Michael

Intro ...

(1056-1057)

l

V

CONSTANTINOPLE

Michael VI (1056-1057). AV Histamenon nomisma. Constantinople mint. Sear 1840.

Obv: + ıҺs xıs ʀєx ʀєςɴᴀɴᴛınm. Bust of Christ facing, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium and colobium, and raising right hand in benediction; holding book of Gospels in left hand; double border.

Rev: + mıxᴀʜⳑ ᴀчτᴏᴄʀᴀτ’. The Virgin, nimbate (right), and Michael, bearded (left), standing facing; the Virgin wearing pallium and maphorium, crowing the emperor, who is wearing jewelled chlamys and holding globus cruciger; between their heads, ᴍ ⲑ; double border.

Notes: thin, spread fabric; sometimes slightly scyphate.

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Michael VI (1056-1057). AV Tetarteron nomisma. Constantinople mint. Sear 1841.

Obv: Facing bust of the Virgin orans, nimbate, wearing pallium and maphorium; in field to left, ᴍᴘ; to right, ⲑᴠ. [lines above ᴍᴘ ⲑᴠ].

Rev: + mıxᴀʜⳑ (or + mıxᴀʜᴧ) ᴀᴠτᴏᴄʀᴀτ. Michael, bearded, standing facing on footstool, wearing crown, saccos and loros, and holding long cross and akakia.

Notes: small, thick fabric.

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Michael VI (1056-1057). AR ⅔ Miliaresion. Constantinople mint. Sear 1842.

Obv: ʜ ʀᴧᴀxєᴘɴıᴛıcᴀ. Facing bust of the Virgin orans, nimbate, wearing pallium and maphorium; in field to left, ᴍᴘ; to right, ⲑᴠ. [lines above ᴍᴘ ⲑᴠ]; double border.

Rev: + ⲑᴋє / ʀᴏʜⲑєı / mıxᴀʜᴧ / ᴏᴘⲑᴏΔᴏ / 𝓧ω Δєc / ⲡᴏᴛʜ in six lines; — — — above, — · — beneath; double border.

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Though Psellus tells us that Michael VI was crowned emperor while Theodora was still alive, it was not til 31 August, after her death, that his accession was proclaimed in the city. He was elderly and incompetent, and his tactless treatment of a number of high military officials provoked a rebellion in Asia Minor in the summer of 1057, Isaac Comnenus being proclaimed emperor at Gunaria near Kastamouni on 8 June. After negotiations in which the historian Psellus played a leading role, Isaac agreed to accept the lesser office of Caesar and a promise of the succession, but Michael's position in the capital had already been undermined and on 30 August he abdicated, assuming as was customary the monastic habit. Isaac entered the capital on the evening of the 31st and was crowned the next day. Michael died early in the new reign.

The histamenon of Michael VI is one first satisfactorily published by Wroth but ascribed by him to Michael V. The obverse type is a bust of Christ; the reverse shows the coronation of Michael by the Virgin, like the coins of Romanus III. Two varieties are known, one with pellets and the other with square jewels in the arms of the cross in Christ's nimbus. The attribution has been discussed already. The transfer to Michael V of the histamenon formerly ascribed to Michael VI makes it reasonable to give the one with the emperor and the Virgin to Michael VI in exchange. The coin is surprisingly rare for a reign that lasted as long as a year.

Michael VI's tetartera are on the other hand fairly common. The obverse shows the bust of the Virgin orans, without inscription, this feature being carried on from Class II of Theodora’s tetartera; the reverse shows the emperor standing. The coins give him the title of autocrator, which he also bears on his histamena; it is rare on the coins of the period, but it helped to differentiate his issues from those of Michael IV and Michael V, and it has been argued that he used the title because, unlike the two preceding Michaels, he did not have to share power with a princess of the Macedonian dynasty. The tetartera are of only 16/17 carat gold, their poor quality being very evident to the eye.

The only known silver coin of Michael VI is a two-thirds miliaresion, now at Dumbarton Oaks, which was first published by Bertelè. It is of the same type as the two-thirds miliaresia of Constantine IX and of Theodora, having on the obverse a bust of the Virgin orans and on the other an inscription in several lines running across the field. Although this gives the emperor no titles other than those of orthodoxos and despotes, its close resemblance to the other two coins, and in particular its use of the epithet Blachernitissa with the bust of the Virgin, justifies our ascribing it to Michael VI.

The coin is remarkable in its use of the title orthodoxos. This otherwise occurs only once in Byzantine numismatics, on the similar silver coin of Michael VI's successor Isaac I, Bertelè has argued that it was in some sort a reflection of the schism of 1054: a firm affirmation of his orthodoxy by the Byzantine emperor in the face of Roman pretensions. Laurent would see in it not so much an affirmation of the emperor's orthodoxy as an appeal devised by the ambitious Patriarch Michael Cerularius that the emperor should show himself orthodoxy personified. Although the epithet formed part of the coronation laudes and might be used by any emperor—it is applied to Alexander, for example, on his mosaic portrait in Saint Sophia and to Romanus II on a small silver cross in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection—its use on coins by two successive emperors in the decade following 1054 must surely have some significance, and Bertelè’s interpretation seems to me an acceptable one.

There are no copper coins bearing Michael VI's name. Wroth assigned to him the Anonymous Folles of Class F, which Miss Thompson would transfer to Constantine X. Either Classes E or F may in fact have been struck while Michael was on the throne, though they cannot be limited to any particular reign.

(from DOC vol. lll)

Coinage