{"product_id":"john-ii-comnenus-aspron-trachy-with-st-george-patriarchal-cross-without-steps-lm42927","title":"John II Comnenus Aspron Trachy with St George, patriarchal cross without steps","description":"\u003cp style=\"\\'text-align:justify;\\'\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003eJohn II, Comnenus (1118-1143),\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003e electrum Aspron Trachy, Constantinople, 1118-1122, Christ enthroned facing wearing nimbus, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci style=\"\\'text-align:justify;\\'\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003erev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003e., I\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui historic\u003eⲰ\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui greek\u003e \/ ΔEC \/ ΠO \/ TH - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003eʘ \/ ƎꞀ \/ ꟼ\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui historic\u003eⲰ\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003e \/ IꞀ, John II and Saint George standing facing, holding between them patriarchal cross, 4.54g, 6h (Sear 1941; DO 8b). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci style=\"\\'text-align:justify;\\'\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003eVery fine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;color:#404040;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"\\'text-align:justify;\\'\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Calibri;font-size:11pt;\\'\"\u003eThe image of a devout hero, often on horseback, defeating a monster may have its origins in myths many thousands of years older than St George. Consider Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, and Nagas; Bellerophon, Pegasus and the Chimera; Apollo and Python; and Pistrucci's interpretation of it is an image which is immediately familiar to numismatists today. The present coin is one of the very few depictions of St George in numismatics away from the extensive and for the most part very common British series. At the time of striking, St George was probably not yet associated with slaying a dragon - that tradition would develop later - and certainly is not depicted doing so here. Nevertheless, he had been venerated as a pious warrior, protector-saint for many centuries and it's said that an apparition of St George amongst the ranks at the Battle of Antioch (1098) and the following year at Jerusalem\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Calibri;font-size:11pt;\\'\"\u003e was instrumental in victory for the armies of the First Crusade. An experienced, fighting soldier and highly skilled military tactician, John II Comnenus would, during his reign, lead the combined forces of Byzantium and the Crusader States campaigning in Syria. His association with St George on his coinage certainly tells us of the saint's importance in the religious and political culture of John II's era. It also likely illustrates the qualities John himself aspired to and, by most accounts, emulated in his own life\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"\\'text-align:justify;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Segoe\" ui\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sovereign Rarities Live","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56977387225474,"sku":"LM42927","price":550.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0625\/5365\/3473\/files\/LM42927_0_JPG.webp?v=1791972023","url":"https:\/\/www.sovr.co.uk\/products\/john-ii-comnenus-aspron-trachy-with-st-george-patriarchal-cross-without-steps-lm42927","provider":"Sovereign Rarities Live","version":"1.0","type":"link"}