Stockholms Auktionsverk presents a unique collection of Byzantine gold coins from the 3rd to the 12th century. The collection, consisting of 78 coins, reflects the economic power and cultural richness of the Byzantine Empire. Many of the coins, minted in Constantinople, bear portraits of emperors and symbolic figures, making them works of art with historical significance.

At the heart of this collection lies a period that began with the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, whose reforms in the 3rd century laid the foundation for a stable and long-lasting minting system. Constantine introduced the solidus, a gold coin that maintained an impressive purity equivalent to 23 karats and weighed about 4.5 grams. Over the following 700 years, the solidus and its smaller denominations, the semissis and tremissis, became not only standard currency in the Byzantine Empire but also symbols of the empire’s enduring economic power and cultural stability. Many of these coins were minted in Constantinople, the heart of the empire, but their distribution extended throughout the Byzantine Empire.

Among the highlights of the collection is a tremissis coin from Empress Aelia Pulcheria, valued at 80,000 SEK, which serves as a reminder of her power during the 4th century. Another noteworthy coin is a histamenon minted under Emperor Constantine IX in the 11th century, which, according to theories, may have connections to a supernova observed in 1054, making it particularly fascinating.

Now, Stockholms Auktionsverk offers this outstanding collection for sale, a unique opportunity for collectors and history enthusiasts to acquire a piece of the Byzantine Empire’s golden age. Each coin is a link to a lost world, a world of emperors and wars, of faith and culture, now waiting to be rediscovered by a new owner.

Welcome!

To the catalogue