TYPE Byzantine Empire, Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118 AD), pre-reform silver histamenon nomisma, Thessalonika mint. 3.73g DESCRIPTION . Obv: Bust of Christ facing, wearing nimbus and holding Book of Gospels, Greek legend IC XC ("Jesus Christ") across, circular Greek legend +KE V[O] - ALE[X] Rev: St. Demetrius (nimbate and with sword, turned 3/4 right) and Alexios (crowned in loros) standing, the former presenting the emperor with patriarchal cross on two steps, Greek legends DEM[...] - AL[...] REFERENCE: SB 1905, DO IV 5b GRADING: VF / VF+, slightly porous, toned, very rare ORDER INFO: B3099, $385 Rare type and interesting symbolic scene with the city's military patron-saint presenting the emperor with one of the attributes of his imperial (and likewise, twin ecclesiastical) power. Also unusual is the obverse invocative legend (faint, but visible), that references the emperor (as a subject of divine grace, to be sure) around the image of Christ. Good silver, though the histamenon - successor to the almost millenial solidus - was at this quite debased from the original pure gold; this situation was to be rectified shorlty after this coin was minted, with Alexios' sweeping monetary reform of 1092.