Hello and welcome. This is a work in progress, and I've reached the point where I could really use input from more experienced collectors.
I began with a group of worn cup coins and quickly found that working through Catalogue of the Late Byzantine Coins, Vol. I page by page wasn't very efficient. To improve the process, I created a database, recording details that seemed most useful for narrowing down identifications — while intentionally ignoring inscriptions due to their condition.
After completing CLBC, I expanded the dataset using entries from the Labarum Byzantine Coin Catalog. Even then, inconsistencies remained.
In April 2026, while researching on ACSearch, I discovered a major issue: auction houses often use different terminology amongst each other for clothing and iconography, and these don't always align with CLBC.
I'm now rethinking how to move forward without losing too much work. If you have experience with trachy coins, I would greatly appreciate your feedback.
Standard references describe coins differently. The Catalogue of Late Byzantine Coins (CLBC, 1081–1453) provided the foundation for this project because of its detailed typology and illustrations. I cross-referenced with Labarum.info and auction records on acsearch.info, only to discover how much variation exists in how coins are labeled.
To make the site more accessible to beginners, I sometimes use simplified or more common terms instead of strict scholarly ones:
- "Banner" instead of labarum
- "Cylinder" as a catch-all for small cylindrical objects held by the emperor (such as an akakia, scroll, hilt, or scabbard)
These choices reflect my own learning process and aim to reduce the barrier for those who haven't yet mastered the full numismatic vocabulary.
The main purpose here is not to definitively identify your coin, but to quickly reduce the possibilities using positive and negative filters based on visible features — the emperor's pose, objects held, symbols in the field, and so on. Once you've narrowed the results to a manageable handful, consult professional references for final attribution:
- CLBC Catalogue of Late Byzantine Coins, Vol. I
- Sear Byzantine Coins and Their Values
- Labarum Labarum.info online catalog
If you have suggestions for improvements, better terminology, or additional coins to consider, feel free to reach out at the.10th.legion@gmail.com. This is very much a work in progress created by one collector trying to help others.
Happy hunting — and welcome to the fascinating world of late Byzantine coinage!