Silver grosh, Vidin mint, first type

Metal: Silver
Mint: Vidin
Diameter: 18 mm
Weight: 1.4 g
Rarity: R5 — over 600 known

Obverse

Half-length depiction of Jesus Christ with long hair, beard, and mustache, with a nimbus containing a cross. He is dressed in a chiton and sindon. With His right hand He blesses sideways, and in His left hand He holds the Gospel before His chest. Below the bust of Christ is depicted a palm branch. On both sides of the head are the initials ІС - ХС. Inscription in a double beaded border: + IW СРАЧИМР ЧР (Iwanъ Срaчимъръ царь) БЪЛГВ (благовѣрънъ).

Reverse

Tsar Ioan Sratsimir, seated on a throne without a backrest. The ruler wears a hemispherical crown, with a nimbus, long hair, forked beard, and mustache. He is dressed in divitision and maniakion. In his left hand the tsar holds anexikakia, and in his right hand a sceptre with a short handle, decorated at the top with a trefoil, whose leaves end with small balls. The shoulders of the throne are decorated with one trefoil of the same shape each. In a double beaded border the inscription from the obverse is repeated: IW СРАЧИМР ЧР БЛГВР.

Reconstructions

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

Also struck by Ivan Sratsimir

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