THE GABRIDS AND THEIR MONEY ISSUES. THEODOROS GABRAS AND DAVID IV, KING OF GEORGIA

Abstract

The Empire of Trebizond is thought to be of Georgian design as a permanent threat to Sultanate of Rum. Queen Thamar (1184 - 1210) engineered everything. Still she had a certain pattern.The family of Gabras/Gavras seems to be involved in the story. Alloted with a rank of the dux of Trebizond in the 11th-12th cc., the Gabrids considered those sites as their possession. And any of the Byzantine “rudiments” seems to be allied with Georgia.Last time we wrote about the Georgian money with Byzantinesque – both from the metropolis and province, Constantinople and Trebizond. That is silver issue of David IV of Georgia (1089 - 1125), having Virgin Orans labelled Blachernitissa on obverse, and cross – on reverse, generally dated by 1089 - 1099.Former type had been provided by metropolis itself, latter – by the coins of the Gabrids from Trebizond.The order of those provincial toparchic issues is only approximate, based mainly on consideration of size, shape and style.