Medieval Silver Coin - AR Grosh, Byzantine Empire in Bulgaria, c. 1331-1353 AD.
Rulers: Ivan Alexander and Michael Asen.
Obv: Rulers standing on either side of Banner.
Rev: Christ standing, facing.
SCARCE - Extremely Fine condition!
(20mm, 1.45gm)
In about 1332 Ivan Alexander had crowned his eldest son Michael Asen IV co-emperor, perhaps to safeguard possession of the throne by his own family. He followed up this traditional association with the coronation of his younger sons Ivan Sracimir and Ivan Asen IV in 1337.
Ivan Alexander may have intended the creation of two younger co-emperors to establish immediate control over important cities and regions, as Ivan Sracimir was eventually based in Vidin, and Ivan Asen IV perhaps in Preslav. Nevertheless, this was a marked departure from Byzantine practice, in which younger sons of the sovereign were made despotçs, whether they were charged with a territorial administration or not.
