THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, 6 June 913 – 9 November 959, with colleagues from 914
Solidus circa 924, AV 4.41 g. + KEbOHQEI – ROM – Ahw dECPOTH Romanus I standing facing, wearing crown and loros and holding globus cruciger , crowned by Christ, on r., wearing tunic and himation , and holding book of gospel. Rev. XPISTOF ET COhST’AYGG’b Facing busts of Christopher, on l., and Constantine VII, on r., both crowned and wearing loros and and clamys respectively and holding long patriarchal cross between them. DO 5 (this dies). Sear 1744.
Extremely rare. An insignificant edge mark at eight o’clock
on reverse, otherwise extremely fine
The sequence and dating of solidi from the reigns of Constantine VII and Romanus I are far from certain. If an undoubted sequence could be determined, it would contribute much to our understanding of this complex period, in which there was a power struggle between a legitimate emperor and his ambitious general.
Since Constantine VII was two years old when elevated to the throne, and merely seven when he became sole emperor in 913, he was especially vulnerable to court intrigues. Among the opportunists was Romanus I, who rose to become the principal military figure in the empire. Romanus I arranged for his daughter, Helena, to marry the young emperor Constantine VII, allowing for his own rise: first he was made Basileopator in 919, then Caesar in September, 920, and finally co-emperor with his new son-in-law three months later, in December. Since Constantine VII had not by then reached majority, Romanus I became the senior emperor.
Romanus I had no interest in the welfare of Constantine VII and he wasted little time before raising his own sons to the purple. In 921 he made his eldest son, Christopher, co-emperor, and in 924 extended that same honour to his two younger boys. Meanwhile, Constantine VII remained in the background more than two decades before he could triumph over his unwanted in-laws early in 945 and establish a court that centred on his own family.
Though the coinage shows that Romanus I took careful, incremental steps to marginalize Constantine VII in favour of his own sons, authorities disagree about the order of events. Two rare and remarkable issues of solidi from this period show on their obverse Christ crowning Romanus I, and on their reverse the figures of Christopher and Constantine VII. One of them shows Constantine VII in the position of primacy (at the left, and with his hand higher on the patriarchal cross) and the other with Christopher in that position.
Exactly when these coins were struck is still a matter of debate. Traditionally they are attributed to 921, essentially at the time of Christopher’s coronation. However, in his 2007 Corpus of the Nomismata from Anastasius II to John I in Constantinople, 713-976, Franz Füeg argues for a later date. He attributes the solidi with Constantine VII in primacy to 923-924 and to 924 the issue with Christopher in primacy (the type offered here, which he suggests was produced in haste, with only one pair of dies).
Füeg notes that on the issue that portrays Christopher subordinate to Constantine VII, both are bearded, and their busts are of equal size. However, on the subsequent issue, Christopher not only assumes the primary position, but is shown to be physically superior, as Constantine VII is now un-bearded and shorter.
The next series appears to be the common solidi that show on their obverse the seated figure of Christ, and on the reverse Romanus I and his son Christopher holding a patriarchal cross. Constantine VII is not present on this massive issue, and if Füeg's order is correct it would represent the completion of the triumph of Romanus over his royal, but out-maneuvered, son-in-law.