Romanus III, 1028-1034, Anonymous Follis

Romanus III Argyros, Anonymous Follis, AE, AD 1028–1034, 10.28 g, 29 mm. Struck at Constantinople. Class B. Obv: +EMMANOVHL; facing bust of Christ Pantokrator with cross nimbus, wearing tunic and himation, holding Gospel book. Rev: IS – XS / BAS – ILE / BAS – ILE in three lines. Struck on a broad module with low-relief devices typical of the series. Cited in Sear Byzantine 1822; Dumbarton Oaks Catalogue (DOC) III, Anonymous Folles Class B. Issued during Romanus III’s reign, this anonymous Christ type continued the post-iconoclast convention of depicting sacred imagery on bronze in place of an imperial portrait. Struck in large quantities at Constantinople, such folles were the primary small-change currency of the empire in the early 11th century and reflect ongoing adjustments in the bronze standard across successive reigns.