Anonymous Follis - Class A - Circa (696-1025) CE

Denomination:  Follis Mint: Constantinople (Modern day Istanbul, Turkey) Date: Circa (969- 1092) AD Mount: Sterling Silver Description: Class A anonymous follis, Constantinople. Obverse: IC-XC to right and left of bust of Christ facing with nimbate (halo-ed) cross behind head, square in each limb of nimbus cross, holding book of gospels. a dot in center of dotted square on book. Reverse: “IS-XS-BAS-ILE BAS-ILE” Latin ("Jesus Christ, King of Kings. History: This coin is part of a grouping of coins called "Anonymous Follis." These coins are so- called because they do not bear the name or mark of any particular ruler. They were issued during the period between 969 and 1092 and include purely religious images and inscriptions. This particular coin is especially interesting because the obverse bears a portrait of Jesus Christ. The reverse side of most of these coins has the inscription in Latin "Jesus Christ, King of Kings." According to sources from that period and numismatic data anon