MANUEL I, 1143-1180. EL Aspron Trachy (4.46 gms), Constantinople Mint, ca. 1160-1164. NGC Ch AU★, Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5. S-1959 var. (IC-XC); DOC-Unlisted. Obverse: Christ Pantokrator standing facing on low daïs; MP - XC and stars across field; Reverse: Manuel and St. Theodore standing facing, each holding a sword and holding between them a patriarchal cross set on globus; pellet on shaft of cross. This concave issue offers a lovely light color and very much detail remaining from an unusually good strike. Very attractive and deserving of the NGC star designation, but what makes this example quite extraordinary is the presence of a muled obverse abbreviation. The expected abbreviation for this icon, IC-XC for Ιησούς Χριστός (Jesus Christ), has instead been partially paired with that of his mother, the Virgin Mary or Theotokos. Depictions of her various icons on Byzantine coinage are always abbreviated as MP-ΘV, standing for Μήτηρ (τοῦ) Θεοῦ, the Mother of God. The celator of this obverse undoubtedly made a mistake, initially beginning with an abbreviation for the Virgin Mary before finishing with the Christ icon and his expected "XC" terminal abbreviation. This type is unmentioned in Sear and DOC, and a search of auctions over the previous two decades reveals just one other instance of this type--<em>from the same obverse die</em>--in Gorny & Mosch 244 (lot 644), though this interesting engraving mistake went unnoticed there and was not mentioned in the description. <strong>VERY RARE</strong> and a must for the specialist in late Byzantine coinage. Ex: Chris Connell Collection.
