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40 Nummi - Phocas Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Constantinople Mint (Byzantine Empire) |
|---|---|
| Year | 603-610 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | First Solidus Nomisma (498-720) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field dominated by the large denomination mark M (representing 40 nummi), flanked on either side by a regnal year indicator. The word ANNO appears above, denoting the regnal year, with the numeral below it. A horizontal dividing line separates the central mark from the mint signature CON (for Constantinople) in the exergue, accompanied by an officina letter designating the workshop. A dotted border surrounds the entire reverse design. |
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| Reverse lettering | ANNO M [Regnal Year, e.g., VII] CON[Officina Letter, e.g., A, B, Γ, Δ, or E] (Translation: Year, 40 nummi, Regnal Year, Constantinople, Officina) |
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| Additional information |
Phocas seized power in 602 by leading a mutiny of Danubian troops against Maurice, whose entire family he executed shortly after. The reign that followed was marked by military collapse on multiple fronts — the Persians under Khosrow II used Maurice's murder as a pretext for a devastating invasion that would ultimately consume Egypt, Syria, and Palestine before Heraclius deposed Phocas in 610.
That terminal date of 610 is not a gradual transition. Heraclius arrived from Carthage by sea, and Phocas was captured, mutilated, and burned on the same day.