Sale: CNG 67, Lot: 1903. Estimate $200.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 22 September 2004.  Sold For $575. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MICHAEL VIII, Emperor in Constantinople. 1261-1282. Æ Trachy (2.10 gm). Constantinople mint. Multi-winged seraph; G G flanking upper wings / Half-length facing bust of Michael, holding labarum and patriarchal cross. DOC V 129 var. (no G G); Bendall 50 var. (same); SB 2289 var. (same). Good VF, dark brown patina. Unrecorded variety. ($200)

The discovery of this variety suggests there was at least one attempt at sequential seriation within the Palaeologan trachy series, a notion for which Grierson could find no firm evidence. DOC 106 has A A flanking a bust of Christ, DOC 86 has B B flanking the Virgin Mary, and we now have G G beside a seraph. We have no evidence to allow us to determine whether this is a chronological sequence, an indication of a mint division, or some other marker. There appears to be a distinction between these symbols and the paired reversed letters B B and K K that are probably dynastic marks.