Watch List notes:

John VIII Palaeologus. 1423-1448. AR 1/2 stavraton (20 mm, 3.58 g, 6 h). Constantinople mint. Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator; barred IC XC across field; sigla: blank | pellet / Crowned facing bust of John; sigla: pellet | pellet. SBV 2565; DOC 1781-1784; Bendall 349.11 (sigla 16). gVF, typical weak strike. rnrnJohn VIII Palaeologus was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor who attempted a union of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches in an effort to garner papal support against the Ottoman Empire. He was famously depicted by several painters when he visited Italy, including one at the Magi Chapel in Florence by Benozzo Gozzoli.