Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Miliaresion - Nikephoros II Phokas Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 963-969 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse bears a five-line Greek inscription arranged across the full width of the coin, recording the emperor's titles in the conventional Byzantine formula. The text is framed above and below by a border of crosses, providing a decorative enclosure consistent with miliaresion coinage of the period. The lettering is rendered in the upright, slightly angular uncial style typical of tenth-century Byzantine mint production at Constantinople. The irregular flan edge, a common characteristic of hammered Byzantine silver, partially clips the outermost border on some specimens. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Nikephoros II came to power in 963 through a coup backed by the military, marrying the empress-regent Theophano to legitimize his position. His reign was defined by relentless campaigning — Cilicia, Cyprus, and parts of Syria fell back under Byzantine control during these six years. The miliaresion was the standard silver denomination of middle Byzantine coinage, and issues under Nikephoros are among the more frequently encountered of the tenth-century series, reflecting a functional military economy rather than any particular abundance.
He was murdered in his bedchamber in December 969, with Theophano herself implicated in the conspiracy.