| Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 557 | Auction date: 6 March 2024 |
| Lot number: 490 Price realized: 850 USD (Approx. 783 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Isaac Comnenus. Usurper in Cyprus, 1185-1191. BI Trachy (27.5mm, 3.28 g, 6h). Secondary mint. Struck 1187-circa 1191. Full-length facing figure of the Theotokos, orans / Crowned full-length figure of Isaac, standing facing on daïs, wearing jeweled chlamys, holding long cruciform scepter and globus cruciger; manus Dei to upper right. DOC 4; Hendy pl. 19, 11; SB 1995. Dark brown-green patina, weak strike on obverse as usual, areas of roughness, minor edge split. VF. Very rare. A nice specimen for this very difficult issue. Estimate: 200 USD |  |
Match 1:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 561 | Auction date: 1 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 811 Price realized: 150 USD (Approx. 140 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Isaac Comnenus. Usurper in Cyprus, 1185-1191. BI Trachy (29mm, 4.38 g, 6h). Nicosia mint(?). Struck 1187-circa 1191. The Theotokos enthroned facing, holding medallion containing the head of the Holy Infant on lap / Facing figures of Isaac, wearing crown and chlamys, holding akakia, and St. George, wearing military attire and holding sheathed sword, together holding patriarchal cross set on globus between them. DOC 2; CLBC 6.2.1; SB 1991. Dark earthen green-brown patina. VF. Estimate: 150 USD |  |
Match 2:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 560 | Auction date: 17 April 2024 |
| Lot number: 820 Price realized: 375 USD (Approx. 353 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Isaac Comnenus. Usurper in Cyprus, 1185-1191. BI Trachy (28mm, 3.45 g, 6h). Nicosia mint(?). Struck 1187-circa 1191. Facing bust of Christ Emmanuel, nimbate, holding scroll / Crowned facing figure of Isaac, holding cruciform scepter and akakia; manus Dei to upper right. DOC 3; SB 1992. Dark brown and thick earthen and dark green patina. Good VF. A excellent example for issue. Comparable to the CNG 123 example which hammered for $3000. Estimate: 200 USD |  |
Match 3:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 555 | Auction date: 7 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 703 Price realized: 225 USD (Approx. 210 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Isaac Comnenus. Usurper in Cyprus, 1185-1191. EL Trachy (24.5mm, 1.71 g, 6h). Main mint (Nicosia?) (?). Struck circa 1187-circa 1191. [I] C/ O/ [M]M/ A - H[A], facing bust of Christ Emmanuel, holding scroll / [...], Isaac standing facing, holding cruciform scepter and akakia; [manus Dei to upper right]. Cf. DOC 3 (BI Trachy; for similar type); cf. SB 1992 (same). Toned with some luster, tiny edge splits and delaminations at edge, graffito, hairline scratches. VF. Purchased at the NYINC, January 2003. A very curious and perplexing coin. This coin most closely resembles a billon issue of Isaac Comnenus of Cyprus (DOC 3) but is here found in a low gold purity electrum. Issac did indeed strike electrum issues at the main mint, but none are recorded of this type. Additionally, Isaac's coinage tends to feature larger flans and heavier weights. Some BI Trachea are known closer to this coin's diameter but with larger dies. This coin features a small flan and was additionally struck from an accompanying small die. The flan does appear ancient with small delamination flaws around the edge. Additionally, the coin is struck at the usual 6h die axis and features the doubling expected on a Byzantine issue. Turning to the coin's iconography may help elucidate this unusual issue. One stylistic characteristic of note on Isaac Comnenus of Cyprus' issues concerns the pendilia of the stemma (crown). On many of the dies of this ruler's issues, one finds a loop midway on both pendilia hanging from the stemma. This feature appears on many dies of the DOC 3 BI Trachy and is also found on this issue. Additionally, the folds of the chlamys are appropriate to other Isaac dies. Finally, another convincing feature is found in the amount of the obverse legend visible that closely correlates to the DOC 3 issue. However, there are some major question marks concerning this coin, notably: the uncharacteristically small die and flan, the possibility of this being an off-strike (though this is perhaps unlikely due to it being struck from a small die that was seemingly intended for a flan such as is found here), the lack of a visible manus Dei on the reverse (which could be attributed to usual weakness but is nonetheless worth noting), and the lack of any additional specimen of this type. However, with these concerns specified, this remains a very interesting issue that may well represent a new find for the rare coinage of the usurper Isaac Comnenus of Cyprus. Estimate: 300 USD |  |
Match 4:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Auction 126 | Auction date: 28 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 1018 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | |
| Lot description: Isaac Comnenus. Usurper in Cyprus, 1185-1191. BI Trachy (30.5mm, 4.60 g, 7h). Nicosia mint(?). Struck 1187-circa 1191. Facing bust of Christ Emmanuel, nimbate, holding scroll / Crowned facing figure of Isaac, holding cruciform scepter and akakia; manus Dei to upper right. DOC 3; SB 1992. Dark brown-green patina with some red, thin flan crack, minor weakness. Good VF. Nice detail for issue. From the Family of Constantine Collection, assembled with guidance by Roland Michel, Geneva. Purchased from Numisart. Estimate: 500 USD |  |
Match 5:
| Classical Numismatic Group > Electronic Auction 551 | Auction date: 29 November 2023 |
| Lot number: 641 Price realized: 60 USD (Approx. 55 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Latin Rulers of Constantinople. 1204-1261. BI Trachy (18.5mm, 1.74 g, 6h). Constantinople mint. The Theotokos enthroned facing / Crowned facing figure of the emperor, wearing chlamys, holding labarum and akakia. DOC 30; SB 2044. Dark brown-green patina, earthen deposits, minor scratches at periphery. Near EF. Well struck for issue. Estimate: 100 USD |  |
