The iconography of many examples, with the legend surrounding a large cross or a bust of the Virgin Mary, follows Western European models rather than those of traditional Byzantine coinage, and most of them do not identify the Byzantine emperor under whom they were struck. They conform, however, to the general type of the widespread "tornese" coins, with a weight of 0.6–0.8 grams, a diameter of 17 mm and silver content of 0.200–0.250. Initially they were concave but later issues are flat. They apparently form the continuation of the Byzantine "tornese" issue (known in Greek as "tournesion") of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos (r. 1282–1328), and like them were probably rated at 96 to the gold "hyperpyron". Some bear the name of Andronikos III Palaiologos (r. 1328–1341) and can thus be dated to the 1330s, the anonymous series could be dated to the 1340s (marked by a destructive civil war), and the last issues, featuring John V Palaiologos (r. 1341–1376 and 1379–1391) would date to the 1350s, after which time the type was discontinued. There are a few exceptions however. A "politikon" currently in the "Cabinet des Médailles" in Paris weighs 1.4 grams and has a silver content of 0.785, far higher than the ordinary "tornese" but still below the main Byzantine silver coin, the "basilikon". A few others conform to two of the billon "politikon" types, but are large, thick, and heavy (circa 2 grams) copper coins, whose function is unclear.