Manuel II Palaeologus, AD 1391-1423. 1/8 Stavraton. 0.76 g. 16.76 mm. Constantinople. Obv: IC-XC. Facing bust of Christ Pantokrator. Rev: MANOVHΛ. Crowned facing bust of Manuel. Ref: SB 2553 (1/16 hyperpyron). Very Fine. A scarce fractional issue of the late Byzantine silver coinage. The rarity of this type is attributable to limited production, extensive circulation, and subsequent melting of low-silver content coinage during the economic contraction of the Palaiologan period. Well-preserved examples are particularly rare. Manuel II Palaiologos stands out as one of the most intellectually engaged and diplomatically active rulers of the Late Byzantine period. Reigning at a time of intense Ottoman pressure, he relied more on diplomacy and the pursuit of Western alliances than on military strength. His journeys to Western Europe exemplify efforts to preserve Byzantium’s position within the broader international sphere. He also contributed to theological and philosophical discourse through his writings, sustaining imperial ideology at an intellectual level. His reign represents a critical transitional phase in which political decline coexisted with continued cultural and intellectual activity. Late Byzantine Silver Coinage