Michael VIII Palaeologus 1261-1282 AD, AE Trachy,  
Constantinople mint. 28mm

G-G to left and right of multi-winged seraph.
Michael, half-length figure facing, holding labarum and 
patriarchal cross. 

DOC V 129 var. (no G G); Bendall 50 var. (ditto); SB 2289 var. (ditto). 
Good VF, dark brown patina. 
Unrecorded variety. ($200)

This coin suggests there was at least one attempt at 
sequential seriation within the Palaeologan trachy series, 
for which Grierson could find no firm evidence. DOC 106 
has A-A flanking a bust of Christ, DOC 86 has B-B flanking 
Mary, and we now have G G beside a seraph. We have no evidence to determine whether this is a chronological 
sequence, a mint division, or some other marker. There 
appears to be a distinction between these symbols and the paired reversed letters B B and K K that are probably dynastic marks.

CNG 67, Lot: 1903. 22 September 2004. Sold For $575. 
With permission of cngcoins.com.