Tiberius III Apsimar (AD 698-705). AV solidus (20mm, 4.45 gm, 6h). NGC MS 5/5 - 4/5. Constantinople, 6th officina. D tIbЄRI-ЧS PЄ-AV, cuirassed bust of Tiberius III facing, wearing crown with cross on circlet, transverse spear in right hand across front of chest, shield decorated with horseman motif in left / VICTORIA-AVϚЧ S, cross potent with base set on three steps; CONOB below. Sear 1360. Crisply struck on brilliant flan. Admiral of a Byzantine seat sent to relieve the siege of Carthage, Apsimar turned back after the Arabs sized the city and undertook to overthrow the feeble Emperor Leontius. He succeeded to the throne as Tiberius III and set about trying to recover the initiative against the advancing Arabs. He scored some minor successes against them in Asia Minor, but Carthage was lost forever, a terrible blow that undermined his claim to military prowess. Rightfully suspicious of the deposed Justinian II, who had taken refuge with the Khazars, he tried to have his rival extradited and executed. But Justinian eluded capture and returned to Constantinople at the head of a polyglot army, in AD 705. Caught unprepared, Tiberius tried to flee, but was captured and executed. The scarce coinage of Tiberius shows him as a military man, armed with spear and shield, a motif that had not been seen in decades.

HID09801242017

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