Byzantine Coins

Explore Byzantine Coins from the Eastern Roman Empire, featuring authentic coinage issued from Constantinople and other imperial mints across more than a thousand years of history. This category includes gold, silver, and bronze coins from The London Coin Company’s world coin selection, covering imperial issues from the early Byzantine period through to the later medieval empire, including certified and collectable examples in a wide range of grades.

The Eastern Roman Empire’s Coinage Legacy

Byzantine coinage represents the continuation of Roman currency traditions after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, with Constantinople as the primary minting centre for most of its history. Coins were issued under a long succession of emperors, often featuring religious imagery such as Christ, the Virgin Mary, angels, and the cross, reflecting the empire’s deeply Christian identity.

This category includes a wide range of Byzantine coins issued across different periods, typically classified into three main metal types:

• Gold coins(solidus and later hyperpyron)
• Silver issues(later medieval Byzantine coinage)
• Bronze coins(daily circulation currency used across the empire)

Iconography and Design

Byzantine coins are distinctive for their strong religious symbolism and evolving portrait styles. Early issues continue Roman traditions with imperial portraits, but later designs increasingly feature frontal images of Christ or saints on the obverse and the emperor on the reverse, marking a major shift in medieval coin art.

Common design elements include:

• Christ Pantocrator and Christian iconography
• Emperors shown front-facing in formal regalia
• Crosses, globes, and imperial regalia
• Greek inscriptions replacing earlier Latin legends

A Millennium of Byzantine Coinage

Byzantine coinage spans more than 1,000 years, with Constantinople serving as the central mint for gold and silver for much of its history. Over time, the empire developed a complex monetary system that influenced medieval Europe and the Islamic world, with coins widely circulated across the Mediterranean and Near East.

Collectors can expect to find coins ranging from early imperial solidi of the 6th–7th centuries through to later medieval issues struck under the Palaiologan dynasty, including debased silver and small bronze denominations used in everyday commerce.

Why Collect Byzantine Coins?

Byzantine Coins remain highly sought after because of:

• Covers over 1,000 years of continuous imperial history
• Struck under dozens of emperors across multiple dynasties
• Includes iconic gold solidi and later hyperpyra issues
• Strong religious and artistic iconography
• Central role in medieval Mediterranean trade
• Wide variety of denominations, types, and mint marks
• Highly collectable ancient and medieval numismatics category

Explore Byzantine Coinage

This category includes a broad selection such as:

• Gold solidi and hyperpyra
• Bronze follis and fractional bronze coins
• Silver medieval issues
• Coins of major emperors from Justinian I onward
• Constantinople mint issues and provincial variants
• Religious portrait coinage featuring Christ and the Virgin
• Certified and graded ancient coins

Buy Byzantine Coins with Confidence

At The London Coin Company , Byzantine Coins are carefully selected for authenticity, historical importance, and collectability. Whether you are starting an ancient coin collection or expanding into medieval Eastern Roman coinage, Byzantine Coins offer a direct connection to one of the longest-lasting empires in world history.