Isaac II Angelus, Aspron trachy, 1185-1195
Constantinople - Electrum - AU(55-58)
Virgin Mary seated facing on throne, infant Christ on lap.
Isaac II on left holding cruciform scepter and Archangel Michael standing facing, reaching up with right hand to crown Isaac.
Superb specimen, well struck and that has little circulated! Electrum very low in gold and probably made almost entirely of silver.
3.91 gr
An “AU(55-58)” quality
As in numismatics, it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
About Uncirculated(55-58)
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has been in circulation but sufficiently little that its original beauty is preserved almost in its entirety. The wear is barely visible and any other defect can only be identified with a magnifying glass or a particularly keen eye. The number (55-58) indicates that between three quarters and almost all of the original luster remains.