Leo VI. AD 886-912. Bronze AE Follis

Byzantine Empire. Leo VI “the Wise”, with Alexander. AD 886–912. Æ Follis (25 mm, 6.01g). Constantinople mint.

Obv. + LEOn S ALEXAnGROS. Leo VI and Alexander, each crowned and wearing loros, seated facing on a double throne, holding labarum between them.

Rev. + LEOn S ALEXAnGROS bASIL’ ROmEOn. Inscription in four lines.

Refs: Sear 1730.

This bronze follis belongs to the joint reign of Leo VI (the Wise) and his younger brother Alexander, who was elevated to co-emperor in 879 and ruled formally alongside Leo from 886 until the latter’s death in 912. The obverse depicts both emperors enthroned together, emphasising dynastic continuity within the Macedonian dynasty.

The reverse carries a simple four-line inscription naming them as “Basileis of the Romans.” Such purely epigraphic reverses, introduced under Leo, reflect the Byzantine tendency to replace figural imagery with textual authority on base metal coinage, an approach that grew more pronounced from the late 9th century onward.

Although Alexander succeeded Leo in 912, his reign lasted less than a year, making joint issues such as this an especially useful numismatic record of the brothers’ shared rule. The type also reflects the consolidation of imperial power after the turbulence of the 9th century, projecting stability through the image of two co-rulers harmoniously seated.