★ Jerusalem(?) Mint ★

Heraclius AV Solidus. Uncertain eastern mint (Jerusalem?), late AD 610-12. ∂N ҺERACLIVS P P AVI, crowned and cuirassed bust facing (which resembles Phocas), holding globus cruciger / VICTORIA AVGV IΠ, angel standing facing, holding long staff surmounted by staurogram and globus cruciger; CONOB in exergue. Bendall p. 307, Type 3, pl. 40, 7 (same obverse die) = MIB III, 76 (Cyprus?); DOC 186 (Alexandria); Sear 850 (Jerusalem). 4.30g, 21mm, 7h.

Extremely Fine; light edge scuffs. Extremely Rare.

From the inventory of a UK dealer;
Acquired from InAsta s.p.a. (San Marino).

The identification of Jerusalem as the mint of this issue has been convincingly made by S. Bendall, in "The Byzantine coinage of the mint of Jerusalem" in RN 159, 2003, pp. 307-22. Since the obverse legend depicts Heraclius as Augustus, this solidus belongs to the early years of the reign of Heraclius and is a continuation of the military mint of Phocas, which had been established to pay the Byzantine army in the East confronting the Persian invasion. The issue is characterised with reverse legend ending with Greek letters I Π, that may well represent the mint name: IEPOCOΛYMA ΠOΛIS, dated to AD 607/8 (cf. Bendall p. 314, Type 2 = MIBE II, 30) for which 40 nummi pieces are attested for and dated to AD 613/4 (cf. Bendall p. 313 Type 1 = MIBE X27). Obviously the mint did not yet know what Heraclius looked like and the mint officials continued to use the effigy that they had produced for Phocas. Since Heraclius is depicted as Augustus the issue must be have been struck after the start of the reign on 5 October 610 and before the capture of Jerusalem by the Persians in 614. The Persian capture of Antioch in the spring of 611 caused the commander Nicetas to advance the Byzantine army from Egypt in order to engage the enemy at Emesa. It is eminently plausible, given the importance of Jerusalem, containing as it did the True Cross, that the city became once more a mint issuing solidi and folles to pay the army from mid 611 to 614.