Gold Tremissis of Theophilos

Unknown

831–842 · Gold · Medieval Art

Theophilos, a supporter of Iconoclasm (the movement to ban all religious figural images), showed only imperial portraits on his coins. The Empire’s gold coins set an artistic and monetary standard for the Mediterranean world throughout most of Byzantine history. By the middle Byzantine period, a ruler portrait appeared on one side, with a religious icon on the other. Inscriptions were in either Greek, the official language of the Empire, or Latin, its original official language. The images reflected the artistic currents of their times.

Artist

Unknown

Date

831–842

Medium

Gold

Culture

Byzantine

Department

Medieval Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917