The Venetian Standard
The Byzantine Empire never really recovered after the Crusaders sacked
Constantinople in 1204 and established a Latin Empire in formerly Byzantine
territory. In 1261, the Palaeologan family returned from exile to rule a diminished
Empire, but the glory days of Byzantine economic power were gone. In the 14th
century, Byzantine trachys followed the internationally accepted
weight standard.
Silver trachy of Andronicus II and
Andronicus III (1325-1328) depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.