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40 Nummi - Heraclius Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 612-614 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | 26 mm |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central large M (mark of value denoting 40 nummi) dominates the field, with the legend ANNO to the left indicating the regnal year, a cross above the M, and the regnal year numeral to the right. An officina letter appears beneath the M indicating the workshop responsible for production. The mintmark in the exergue identifies the Constantinople mint. The overall design follows standard Byzantine follis typology of the early seventh century. |
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| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
These folles fall within the early years of Heraclius's reign, a period of near-total imperial collapse. The Sasanian Persians under Khosrow II had overrun Syria, Palestine, and much of Anatolia by 614 — the same year Jerusalem fell and the True Cross was carried off to Ctesiphon. The Constantinople mint kept striking through the crisis, partly to fund a military that was, at that moment, losing badly on every front.
DOC II-1 numbers 76–83 span several officinae and minor die variants within this tight two-year window. Weight and module drop noticeably across the sequence, reflecting metal shortages already biting the capital.