THRACE. Byzantium. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Diassarion (Bronze, 23 mm, 9.73 g, 7 h), Diva Faustina Junior, as honorary magistrate. Time of Marcus Aurelius, circa 178-180. BYZAΣ Bearded head of the eponymous hero Byzas to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with a volute on the bowl. Rev. ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΩΝ ΦΑΥϹΤΙΝΗϹ / •Є•Θ• Prow to left; on top, emperor standing front on base, head to left, extending his right hand and holding spear in his left. RPC IV.1 online 8722. Schönert-Geiss 2058. Very rare and in exceptional condition, a highly interesting piece. Slightly smoothed and with minor traces of corrosion, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


The obverse of this interesting coin depicts Byzas, son of King Nisos of Megara, and evokes the city’s foundation legend: consulted by Nisos, the Delphic oracle instructed that the new city should be founded 'opposite the city of the blind.' On reaching the Dardanelles, Byzas recognised this as the site of the Golden Horn, a naturally defensible peninsula with an excellent natural harbour opposite Kalchedon, whose settlers had failed to exploit this advantageous location.

Particularly striking is the way Byzantium here departs from the more typical civic practice of naming only urban magistrates. In rare instances the city also placed members of the imperial domus - and even divine figures such as Demeter - into its coin legends. The present piece is an especially intriguing example of this: it names Faustina the Younger, who was already deceased and deified by the time of issue, thereby uniting imperial affiliation and divinity in a single figure.