Tiberius III Apsimar (AD 698-705). AV solidus (20mm, 4.38 gm, 7h). NGC MS 4/5 - 2/5, wavy flan, clipped, brushed. Constantinople, 3rd officina. D tIbЄRI-ЧS PЄ-AV, cuirassed bust of Tiberius III facing, wearing crown surmounted by cross, transverse spear in right hand across front of chest, shield decorated with horseman motif in left / VICTORIA-AVϚЧ Γ, cross potent on three steps; CONOB in exergue. Sear 1360. Ex Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction (23 January 2019), lot 741. 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 terrific 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 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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