Savoca Coins
Online Auction 95 | Silver 14 Feb 2021
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Alexius I Comnenus under Theodore Gabras, Duke of Trebizond AD 1090. Trebizond mint
Follis Æ
24 mm, 3,35 g
Nimbate bust of Christ Pantokrator facing, wearing tunic and himation, raising right hand in benediction and holding Book of Gospels in His left, in each limb of the nimbate cross one pellet, IC XC in fields / Latin cross flanked by IC above, XC (upper angle of X is more obtuse than the lower) below, NH (ligate) to left, KA (ligate) to right.
nearly very fine
Bendall, "The mint of Trebizond under Alexius I and the Gabrades," NC 1977, 8; Anonymous type L; Hendy, pl. 2, 22.
None in CoinArchives
From the Tareq Hani collection
Trebizond fell to the Turks after the battle of Manzikert in 1071. In 1075 it was recaptured by Theodore Gabras, an expert soldier and member of a local notable family. He was in Constantinople at the beginning of Alexius's reign and was appointed Duke of Trebizond perhaps in the mid or late 1080s. Alexius kept Theodore's son Gregory in the capital as a hostage.
Anna Comnena remarked that after capturing the city Theodore regarded it as his own property. In about 1091/2 he made an unsuccessful visit to Constantinople in order to try to take his son back to Trebizond. Failing to do so, he seems to have returned to this Theme of Chaldea less inclined than ever to co-operate with the central government. In 1098 he was captured and killed by the Turks.
He was replaced as Duke of Trebizond by Dabetenus, who was already Governor of Heraclea and Paphlagonia and who was presumably more amenable to the central government.
In circa 1103 he was replaced by Gregory Taronites (who may possibly be the same person as Gregory Gabras, the son of Theodore Gabras). Gregory revolted against Alexius and held out until circa 1106 when he was captured. He was imprisoned for some years and later pardoned but we do not know if he was reinstated at Trebizond. There is therefore a lacuna in our information from 1106 until some time just before 1119 by which time Constantine Gabras (a son, brother, or nephew of Theodore Gabras) was Duke of Chaldia after a successful career as a general under Alexius I. In view of the fact that from the 1070s until the 1140s Trebizond was obviously controlled by the Gabrades family, it may be that they also held power from 1106 to circa 1118 (Bendall, The mint of Trebizond under Alexius I and the Gabrades, NC 1977, p. 129-130).
Follis Æ
24 mm, 3,35 g
Nimbate bust of Christ Pantokrator facing, wearing tunic and himation, raising right hand in benediction and holding Book of Gospels in His left, in each limb of the nimbate cross one pellet, IC XC in fields / Latin cross flanked by IC above, XC (upper angle of X is more obtuse than the lower) below, NH (ligate) to left, KA (ligate) to right.
nearly very fine
Bendall, "The mint of Trebizond under Alexius I and the Gabrades," NC 1977, 8; Anonymous type L; Hendy, pl. 2, 22.
None in CoinArchives
From the Tareq Hani collection
Trebizond fell to the Turks after the battle of Manzikert in 1071. In 1075 it was recaptured by Theodore Gabras, an expert soldier and member of a local notable family. He was in Constantinople at the beginning of Alexius's reign and was appointed Duke of Trebizond perhaps in the mid or late 1080s. Alexius kept Theodore's son Gregory in the capital as a hostage.
Anna Comnena remarked that after capturing the city Theodore regarded it as his own property. In about 1091/2 he made an unsuccessful visit to Constantinople in order to try to take his son back to Trebizond. Failing to do so, he seems to have returned to this Theme of Chaldea less inclined than ever to co-operate with the central government. In 1098 he was captured and killed by the Turks.
He was replaced as Duke of Trebizond by Dabetenus, who was already Governor of Heraclea and Paphlagonia and who was presumably more amenable to the central government.
In circa 1103 he was replaced by Gregory Taronites (who may possibly be the same person as Gregory Gabras, the son of Theodore Gabras). Gregory revolted against Alexius and held out until circa 1106 when he was captured. He was imprisoned for some years and later pardoned but we do not know if he was reinstated at Trebizond. There is therefore a lacuna in our information from 1106 until some time just before 1119 by which time Constantine Gabras (a son, brother, or nephew of Theodore Gabras) was Duke of Chaldia after a successful career as a general under Alexius I. In view of the fact that from the 1070s until the 1140s Trebizond was obviously controlled by the Gabrades family, it may be that they also held power from 1106 to circa 1118 (Bendall, The mint of Trebizond under Alexius I and the Gabrades, NC 1977, p. 129-130).