How to Identify Byzantine Coins
Whether it turned up in a drawer, an inheritance or a flea-market tray, a Byzantine coin can usually be pinned down with a handful of systematic checks. Here is how collectors identify Byzantine coins, step by step, and how to find out what your piece is actually worth.
What counts as Byzantine coins?
Byzantine coinage is the money of the Eastern Roman Empire from Anastasius I’s reform of 498 AD to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Its backbone was the remarkably stable gold solidus (about 4.5 g) alongside big copper folles marked with bold Greek numeral letters showing their value. From the 11th century, many coins were struck cup-shaped — the so-called scyphate trachea.
What makes Byzantine coins instantly recognizable is their Christian iconography: crosses, the facing bust of Christ (introduced under Justinian II in 692), the Virgin, and saints appear where pagan Rome had put gods and personifications.
Step-by-step: identifying Byzantine coins
The sequence below moves from the fastest checks to the most specific ones. Stop as soon as you have a confident match, and note down what you observe at each step:
- Look for a large denomination letter dominating the reverse: M means 40 nummi (a follis), K is 20, I is 10 and E is 5 — the signature of early Byzantine copper.
- Check for Christian imagery — crosses on steps, Christ or the Virgin facing forward, saints with halos — which separates Byzantine coins from earlier Roman issues at a glance.
- Read the regnal dating on folles: ANNO beside the big M with a numeral gives the year of the emperor’s reign.
- Find the mint signature below: CON for Constantinople, NIKO for Nicomedia, ANT/THEUP for Antioch, among others.
- Note the fabric: thin, cup-shaped (scyphate) flans indicate 11th–14th century trachea, while flat thick copper is earlier.
- Attribute with Sear’s Byzantine Coins and Their Values (SB numbers) or the Dumbarton Oaks (DOC) catalogs.
Are Byzantine coins valuable?
Byzantine copper is one of the most affordable ancient series: identifiable folles typically bring $10–50 depending on strike and patina. Gold solidi survive in quantity and trade from several hundred dollars for common emperors — not far above their bullion value — while rare rulers, fine early solidi and silver issues (always scarce in this series) command strong premiums.
Whatever the exact type, grade and rarity set the price. Two examples of the same piece can differ tenfold between heavily worn and mint state, and recent sold prices — not optimistic price-guide figures — are the honest benchmark. AI Coin Collector shows the Numista catalogue price per grade for everything it identifies.
Common pitfalls and fakes
Before you buy, sell or celebrate a find, rule out the classic traps:
- Weak strikes, clipping and overstriking on earlier coins are normal for the series — do not mistake them for damage, or damage for them.
- Solidi pulled from jewelry: check the rim for mount traces and solder, which cut the value substantially.
- Cast fakes of solidi and rare folles; genuine coins show struck flow lines, not granular cast surfaces.
- Anonymous folles bearing Christ’s portrait but no emperor name confuse attribution — they are classed by letter types, not rulers.
Identify Byzantine coins from a photo with AI Coin Collector
Skip the catalog marathon: snap a photo in AI Coin Collector and let our own AI vision model suggest the attribution, which you check and adjust. You get the identification, a Sheldon 1–70 grade estimate, and the Numista catalogue price per grade.
Once identified, add the piece to your collection, see the total value of the collection and export it to CSV. AI Coin Collector is free to start, with a Premium plan for keen collectors.
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify Byzantine coins?
Look for a large denomination letter dominating the reverse: M means 40 nummi (a follis), K is 20, I is 10 and E is 5 — the signature of early Byzantine copper. Check for Christian imagery — crosses on steps, Christ or the Virgin facing forward, saints with halos — which separates Byzantine coins from earlier Roman issues at a glance. Working through checks like these in order narrows down most pieces quickly — and a clear photo in AI Coin Collector turns the whole process into a few seconds.
What does the big M on my old coin mean?
It is a Greek numeral, not a letter: M means 40 nummi, the value of the Byzantine follis introduced by Anastasius I in 498 AD. Smaller denominations used K (20), I (10) and E (5). A mint mark usually sits below the M and a regnal year beside it.
Are Byzantine coins worth anything?
Copper folles are inexpensive collectibles at $10–50, while gold solidi start around several hundred dollars and rise with rarity and grade. Scarce rulers and the series’ uncommon silver denominations carry real premiums.
Can an app identify Byzantine coins from a photo?
Yes. AI Coin Collector identifies coins, tokens and medals from a single photo using our own AI vision model, estimates condition on the Sheldon 1–70 scale, and shows the Numista catalogue price per grade.