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Solidus (Coin) of Basil I with Christ Enthroned

A work made of gold.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of gold.

Date:

868–870

Artist:

Byzantine, minted in Constantinople

About this artwork

The imagery of Byzantine coins, as well as their use—or not—of religious imagery, reflects the different attitudes toward representation of divine figures as a result of the Iconoclastic (from the Greek eikon, or image, and klao, to break) Controversy, a fierce debate among Byzantine theologians over the appropriate role of images in religious worship that raged in Byzantium for over 100 years from about 730 to 843.

In a radical departure from the numismatic imagery of iconoclast emperors, the coin of Basil I (r. 976–1025) has an image of Christ Enthroned on its front, along with an inscription proclaiming the heavenly ruler “King of Kings.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Byzantine

Title

Solidus (Coin) of Basil I with Christ Enthroned

Place

Byzantine Empire (Minted in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Struck 868 CE–870 CE

Medium

Gold

Inscriptions

Obverse: bASILIOSETCONSTANTI AUGGb Reverse: +IhSXPSSREX REgNANTIuM+

Dimensions

Diam.: 2 cm (13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Emily Crane Chadbourne

Reference Number

1940.23

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/36654/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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