THE SYRIA HOARD A 1957 HOARD

Hoard A was found in northern Syria in 1960. Gold of Gold nomisma of This hoard was found, its name suggests, in Like the Syria 1957 Hoard (to the right of this Constans II (641-668), Constantine X (1059-1067), Constantinople, B3754 Constantinople, B5369 Syria in 1957. It is said to have been discovered case), its exact find location is unknown. It ‘on the Turkish-Syrian border’ but, like Hoard A, contained 31 gold solidi, all from the years 641- Concave : Gold solidus of Gold histamenon nomisma of its exact find location is unknown. It consists of 650 – an unusually short time span for a gold Constans II (641-668), Constantine X (1059-1067), Constantinople, B3761 towers or tiddlywinks? Constantinople, B5370 only 15 coins, all gold. Of these, 14 were struck hoard of this period (compare the Carthage 1945 between the years 1059 and 1071, while the and Tunis 1954 Hoards in the case opposite). From the mid-11th century, the began to strike Gold solidus of Gold histamenon nomisma of other comes from the reign of Michael VII (1071- Constans II (641-668), coins with a concave shape, like those in the Syria 1957 Hoard (to Constantine X (1059-1067), The 7th century was a time of continuing Constantinople, B3764 Constantinople, B5371 1078). The hoard was therefore probably buried the right of this case). Suggestions for why they did this range conflict in the region of Syria and the entire during his reign, or perhaps shortly after. from the practical – the shape made them easier to stack or more Levant, first between the Byzantine and Persian Gold solidus of Gold histamenon nomisma of Constans II (641-668), difficult to make forgeries, to the somewhat bizarre – the shape Constantine X (1059-1067), Despite the rise and fall of regional powers Sasanian Empires, from 602, then with the Constantinople, B3765 Constantinople, B5373 made playing tiddlywinks easier! Though the extent of the concavity between the deposition of Hoard A and of the emergent Caliphate from the 630s. In this differs (compare the two coins displayed here), this shape Syria 1957 Hoard, northern Syria remained an context, it is likely that the Byzantine Syrian Gold solidus of became a distinctive feature of Byzantine coins from the 11th Gold histamenon nomisma of important border region into the period of the who buried these coins did so to protect them Constans II (641-668), Constantine X (1059-1067), Constantinople, B3772 century to the final fall of Byzantium to the Ottomans in 1453. Constantinople, B5376 Crusades and beyond, even to the present day. from looting. That the coins from this hoard This particular hoard of Byzantine coins would were produced within a decade of each other Gold solidus of Gold histamenon nomisma of have been buried not long after the decisive may indicate that they represent recently Constans II (641-668), Constantine X (1059-1067), Constantinople, B3774 Constantinople, B5377 battle of Manzikert (1071), which took place acquired wealth. close to modern Turkey’s border with Syria. of Electrum aspron trachy of Gold solidus of Manouel I (1143-1180), Manouel I (1143-1180), Gold histamenon nomisma of The battle was an important point in a general Constans II (641-668), Constantinople, B5704 Thessalonike, B5785 Romanos IV (1067-1071), Constantinople, B3796 Constantinople, B5421 power shift towards the Seljuk Turks. It is likely that the 11th-century Syrian who buried this hoard, like the 7th-century Syrian who buried Gold solidus of Gold histamenon nomisma of Constans II (641-668), Romanos IV (1067-1071), Constantinople, B3800 Constantinople, B5424 Hoard A, did so to protect the contents from looters.

603 611 634 641 969 1055 1068 1071-1078 Renewal of hostilities between Persians invade Syrian region Arabic invasion of Syria, Year of 4 Emperors: Herakleios, Earliest coins from Northern Syria reconquered First concave coins struck Turks invade the Probable deposition of Byzantium and Persia fall of Damascus Constantine III, Herakleonas Hoard A struck by the Byzantine Empire in the Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire Syria 1957 Hoard and Constans II

609-610 628 637 646-650 995 1059 1071 1084 Syria falls to the revolt of Herakleios Peace signed between Muslim armies re-enter northern Syria, Probable deposition of Hoard A in northern Syria Unsuccessful Egyptian invasion Constantine X becomes Emperor, Battle of Manzikert, Romanos IV deposed, Antioch taken by Turks, Byzantines and Persians fall of Aleppo and Antioch amidst continued fighting, of Byzantine Syria first coins in Syria 1957 hoard struck Michael VII becomes Emperor end of Byzantine Syria Syria remains under the Caliphate