The official portrait of Jesus

"I want to get a good job and get real rich!"

I think it is a little late for that Jim

 

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Yes, sorry I was not sufficiently clear, although by mentioning "Justinian's first reign", I thought I was.

 

Nice Justinian II coin.

 

Thank you. I have in gold, too, but the silver is much scarcer.

 

I'm pretty sure it was Justinian II with these coins from his 1st reign 685-695 AD.

 

Paul the Deacon, writing of the event in the late 8th century reported that "when restored to power, every time he (Justinian) wiped away a droplet of snot with his hand, he ordered that one of those who had opposed him be slaughtered."

 

Although much rarer than the coins of Justinian II, an earlier example exists in the well known marriage solidus depicting the marriage of Marcian and Pulcheria in 450. The reverse depicts a central standing figure of Christ flanked on His right by Marcian, and on His left, by Pulcheria. The composition is of course derived from earlier Roman marital compositions depicting a central figure of Concordia flanked by the imperial couple. For a discussion of this, see Gary Vikan's "Art and Marriage in Early Byzantium", in Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol. 44 (1990), pp. 145-163, esp. p. 159 and figure 27.