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40 Nummi - Constans II Syracuse
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire (Byzantine states) |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Large denomination marker M occupies the central field, flanked by vertical strokes forming a decorative frame. A cross surmounts the M, a horizontal bar appears below it, and the mint signature SCL is inscribed in the exergue, identifying the Syracuse mint. The design is bold and schematic, following the standard follis reverse format of Byzantine provincial coinage. The strike is flat in areas and the flan notably irregular, reflecting typical hammered production quality of the Syracuse workshop under Constans II. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Syracuse became a critical Byzantine mint after the fall of Carthage to the Arabs in 698, and production there intensified as Constantinople's hold on the western Mediterranean contracted. The Syracusan issues of Constans II are notoriously crude compared to contemporary Constantinopolitan output — a product of provincial die-cutting standards rather than metal quality or supply problems.
Constans II himself died in Syracuse in 668, assassinated in his bath by a servant wielding a soap dish, making him the only Byzantine emperor to be killed in Sicily.