582-602 AD Byzantine Gold 23 Siliqua of Maurice Tiberius NGC Mint State

Exceptional 1,400-Year-Old Byzantine Gold Coin Minted By A Saint

Struck by hand, no two coins from the days of the Byzantine Empire are alike. These coins are extremely rare and, in fact, less than ten are known to exist. In a search of 4,250 ancient coin auctions from the past 25 years, there have been only eleven other coins of this type sold — and both were in lower grades!

The Byzantine Emperor Whose Peace Overtures Ended In His Murder

This coin was minted by the Emperor Maurice Tiberius, a Saint of the Orthodox Christian Church and as Emperor, he was also the head of the church. Known for his expertise as a military strategist, he also strove for peace with the mighty Persian Empire as shown by his negotiations and peace agreement with Persian Emperor Khosrau II, who later married Tiberius’ daughter, Mary. It is interesting to note that it was Khosrau who later, in 614, captured the “True Cross” in Jerusalem and brought it back to his Christian wife. The successes of Emperor Tiberius on the military front did not keep him from being overthrown by a disgruntled general named Phocas, who not only had Tiberius put to death, but executed all six of his sons in an attempt to solidify his grip on power. The move proved to be an abject failure for the Empire as it sparked a devastating war with Persia that lasted 26 years and opened the door to later Muslim conquests.

This coin has been certified band graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being Mint State (MS) condition. It also comes with a Strike 4/5 and a Surface 5/5 — hard to imagine for a coin struck more than 1,400 years ago! Add this exceptional Mint State Byzantine coin to your collection now!