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Follis - Heraclius & Heraclius Constantine Countermarked 40 Nummi
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 613-641 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Reverse description | Circular countermark struck within a round punch, bearing the imperial monogram RTh alongside the mint mark SCs. Traces of the original host coin's reverse design remain visible in the surrounding field, partially obscured by the force of the countermark application. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The countermarks applied to these folles reflect a recurring logistical problem in the Byzantine monetary system: chronic bronze shortages forced the state to revalidate older, heavier coins at reduced face value rather than remint them. Under Heraclius, this practice accelerated dramatically as military expenditures against the Sassanid Persians — and later the early Arab conquests — stripped provincial mints of raw material and administrative stability. A coin leaving Antioch or Alexandria in this period might be countermarked once, twice, or not at all depending entirely on where it ended up circulating.