2021-04-06 Tue

Basil Megas Komnenos was Emperor of Trebizond from August 1332 until his death in 1340. Although Basil's reign was a period of stability during the civil war that dominated the pocket empire during the second quarter of the 14th century, some of that conflict had its origins in his marital actions.

Basil was a younger son of Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond and his wife Djiadjak Jaqeli. When his oldest brother Andronikos III assumed the throne in 1330 and killed his two brothers (Michael and George), Basil happened to be in Constantinople and escaped his brothers' fate.

Depicted here is the silver Asper coin issued under his reign. The obverse of a coin depicts St. Eugenius seated on horseback to right. The reverse of a coin represents Basil seated to right on horseback, holding a trilobate sceptre in his right hand.

Image Source: https://www.acsearch.info