Nomos 11

Nicephorus I, with Stauracius, 802-811. Solidus (Gold, 17mm, 3.80 g 6), uncertain Sicilian mint, probably Syracuse, 803-810 (but probably c. December 803-early 804). n - ICFORo Bearded and facing bust of Nicephorus I, wearing crown with a cross on circlet, a loros, and holding a cross potent in his right hand. Rev. ST - AURAC Facing, beardless, bust of Stauracius, wearing crown with a cross on circlet, a chlamys and holding a globus cruciger in his right hand and an anexikakia in his left. Anastasi -. DOC -. Spahr -. S -. But see Numismatica Ars Classica 75, 2013, 697 for another example, struck from the same dies. Of great rarity. A very sharply struck and attractive coin. Good extremely fine.

Apparently the first coin of this type to appear was the piece in the NAC sale cited above. The style is clearly Sicilian and is very much like other known, albeit very rare, solidi of Nicephorus and Stauracius. However, the legends, neither of which appears to have a title, are extremely unusual since all the normal issues provide the word basileus. The coins of the present type must have been the very first gold issue of Nicephorus from Sicily; it was replaced by more orthodox coins, which more closely followed Constantinopolitan prototypes with fuller legends.