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1 Solidus In the name of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine, Cross with round ends
| Issuer | Avar Khaganate |
|---|---|
| Year | 629-796 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Facing busts of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine side by side, each wearing a crown, the left bust bearded and the right bust mustachioed, with a cross potent between their heads. The effigies are rendered in a crude, barbaric imitation of Byzantine prototypes. The surrounding legend is composed of nonsensical pseudo-Latin letterforms, betraying the Avar artisans' unfamiliarity with the Roman alphabet. The overall style reflects a deliberate but imprecise copying of the Byzantine solidus type of circa 629–641. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | DIAT - ACACCCICC |
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| Additional information |
The Avar Khaganate produced imitative solidi not as a functioning monetary economy but as prestige objects and diplomatic currency — the Avars received enormous tribute payments from Byzantium in gold, and local copies likely circulated among the elite as markers of status and alliance rather than trade. This piece imitates types struck under Heraclius, whose reign saw the Byzantine treasury nearly bankrupted by both Avar and Sasanian pressure simultaneously.
The "cf." citations across all three references signal that no exact die match has been confirmed — placing this solidus in the broad imitative tradition without pinning it to a specific workshop or emission phase.