and I like it! (but not real plague though, that would really suck to have...) Reached a deal with a fellow CT member to acquire this, a 40 nummi follis of Justinian I, Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor. It's from year 14 of his reign, so 541 AD, the year before the plague named after him reached Constantinople and killed a large portion of the city's huge population, and devastated the rest of the empire. If the coin stayed circulating in the city at the time, who knows how many unlucky people held it before succumbing to the disease. Even Emperor Justinian himself contracted the plague, but lived. This outbreak also had a profound effect on his attempts to reestablish Roman control over the west, lost to the migrating Germanic tribes in the previous century. Roman control of Italy, (after capturing it from the Ostrogoths) for example, became very weak as a result (army getting infected, locals dying off, Italian economy getting hit bad), and adding to the devastation that the Gothic War had already brought to the peninsula. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_of_Justinian I had been looking for a forward-facing Justinian follis (already have a facing decanummium) of good quality like this one for a good while until now. I had found a different one and I posted it on another forum but confirming my suspicions it was a fake, so this member offered to sell me this one (thanks friend!). Justinian I, Byzantine emperor AE Follis (40 nummi) Obv: helmeted, cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe and shield, cross to right Rev: Large M, ANNO to left, regnal year XIII to right, cross above, officina letter B below CON in ex, Constantinople mint, struck 541 AD Ref: SB 163 40.4 mm, 21.70 gr.
Lots of nice detail for a Byzantine - plus a centered strike, good surfaces. Nice work! Am I reading the diameter right? 40mm? It's bigger than a silver dollar?
Gorgeous => awesome coin Jango!! => yah, I only have the slightly smaller diameter, Justinian I Follis ... Ummm, but it looks like it might have a touch of the stomach flu as well?
That would be a scandal. This is Justin and Sophie. Any facing portrait coin with clear eyes is a keeper. One with a nose not smashed flat is a winner. I see a little nose wear but these are really nice coins. Years 12 through 15 are really big coins doubly popular because of the plague story. I wonder how much the plague had to do with the shrinking of coins at that time? Each mint has a bit different style (each wilder than the others) so you can get a series of big coins that look interesting together.
I agree => very cool grouping ... Ummm, the 4th coin seems to have big, soft, doe eyes (maybe it's a portrait of Sopia?)
Those who do not know the story of Sophia, wife of Justin II and niece of Theodora, might enjoy looking it up. The Byzantines may not have been ready for a female ruler in her own name but Justin II was not quite all there mentally and needed a strong woman behind the throne. Justinian and Justin II were good, early examples of why we today use the term 'Byzantine' to mean excessively complicated. Politics was a real mess more often than not.
Yessir! That's 40 mm of bronze goodness packed into one coin Good question. My guess is that it would at least have something to do with the decrease in manpower available to mine and bring back the metals needed to make the coins. Thanks all for the comments!
