Not Your Average Renaissance: An Overview of the Coinage of the Macedonian Renaissance of Byzantium
Not Your Average Renaissance: An Overview of the Coinage of the Macedonian Renaissance of Byzantium
The world of ancient coinage has much to offer when it comes to areas of interest to hone in on when collecting. Some of the more popular areas of focus include civilization like Ancient Greece and Rome, but there are plenty of civilizations that pique the interests of collectors worldwide.
Enter the Macedonian Renaissance of Byzantium. Taking place between the 9th and 11th centuries, the Macedonian Renaissance denotes where the Macedonian Dynasty controlled the Byzantine Empire, beginning with the reign of Basil I in 867, and ending with the reign of Theodora in 1056. Judging by the name “Renaissance”, you can probably guess that this was a period of growth for the Byzantine empire, particularly when it came to arts, politics, and culture.
Naturally, coinage was not excluded from this era of artistic development for the Byzantine Empire. Coinage from this time period is not only culturally significant, but pleasing to the eye as well. This combination has caused Byzantine coinage to gain significant interest within collectors’ circles, marking a renewed interest in pieces from this important time period.
Denominations of the Byzantine Empire
Before we get into specifics of some of the examples you can expect to find within the Byzantine Empire, we should first explore the different denominations used during this period. Two materials were mainly used for coinage in the Byzantine Empire: gold, and bronze. Silver coins were minted, but scarce.
When it came to gold coinage, the solidus was theprimary denomination used throughout the Macedonian Dynasty. First minted under the reign of Diocletian, the solidus became commonplace throughout the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Constantine, who reintroduced it to combat the disastrous inflation the Empire was facing at the time (the solidus was worth 270,000 of the debased silver denarii).
Bronze as a material was used heavily to mint coinage during the reign of the Macedonian Dynasty as well. The main denominations used was the nummus, and multiples of it were introduced. These include the follis (40 nummus), semifollis (20 nummus), and decanummium (10 nummus).
Unlike it’s predecessor in the west, the Byzantine Empire rarely minted silver coinage. The main examples of silver coinage used during the Macedonian Renaissance were the miliaresion, a small silver coin introduced by Leo III circa 720. Initially minted for ceremonialpurposes, this coin didn’t become common issue until the reign of Theophilos, whose reign predates the Macedonian Dynasty by two decades.
The Artistry of Byzantine Numismatics - Examples of Macedonian Dynasty Coinage
The rulers of the Macedonian Dynasty of Byzantium are as follows:
● Basil I (867-886)
● Leo VI the Wise (886-912)
● Alexander (912-913)
● Constantine VII (913-920, 945-959)
● Romanos I Lekapenos (920-944)
● Romanos II (959-963)
● Nikephoros II Phokas (963-969)
● John I Tzimiskes (969-976)
● Basil II (976-1025)
● Constantine VIII (1025-1028)
● Zoe (1028-1050)
● Romanos III Argyros (1028-1034)
● Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1034-1041)
● Michael V (1041-1042)
● Theodora (1042, 1055-1056)
● Constantine IX Monomachos (1042-1055)
Although this dynasty managed to endure for a period of nearly 200 years, the iconography and artistic style of the coinage remained relatively consistent throughout this period.
By the time Basil I took the throne in 867, the Byzantine Empire had recently broke off from a decades-long period of iconoclasm, where images of religious veneration were strictly prohibited. The Byzantine Empire was deeply religious; during the coronation of Basil I, he emphatically dedicated his crown to Christ.
Examples of coinage minted under Basil I are certainly emblematic of this. Take this solidus for example, minted circa 868-879 CE. The reverse of this coin features Basil I and his consort, Eudokia Ingerina, both depicted wearing crowns adorned with crosses, and both of them grip a long patriarchal cross. On the obverse, an image of Christ himself seated upon a throne; the legend around him reading “Rex Regnantium”, venerating Christ as the “King of Kings”, as he was commonly referred as.
This solidus of Leo VI is another example of Byzantine artistry in numismatics, minted from 886-908 CE. The reverse of this coin features Leo VI himself, this time not holding a patriarchal cross, but holding another important religious icon, a globus cruciger (literally ‘cross-bearing orb’). This item represented Christ’s authority over the world, and Leo VI holding it represented his authority over the world in Christ’s service. The portrait is simple (typical of Byzantine art) but intricately detailed; the strands of Leo’s hair and beard are defined, and his clothing is ornately detailed. On the obverse, we see a depiction of another monumentally important figure in Christianity; the Virgin Mary. Mary has her hands outstretched in the orans position, a position of prayer. Leo VI was the first Byzantine Emperor to prominently feature images of Mary on coinage, as he was personally devoted to worshiping her.
This miliaresion issued during the reign of Romanus III (1028-1034 CE) further demonstrates the incredible level of detail that the Macedonian Dynasty was able to achieve during this period as well. Although some collectors write off Byzantine coinage as being inferior in terms of artistic value compared to coinage of the Western Roman Empire, examples like these exist to to refute those erroneous claims. Here we see an obverse adorned with the Virgin Mary holding an infant Christ, and a reverse with Romanus holding the previously described religious icons, with intricately detailed clothing.
Why Collectors Love Byzantine Coinage of the Macedonian Dynasty
Apart from the artistic value of coinage from this era, there are other reasons collectors take a keen interest in coinage from the Macedonian Dynasty of Byzantium. One of the main reasons is the purity of the metal that the Macedonian Dynasty maintained while ruling the Byzantine Empire.
Throughout the majority of the reign of the Macedonian Dynasty, the solidus was struck in 23k fine gold (95.8%), although it varied in weight. Regardless, collectors are attracted to solidi from this time period because of how pure the gold is, compared to various other gold pieces of the ancient world. It was only during the rule of Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1034-1041) where the solidus began to be debased, and during the rule of Constantine IX Monomachos (the penultimate monarch of the Macedonian Dynasty) the solidus was further debased to 21k (87.5%) gold.
After the fall of the Macedonian Dynasty, the solidus was debased rapidly, and ended up as an 8k (33%) coin during the rule of Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1078-1081). For this reason, many collectors prefer to collect coinage of the Macedonian Dynasty and earlier, due to the purity of gold used during this period.
When it comes to bronze pieces issued under the Macedonian Dynasty there are plenty of affordable options to collect as well, making these coins attractive to collectors of all budgets!
Shopping Byzantine Coinage at Kinzer Coins
At Kinzer Coins, we offer a variety of different numismatic examples from the Byzantine Empire. Explore our curated Byzantine collections today and begin your journey to building an impressive collection of beautiful coinage from this unique era of history.