Philadelphia Darphanesinden Nadir Bir Sikke: Theodoros Mankaphas Baskisi Bakir Trakhy
A Rare Coin from the Philadelphia Mint: Theodore Mancaphas’ Copper Trachy

Summary/Abstract: The copper trachy coin included in the Tunay Demran Collection is a rare find that was issued by Theodoros Mancaphas of Philadelphia after he revolted against the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople to proclaim himself emperor. Theodoros Mancaphas minted his own coinage and engraved his name on it to maintain his official governance in the region, and he received military support from Philadelphia and its surroundings, which indicates the chaos in Western Anatolia and the weakness of the empire's authority in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. In this period, the Byzantine Empire was economically and politically weakened, and uprisings and riots in various regions foreshadowed the demolition of the Empire by the Fourth Crusade. Electron and billon aspron trachy coins attributed to Theodoros Mancaphas are very important since they are rare finds and their iconography and legend forms differ from those of Byzantine coinage. Numismatists have different views on these electron and billon coins, which emerged under the political, economic and social conditions of the late 12th and early 13th centuries and are attributed to Theodoros Mancaphas, the rebel. In the extant studies, these coins were classified in accordance with two different views and various opinions. In our study, numismatists’ opinions on the ruler to whom these coins should be attributed will be examined, and their circulation by Theodoros Mancaphas for a while will be discussed and accompanied with this rare coin find–whose copper version has yet to be published–in the Tunay Demran Collection.

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