Leo VI ruled alongside his brother Alexander as co-emperor from 886, though the arrangement was largely ceremonial — Alexander was politically marginalized throughout Leo's reign and would only exercise real power during his own brief sole rule after Leo's death in 912. The joint coinage therefore documents a constitutional fiction more than a working partnership.
Byzantine bronze folles of this period are frequently found with significant fabric irregularities owing to the Constantinople mint's reliance on recycled metal. Flan preparation was inconsistent enough that off-center strikes on this type are the rule rather than the exception.
Leo VI ruled alongside his brother Alexander as co-emperor from 886, though the arrangement was largely ceremonial — Alexander was politically marginalized throughout Leo's reign and would only exercise real power during his own brief sole rule after Leo's death in 912. The joint coinage therefore documents a constitutional fiction more than a working partnership.
Byzantine bronze folles of this period are frequently found with significant fabric irregularities owing to the Constantinople mint's reliance on recycled metal. Flan preparation was inconsistent enough that off-center strikes on this type are the rule rather than the exception.