Zoë and Theodora (1042) - Byzantine rarity

Coins of the joint female reign are among the greatest rarities of Byzantine coins. $223,250

Two elderly daughters of Constantine VIII ruled the Empire jointly for seven and a half weeks. The two women could not have been more different: Often-married Zoë was an power-hungry voluptuary who took innumerable lovers, while Theodora was an austere, scholarly spinster who detested court life. They could not stand one another.