Byzantine Empire, Andronicus I, September 1183 - 12 September 1185 A.D.
BZ99286. Bronze tetarteron, Morrisson BnF 62/Th/AE/04 var.; DOC IV-1 6 var.; Wroth BMC 15 var.; Hendy pl. 19, 2 var.; Sommer 62.5 var.; SBCV 1987 var. (none this rev. legend), Nice VF, brown tone, highlighting deposits on obv., struck on a 7-sided cut planchet, small edge cracks, 5.882g, 22.2mm, 180o, Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, facing bust of the Virgin Orans, nimbate, wearing pallium and maphorium, the nimbate head of the infant Christ at her waist, MHP (ligate) - ΘV (Greek abbreviation: Μητηρ Θεου - Mother of God) across field; reverse AN∆PONI - ∆ECΠOTHC (Andronicus, despotes), half-length figure of Andronicus facing with forked beard, wearing crown, scaramangion, and sagion, vexillum in right hand, globus cruciger with four pellet cross in left hand; from the S. Lindner Collection; rare legend variant
This type usually reads only AN∆PONI-KOC, without his title as despotes. None of the major references list this legend variant. Morrisson BnF lists the type with the title abbreviated ∆ECΠ and from auctions we do know of a few other specimens with the full title.