ROMAN AND BYZANTINE COINS
Heraclius, with Heraclius Constantine, 610-641. Hexagram (Silver, 23mm, 6.36 g 7), Constantinople, 615-625. ddNNhERACLIUS ET hERA CONST P P A Enthroned draped and facing figures of Heraclius, larger and on the left, with a simple cross-topped crown, a short beard, and holding a globus in his right hand, and of Heraclius Constantine, smaller and on the right, with a simple cross-topped crown and holding a globus in his right hand; between their heads, cross. Rev. dEUS AdIUTA ROmANIS Cross potent on globe and three steps. DOC 61. MIB 134. SB 795. An extraordinarily well struck example, on a broad regular flan. Somewhat rough surfaces with various marks, otherwise , nearly extremely fine. The hexagram was a short-lived large silver denomination that was produced in relatively large numbers under Heraclius, Constans II and Constantine IV; during the first reign of Justinian II limited numbers were produced but after that point the coin was only minted in extremely small numbers for ceremonial occasions. While some of these coins were carefully struck, as this piece, the vast majority were produced utilizing rather irregular, thick flans and are often very crude, indeed.