New Variety

174, Lot: 306. Estimate $75. Sold for $625. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Manuel I Comnenus. 1143-1180. Æ Tetarteron (20mm, 3.72 g). Constantinople mint. Struck 1152-1160. Nimbate Virgin standing right, orans, before the Hand of God / Manuel standing, holding labarum and akakia. DOC IV 15 var (cruciform sceptre); cf. SB 1945. VF, black patina.

From the Chris Connell Collection.

The published specimens of this type show the emperor holding a cruciform sceptre and an akakia. This new variety replaces the sceptre with a labarum, which is what Manuel holds on his other Constantinopolitan tetartera types.