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Globular Solidus - Constans II
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire (Byzantine states) |
|---|---|
| Year | 645-646 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered (cob) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Cross potent on a stepped base (Golgotha), flanked by the regnal year indicator in Greek numerals, with the officina mark P and the mint control mark CONOB. The legend encircles the cross in the field, consistent with the Victory of the Augusti type standard on Byzantine solidi of this period. The globular, thick flan imparts a characteristically convex profile to the design. |
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| Mintage | ND (645-646) - P mark - RY 5 |
| Additional information |
The globular solidus type associated with Constans II reflects a transitional moment in Byzantine mint practice at Syracuse, where flans were produced thicker and more irregular than the flat Constantinople issues — a deliberate or incidental shift depending on which scholar you consult. The specific 645–646 window places this coin squarely in the years immediately following the Arab conquest of Alexandria in 642, which effectively ended Byzantine control of Egypt and its grain revenues, reshaping imperial finances in ways still being argued over.
DOC II-2 #108 and MIB III #57 place this type within the Syracuse mint's output, where the globular fabric is most pronounced and most consistently documented.