u/Orthobrah52102

Here's the second part to my first post going through just a small part of the many hundreds of coins owned by the MFA! Enjoy!

1.Augustalis, Emperor Frederick II, Sicily, M.AD1231-1250

2.Athenian Tetradrachm, M.136-135BC

3.Solidus, Empress Irene of Athens, Constantinople, M.AD797-802

4.Tetradrachm, King Tigranes II of Armenia, Antioch, M.95-56BC

5.Medallion of Two Solidi, Emperor Constantius II, Antioch, M.AD337-342

6.Sicilian Didrachm, M.492-484BC

7.Histamenon, Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos, Constantinople, M.AD1042-1055

8.Drachm, King Phraates III of Parthia, Mithradatkart, M.70-57BC

9.Aureus, Emperor Licinius(front-facing), Nicomedia, M.AD321-322

10.Bronze Medallion, Emperor Gallienus, Rome, M.AD258

11.Medallion of One+½ Solidi, Emperor Constantine the Great, Trier, M.AD313-315

12.Athenian Tetradrachm, M.515-510BC

13.Medallion of Eight Aurei, Emperor Cladius II Gothicus, Milan, M.AD268

14.Silver Medallion, Emperor Philip I the Arab, Rome, M.???(falsely attributed to AD164-165, a century before Philip was Emperor)

15.Tristater, Carthaginian Sicily, M.265-241BC

16.Two Athenian Tetradrachmae(reverses), M.470-455BC

Here are two of my most recent acquisitions! Both Denarii of Frederick II, though minted anywhere from 20 to 55 years apart!

1.Kingdom of Sicily, BI Denaro, Emperor+King Henry VI and infant Frederick II, R.1191-1197, 16mm, 0.56g.

-Struck 1194-1197 by Frederick's father, Emperor Henry VI(also grandson of the famed Emperor Frederick I 'Barbarossa'), in expectation that Frederick would succeed him both as King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor, and that he did, being crowned King of Sicily in 1198, King of Germany in 1212, Emperor of the Romand and King of Italy in 1220, and King of Jerusalem in 1225 until 1228. Also possibly struck from the massive hoard of silver that England paid to Emperor Henry VI to secure Richard the Lionheart's safe return

-Obv: Facing bust of Frederick, adorned with a Byzantine style crown, similar to that worn by Queen Constance of Sicily(Henry VI's wife), legends around; "FREDERIC' REX".

-Rev: Hohenstauffen heraldic/Imperial Eagle, legends around; "+ E INPERATOR".

-The legends combined read: "FREDERIC' REX + E INPERATOR"(Frederick, King and Emperor).

✠-----------------------------------------------------------------------------✠

2.Holy Roman Empire, AR Denier, Emperor Frederick II, Imperial City of Aachen, R.1198-1250(as King of Sicily)1212-1250(as King of Germany)1220-1250 (as Emperor), 16mm, 1.22g

-This gorgeous piece was struck from 1215-1250, only a few years after Frederick II was crowned King of Germany, which effectively guaranteed him the title of Emperor even before he was officially coronated, and continued to be struck until his death. It's now one of the jewels of my High Middle Age period of collecting, and I hope it resonates with you all as it does with me!

-Obv: Emperor Frederick facing, seated on throne, crowned and wearing Imperial regalia, holding Globus Cruciger in left hand and lily-topped scepter in right hand. Legend: "+FRIDERICVS"

-Rev: Cathedral with large central spire and two smaller towers, lilies in circlets beneath towers. Legend: "+IMPERATOR"

-The legends combined read: "+FRIDERICVS + IMPERATOR"(Frederick, Emperor).

Some incredible pieces here, MFABoston has one one of the greatest on-display collections I've ever seen.

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1.Emperor Constantine the Great Eyes to Heaven Medallion of Five Siliquae

2.Emperor Magnetius approaching Aquiliea Medallion of Three Solidi

3.Emperor Theodore Komnenos-Doukas of Thessalonica with Saint Demetrios Electrum Trachy

4.Gold Stater of the Parisii Gauls

5.Bruttium Tetradrachm with head of Zeus(280-277BC)

6.Emperor Justinian II Solidus with first depiction Christ on a coin in history

7.Cretian Stater with Eagle(320-375BC)

8.Either Darius I or Xerxes Achaemenid Empire Daric

9.Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos Half-Stavraton

10.Emperor Julian the Apostate Solidus

11.Stater of Etruria, Running Gorgon(475-450BC)

12.Emperor Alexios III Angelos with Saint Constantine Hyperpyron

13.Ptolemy I Oktodrachm of Alexandria

14.Emperor Maximian I Herculius Aureus

15.Emperor Septimius Severus Antioch Tetradrachm

16.Emperor Constantius II Solidus Nicomedia

17.Constans Miliarense Thessalonica

18.Empress Licinia Eudoxia Solidus

19.Emperor Constantine with Crispus and Constantine II Miliarense

20.Emperor Probus with Sol Aureus

The late 14th through early 16th centuries is arguably in my opinion, the most beautiful period for Medieval into Early Modern coinage. The Gothic style really took off, seen emulating Gothic arches, foils, and niches, with highly stylized lettering, intricate heraldry, and symbolism that would be recognized generations later.

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The obverse features the shielded arms of the City of Nüremberg: half an heraldic Eagle, the other half alternating downward stripes originating from the House of Raabs as the first Burgraves of Nüremberg. The shield is enclosed within a Gothic quatrefoil, each foil containing tracery. The legends surrounding read; "MEDIVM○SOLIDVS○NVRMBERG"(Half Schilling of Nüremberg). The reverse features a splayed heraldic Imperial Eagle, encircled, and surrounded by the legends; "MONETA○NOVA○ARGENTEA○MINO"(New Small Silver Coin).

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Another beautiful addition to my collection!

Obv: Cross divides legend with smaller Cross within beaded circle; "✠SI | GIS | MVN | DVS✦"

Rev: Crowned Heraldic Eagle of Tyrol, splayed in beaded circle surrounded by legends; "✠COMES •❀• TIROL✦"

This coin is by no means a very rare or super sought after piece, but it is historically important, as it is the first coin to have been issued under the Kreuzer denomination. The equivalent of a Quadruple Pfennig, Sigismund not only officiated the start of this denomination, but he was also able to revolutionize Central Europe's monetary system through reopening the Tyrolean mines with new technology, and as a result of this many surrounding states would begin reopening their silver mines as well. It is from this abundant outflow of silver from home mines that he would issue the first "large" European silver coin, the Guldengroschen. With the abundant production of continental mines and the pouring in of millions of pounds of silver from the Habsburg's Spanish dominions across the Atlantic, this silver surge would lead to the production of the first Thalers several decades later, leaving a lasting legacy on the Western World's currency standard.

Obv: *MAGST·MICHAEL·PRI

Rev: *MONETA·DNORUM·PRU

20.5mm

1.67g

My first coin of the Teutonic Order, didn't think I'd end up finding one until I saw this one listed for what seemed like a decent price.

Rev: Saint Ladislaus, haloed and crowned, holding halberd and Globus Cruciger

Obv: Hungarian Patriarchal Cross, K F mintmark

My only Hungarian coin so far depicting Saint Ladislaus of Hungary, and a rather small one at that, but nevertheless, a beautifully adorable piece.

Exemplary of the Florentine evolution from the late High Middle Ages into and throughout the Renaissance and considered the most important Romano-Gothic church in Tuscany, the church is magnificently decorated and every work of art serves to ornately beautify the church space. Saints line the ribbed vaulting, Biblical scenes cover the apse, side chapels bolster in the crossing, paintings line the walls of the nave, and a massive cloister wraps around the left side of the church. The earliest work is arguably also the most important: Giotto's Crucifix dated between 1288-95, and the latest are several late works done at the tail-end of the Italian Renaissance, for example; Sister Plautilla Nelli's "Last Supper"(1560s), Giorgio Vasari's "Madonna of the Rosary"(1568), Santi di Tito's "Lazarus Raised from the Dead"(1571), and Girolamo Macchietti's "Martyrdom of Saint Laurence"(1573). A nearly 300 year legacy of the evolution of Fine Arts and Religious Iconography.

Also notable, is the burial of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople within the crossing of the Church, Patriarch Joseph II(tomb pictured on slide 17). He was Patriarch of Constantinople from 1416 to his death in 1439. He was the possibly illegitimate son of Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Shishman and a Greek mother, born in 1360, and also cousin of Bulgarian Tsar Konstantin II. He was a monk on Mount Athos before being elected Metropolitan of Ephesus in 1393, and was then elected and raised to the Patriarchal Throne on May 21st, 1416(interestingly enough, my birthday). During his tenure, in 1431 Patriarch Joseph, along with Emperor John VIII Palaiologos, accompanied by 23 Metropolitans and 700 theologians and scholars, attended the Roman Council of Florence in 1431. Not only is he portrayed here in a very unique blend of Orthodox iconography and Gothic art, but he's also featured in the Magi Chapel of the Palazzo Medici, which illustrates the entrance of Byzantine dignitaries into the city of Florence. He died during the proceedings of the Council in 1439, to much sadness by all present, as despite his Orthodox Faith, he sincerely wished for reunion with the Church of Rome. Having died in Florence, permission was given to have him interred there, rather than bring him back to Constantinople. An even more fascinating aspect of this already incredibly storied church.

Helmed by the stellar leadership of the 49th Grandmaster of the Order Hospitallers of Saint John; Jean de Valette(namesake of Maltese capital city of Valetta), the Knights maintained heroic discipline and refused surrender even when casualties mounted across the 3 and a half week span from May 18th to September 8th. The Hospitallers included battle-hardened men from across Europe, particularly Spanish, Italian, and French knights, supported by Maltese civilians and militia. Morale and defense became religious: the defenders saw themselves as protecting Christian Europe from Ottoman expansion, while the Ottomans expected a quick victory and became increasingly frustrated as losses mounted. The Ottoman commanders also severely blundered in the tactical realm; They disagreed over priorities, especially whether to focus first on Fort St. Elmo or strike directly at the main harbor defenses, and were relatively uncoordinated. The long-waged assault on St. Elmo cost thousands of elite Ottoman troops, including the famous corsair, Admiral Dragut, whose death heavily damaged Ottoman morale. Disease, heat, supply strain, and relentless counterattacks gradually weakened the besieging army. By September, the Ottomans had suffered catastrophic casualties and were exhausted. The Hospitallers did not need to destroy the Ottoman army outright; they only needed to survive long enough for relief forces from Sicily to arrive. When a Spanish-led relief army finally landed in September 1565, the Ottomans, who were already depleted and fearing entrapment, decided to withdraw and retreat. The victory became one of the most celebrated events of 16th-century Europe, to the point that the world-famed historian Voltaire said: "Nothing is better known than the siege of Malta." The Ottoman Empire would continue to attempt expansion into Europe over the next century, and the Mediterranean would continue to be contested by the likes of Spain, Portugal, and the Ottomans, but Malta was the real turning point in the European perception of Ottoman power; The failed siege became one of the Empire’s most famous failures, dramatically enhanced the reputation of the Knights Hospitaller across Europe, and permanently ended in the European mind, the idea of Ottoman invincibility in battle.

I was lucky enough, when visiting Malta 3 years ago, to see the Co-Cathedral, built in 1572 in celebratinon and Thanksgiving to God for both this victory and the victory at Lepanto. The tombs of many of the Knights are kept here, both in the Grandmaster's crypt under the altar, and the floor of the church are entirely lined with decorated marble tombs. Included after the 4th picture are the photos I took from my visit.

I'm a sucker for Imperial Eagles. Saw this and had to pick it up.

From left to right, first row through to bottom;

*-Top Row-*

- Contemporary Counterfeit of a Slavonia Denar, probably anywhere from 1230s-1300s

-Denar, Queen Maria, R.1382-1386, M.1384

-Holy Roman Empire, Duchy of Austria, Duke Albert II, 1411-1439

-2 Quartings/¼Denars, Sigismund of Luxembourg, R.1387-1437, M.1430-1437

*-Middle Row-*

-2 Billon Denars, King Władysław III of Poland(reign as King of Hungary and Croatia)R.1440-1444

-Denar, Regent John Hunyadi, R.1446-1453, M.1446

-2 Denars[Crow Type], King Matthias Hunyadi(Corvinus), R.1457-1490, M.1465

*-Bottom Row-*

-Still unidentified, has shields of arms on both obverse and reverse, am unsure of reverse arms.

-Contemporary Counterfeit of a King Ferdinand Denar, R.1526-1564

Forgot to share when I acquired them, but so what if they're a little past acquisition date? Better late than never right?