868-879 AD., Basil I and Constantine VII, Constantinopolis or uncertain provincial mint, Follis, Sear 1721.
Basil I (`the Macedonian´, 867-886 AD.) and Constantine VII, Constantinopolis or uncertain provincial mint (?), struck 868-879 AD.,
Æ Follis (24-27 mm / 6,30 g), bronze, axes coin alignment ↑↓ (ca. 180°),
Obv.: + bASILIOS S COҺSԎ AЧ Aςς , crowned facing busts of Basil I, wearing chlamys and with short beard, on left and Constantine VII, wearing chlamys, no beard, on right, holding labarum between them.
Rev.: + bASIL / [S] COÒºSÔŽAÒº / [ÔŽ]IÒºOS EÒºÓ¨`O / [B]ASILEIS R / OMAIOÒº , legend in five lines.
Sear BC 1721 ("uncertain provincial mint") ; DOC 8 corr. (Constantinopolis) .
Basil was a peasant from Macedonia who had been a groom in the imperial court. His ambition led him to engineer the assassination of the Caesar Bardas. Then, he convinced Michael III to crown him as co-emperor, and he would murder his unfortunate patron on September 23, 867 AD. Despite his dubious method of obtaining the throne, Basil proved to be most competent ruler, and the founder of the greatest Byzantine imperial dynasty, the Macedonian. He died in 886, following a hunting accident.