Phocas, AE Half Follis, Nicomedia, 2nd officina, RY 3 = 604/5

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Description

Byzantine, PhocaS, AD 602-610, AE Half Follis (BRONZE, 6.5g, 25.5mm) Nicomedia, 2nd officina, RY 3 = 604/5
Obv: Crowned facing bust, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and cross
Rev: Large XX; cross above, III to right; NIKOB
Ref: DOC 64b; SB 663 Rarity/Choice: Common, Good

 

Note: This half follis was issued under Phocas (602–610 AD), the usurper who seized the throne after the overthrow of Maurice Tiberius. His reign is remembered for brutal internal repression and disastrous foreign policy, as the empire descended into crisis with the Persian invasion that overran much of the East. The Nicomedia mint, through its 2nd officina, produced necessary bronze coinage for regional circulation, though often of crude fabric that reflected the instability of the time. This half follis thus embodies the turbulence of Phocas’ short rule, when imperial authority was weakened and the Byzantine state stood on the brink of collapse.

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