Item number: A256
Year: AD 613-640
Material: Gold
Size: 20.6 x 18.6 x 0.5 mm
Weight: 4.42 g
Manufactured by: Constantinople mint, Fifth Workshop
Provenance: Coincraft 2018
This is a solidus gold coin minted by Emperor Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople, dating from AD 613 to AD 641. On the obverse side of the coin, there are two portraits depicted from left to right: Heraclius and his son Constantine III. Both figures wear a cross-crowned imperial diadem and a chlamys cloak, symbolising their joint rule over the empire. The gap between the two figures is adorned with a Cross Potent motif. The Latin legend on the outer rim reads, “Our Lord Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine (Constantine III) Eternal Augusti.”
The reverse side of the coin features the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on a cross with the acronym “CON” below, denoting Constantinople, the place of coin minting, and “OB” means made of pure gold. Surrounding the crucifixion scene, the Latin legend reads, “Victory, Augusti, Fifth Workshop,” the suffix “Ε” means five.
In the year AD 608, Heraclius joined his father, who served as the exarch of Africa, in launching a rebellion against the Emperor Phocas. Subsequently, in AD 610, after seizing the capital Constantinople and executing Phocas, Heraclius was crowned as the new Byzantine Emperor. During his reign, Heraclius faced significant threats from the Persian Sassanian Empire, particularly in Anatolia and Egypt. He organised several counteroffensives, recapturing Jerusalem and retrieving the True Cross. He even penetrated deep into Sassanian territory, forcing Persia to relinquish its occupied territories, earning admiration from Christians.
The True Cross: It is rumoured to be the cross on which Jesus died. Since the 4th century, the legend of the True Cross has been prevalent among Christians, and it is considered one of the important relics with miraculous powers.
However, the prolonged wars with Persia led to Heraclius neglecting the rising Islamic forces in the Arabian Peninsula. By the time of Heraclius’s death, the emerging Arabs had already seized the empire’s territories in Egypt and Syria.
Heraclius also focused on deepening the influence of Greek culture internally. He was the first Byzantine emperor to adopt the title “Basileus,” which is the Greek word for emperor, and he established Greek as the official language. Heraclius’s Hellenisation policy profoundly influenced the religious and cultural landscape of the Balkan Peninsula in later years.
