HERACLIUS & HERACLIUS CONSTANTINE AR silver hexagram. Constantinople, circa 615 AD. dd NN hERACLIUS ET hERA CONST PP A, Heraclius, with short beard, on left and Heraclius Constantine, beardless, on right, seated facing on double throne, both wearing crown with cross and chlamys and holding globus cruciger in right hand; cross between their heads. Reverse - dEUS ADIYTA ROMANIS, cross potent on globe above three steps, K in right field. DO 62.2 MIB 138. Sear 798. 22mm, 6.4g. A solid reverse, showing clear adjustment marks in the field from the flan preparation process
Due to ongoing and massive shortages, Byzantine silver is far scarcer than either bronze and gold coinage; in fact the only reason this unusual denomination makes a rather sudden appearance (and subsequent disappearance) is that it was almost entirely funded through the confiscation of Church plate by Emperor Heraclius, to fund the desperate war with the Sassanid Persians.