Coin collectors often search for currency that was used during ancient times. The coinage of the Byzantine Era is particularly popular among coin enthusiasts. These coins help tell the story of an ancient civilization, detailing the rise and fall of power within the empire.

The more Byzantine coins you have the chance to examine, the more likely you are to come across a coin that has been overstruck.

Overstriking occurs when a new image is struck into a coin over the top of the existing image. Overstriking served a wide range of purposes within the Byzantine monetary system.

Learn more about the reasons why some of these ancient coins were overstruck.

1. Convert Politically Incorrect Coins

Politics served as a major influence on the Byzantine monetary system.

Coins were often struck featuring the image of the current emperor or the god being worshipped at the time. As power passed from one ruler to the next, old coins could be considered politically incorrect. These older coins were overstruck with the imagery mandated by the current ruler.

The purpose behind these types of overstrikes was to prevent the public from thinking about past rulers, thus reducing the likelihood of an uprising or rebellion. 

2. Create Profit

The value of Byzantine coins was often determined by the images that were featured on the coin. If a ruler needed to generate profit to fund a war or pay for improvements within the empire, coins could be overstruck to reduce their value.

Reducing the value of each coin effectively eliminated the wealth of many subjects. This wealth was then claimed by the emperor to be used at his discretion.

Devaluing coins through overstriking was a practice that could not be sustained. This type of monetary devaluation would eventually lead to problems with trade and commerce for the Byzantine Empire.

3. Generate Raw Materials

Byzantine coins were minted using precious metals. Mining fresh supplies of gold, silver, and copper wasn't always easy. Without access to these precious metals, expanding the empire's monetary system could be virtually impossible.

The process of overstriking was often used to generate raw materials when gold, silver, and copper reserves were low. Small portions of existing coins would be clipped away. These pieces could then be melted down and transformed into new coins.

The clipping process often cut into the image on either the front or back of a coin. A new image would be struck over the marred one to re-establish the value of the coin.

By using clipping and overstriking to generate raw materials, the Byzantines could expand their monetary resources without engaging in expensive mining activities.

4. Reduce Production Time

Each time a new emperor gained the throne in the Byzantine empire, new coins would have to be minted and distributed throughout the empire. Collecting all of the existing coins, melting them down, and striking new coins could be a time-consuming project.

In order to reduce production time and keep coins in circulation, overstriking was used to authenticate Byzantine coins.

The official image selected by the new emperor would simply be struck over the existing image on the coin. This would essentially validate the value of the coin, allowing people to spend the coins on goods and services throughout the Byzantine empire.

Overstriking played a critical role in helping maintain the stability of the Byzantine monetary system.

Collectors often avoid overstruck coins because the images on these coins are not clearly defined. If your coin collection focuses less on aesthetics and more on the history and mystery of a coin, adding Byzantine overstrikes to your collection could be beneficial.