived from Byzantine prototypes. The busts are encircled by a degenerate legend composed of nonsensical Latin characters, reflecting the Avar craftsmen's unfamiliarity with the original Byzantine inscriptions. The overall execution is characteristic of barbarian imitative coinage, with flattened relief and imprecise detail. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | VICTOR - AVGTZO CONOB (Translation: Victoria Augustus / Constantinople Victory of the August / Constantinople) |
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| Additional information |
The Avar Khaganate produced no native coinage of its own — these solidi are imitations, struck or cast to facilitate trade and tribute payments with Byzantium and neighboring powers. This type copies the solidus of Heraclius and his son, a pairing that dominated Byzantine gold from 613 onward, but Avar craftsmen working outside any imperial mint tradition introduced consistent deviations: flattened cross terminals, broken legends, and equalized bust sizes that betray unfamiliarity with the hierarchical distinctions the Constantinople mint was careful to preserve.
The Elemér typology places this among a small group of identifiable Avar imitative issues recovered primarily from Pannonian grave contexts.