Monete byzantine di Sicilia. Marco Anastasi. Privately printed. 2009. 252pp, b/w illus throughout. Paperback £85.
This handsomely produced and interesting book would have been improved by colour plates and preferably published in hardback.
In the Introduction Anastasi sets out his aim: ’To augment, and by implication supersede, the standard work by Rudulfo Spahr, Le monete siciliane dai Bizantini a Carlo 1 d’Angio.’ (Zürich, 1974), as far as the Byzantine section is concerned.
Anastasi has consulted various publications since Spahr and delved extensively into recent auction catalogues as there have been many notable discoveries in recent years. The monumental work by Dr Hahn covering, inter alia, the mint of Sicily for the period to AD 720.- Money of the incipient Byzantine empire, vols I-II ( 2000-2009) and Moneta Imperii Byzantini, vol III (1981), appears, however, not to have been consulted.
There is a short and useful introduction to the mints in Sicily during the period; a brief history of each of the emperors who struck coins, together with comments on the issues struck. No reference is made to the gold issues of Justinian I (527-565) and Justin II (565-578) now attributed on the basis of hoard and style evidence to Sicily. Nor is any mention made of the group of unsigned copper coins of Justinian I now also attributed to Sicily. Indeed, the only coin possibly attributed by Anastasi to his reign is a deka usually given to Ravenna. Anastasi lists one type of deka for Justin II. The difficulty of distributing the Italian copper coins between Sicily, Rome and Ravenna, as Hahn correctly states, is notorious. It would have been helpful if a reason had been given for listing the deka but not the penta, which Hahn also attributes to Sicily. The deka for the reign of Tiberius II (578-582), which Anastasi attributes to Sicily, has been given to both Ravenna and Sicily and, whether correct or not, he has given a sound reason for his re-attribution.
An interesting half follis of Maurice Tiberius (582-602) is illustrated, although it is not possible from the photo to ascertain whether it is in fact a Sicilian issue. Against this Hahn’s attribution of the follis with year 21 is omitted.
Commencing with Heraclius( (610-641), the book shows its virtues by including many illustrations of the countermarked issues. The photos are of great assistance to anyone wishing to identify a specific issue, A number of previously unnoticed variations have been identified and Anastasi makes some interesting observations.
Anastasi appears to have been unaware of the half follis of Justinian II’s first reign and the half follis of Leontius (695-698) published respectively by Simon Bendall and Steven Mansfield. An interesting but not totally convincing attempt has been made to split up and date the standing figure folles of Leo III and Constantine V (720-741). The same comments apply to the classification of the folles of Constantine V and Leo IV (751-757).
The attribution of an extensive series in gold to the sole reign of Leo IV (September 775 - April 776) and the joint reign with his son Constantine VI (April 776 - September 780) is thought provoking. Anastasi’s attempt to designate some of the copper coins from the early ninth century as half folles when they are not marked as such is not totally convincing.
There are no Byzantine coins known for the short sole reign of Stavracius .(25 July-2 October 811) and Anastasi has attempted to attribute both gold and copper to this emperor, but here further research is certainly required, This applies also to the attribution of coinage to Leo V’s sole reign (11 July-25 December 813). A useful attempt has been made to date the various issues of Leo V and Constantine.(813-820).
The final coin in the book, a follis of Basil 1 (867-886), is of great interest as until now no copper issues were known for his reign.
Despite some deficiencies, this book should be in the library of anyone who has an interest in the coinage of Byzantine Sicily.
Anthony Portner