Irene, 797-802. Solidus (Gold, 17mm, 3.79 g 6), Syracuse, c. 797/8. IREN AΓOVST Bust of Irene facing, wearing chlamys and crown with pendilia and a cross on a semicircle between two pinnacles, holding an akakia in her left hand; behind her shoulders, two curved lines of a throne-back. Rev. AΓOVST Bust of Irene facing, wearing loros and crown with pendilia and a cross on a semicircle between two pinnacles, holding a cross potent on base in her right hand. Anastasi 452. DOC 3. S 1601. Spahr 340. Extremely rare. A lustrous, perfectly struck example. Virtually as struck.

From a European collector.

The coinage of Irene was hitherto exceedingly rare, especially from Syracuse. The fascinating thing about this coinage is that what is probably the first issue (as here) gives Irene her titles in Latin (though the letter gamma is used instead of a gee) while the second issue uses Greek. Thus, in the first issue she is Augusta and in the second, Basilissa .