Silver groshes, Tarnovo mint, first type (with Tsar Ioan Alexander)

Ivan Shishman1371-1395

Metal: Silver
Mint: Tarnovo

Obverse

Variant A. Jesus Christ, standing, facing forward, before a throne without a cloak, with long hair, beard, and mustache. Around His head is a nimbus with a cross inscribed. Christ is dressed in a chiton and sindon. Both His hands are raised sideways in blessing. In the field above are the initials ІС - ХС, and below the hands are depicted two groups of three dots each, arranged in a triangle. Variant B. The image is as in Variant A, but the three dots on the right are replaced by the monogram of Tsar Ioan Shishman. Variant C. The image is as in Variant A, but the coin is billon.

Reverse

Variant A. Two rulers, standing, full-length, with stemmata with pendilia, divitisiones, maniakion, and loros, hold between them a banner with a long staff, forked at the bottom. At the upper end, next to the banner staff, is the letter Ш or the abbreviation of the title царѫ - Ѱ. In the field are two groups of three dots each. The tsars have identical beards and mustaches. In their hands they hold crosses with short staffs. Below, on both sides of the banner staff, is either a six-pointed star or a single dot. Variant B. The image is as in Variant A, but the groups of three dots are missing. Variant C. The image is as in Variant A, but the coin is billon.

Reconstructions

Line drawings reconstructing the coin's design from the surviving specimens.

Also struck by Ivan Shishman

Coin photographs and reconstruction drawings from A. Radushev & G. Zhekov, Catalogue of Bulgarian Medieval Coins IX–XV c. (Agató, 1999).