Item number: A247
Year: AD 582-602
Material: Gold
Size: 16.4 x 15.8 x 0.3 mm
Weight: 1.39 g
Manufactured by: Constantinople mint
Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2024
This is a Tremissis gold coin minted during the reign of Emperor Maurice Tiberius of the Byzantine Empire, spanning from AD 582 to AD 602. Tremissis was a small gold coin that circulated in the Roman Empire from the 3rd century onwards, roughly equivalent to one-third of a solidus in value, with a weight of approximately 1.5 g.
The obverse of the coin features the right-facing bust of Emperor Maurice, with Latin inscriptions on both sides engraving the emperor’s name and abbreviated titles. “D N TIbE” on the left side stands for “Dominus Noster Tiberius,” meaning “Our Lord Tiberius,” while “RI PP AVG” on the right side represents “Rex Imperator Perpetuus Augustus,” denoting “King, Emperor, and Eternal Augustus.” On the reverse side is the Cross Potent representing the Christian faith, with the abbreviation “CON” below it indicating Constantinople, the abbreviated name of the coin’s minting location, and “OB” means made of pure gold. Surrounding the image is the inscription “VICTORI mAVRI AVS,” praising the victories that the emperor achieved during his tenure as a general.
Maurice rose to prominence initially through his roles as a secretary and a military officer. During his military career, he successfully repelled invasions from the Persian Sassanian Empire in the east, which led Emperor Tiberius II to appoint him as his son-in-law and designate him as the heir to the throne. Upon ascending to the throne in AD 582, Maurice launched extensive military campaigns to reclaim lost territories, but these efforts also led to a crisis of empty treasury. In AD 602, Maurice, who intended to weaken the provincial armies, faced a mutiny, resulting in the massacre of his family by the rebel forces.
物件編號: A247
年代: 公元 582-602 年
材質: 黃金
尺寸: 16.4 x 15.8 x 0.3 mm
重量: 1.39 g
製造地: 君士坦丁堡造幣廠
來源: 臺灣私人收藏 2024
這是公元582至602年，擔任拜占庭帝國皇帝的莫里斯·提比略鑄造的特雷米西斯金幣。特雷米西斯是公元3世紀起，於羅馬帝國流通相當於三分之一索利都斯的小額金幣，重量約是1.5克左右。
金幣正面是莫里斯皇帝的右側胸像，兩側以拉丁銘文鐫刻皇帝名字和頭銜縮寫，左側的「D N TIbE」意思是「莫里斯·提比略我們的主人」，右側的「RI PP AVG」分別代表「皇帝、國父和統治者」。金幣背面是象徵基督信仰的拐杖十字架圖騰，十字架下方的「CON」是君士坦丁堡，也就是金幣鑄造地的簡稱，「OB」表示以赤(純)金打造。周圍的「VICTORI mAVRI AVS」則是歌頌皇帝過去擔任將軍時帶給帝國的勝利。
莫里斯以祕書和軍人身分起家，軍職期間成功抵擋東邊的波斯薩珊王朝侵略，使他被皇帝提比略二世招為駙馬和指定為帝位繼承人。公元582年繼位後，莫里斯大舉對外發動戰爭並收復許多失地，但也導致國庫空虛的危機。公元602年，意圖削弱地方軍隊的莫里斯遭到兵變，其家族遭到叛軍滅門。
