1001-1005 AD., Basil II Bulgaroktonos with Constantine VIII, Constantinopolis mint, Histamenon Nomisma, Sear BC 1798.

Basil II Bulgaroktonos (976 - 1025) with Constantine VIII, co-emperor throughout the reign, Constantinopolis mint, ca. 1001-1005 AD.,
Histamenon Nomisma (24-25 mm / 4,42 g),
Obv.: • + IhS XIS RЄX RЄΓNANTIhm • , facing bust of Christ, nimbus with rosette of seven pellets in each limb, wearing pallium and colobium, raising r. hand in blessing and holding Book of Gospels in l.
Rev.: + bASIL' C COhStAhTI b R , facing crowned bust of Basil, with short beard, on l., wearing loros of square pattern, and Constantine, beardless, on r., wearing jewelled chlamys holding long patriarchal cross between them. In upper field l., a crown suspended over Basil's head.
Sear BC 1798 ; D.O.C. 4d .

Probably the most militant of Byzantine emperors, Basil never married, devoting his entire reign to conducting campaigns against Bulgarians, Fatimids, Georgians and the western principalites. At the battle of Kleidon in 1014 he acquired his nickname Bulgar-Slayer (Bulgaroktonos) when he captured and blinded 14,000 Bulgarians. The Bulgarian tsar Samuel died of despair when he saw what had been done to his men.