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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;nerosmyfavorite68, post: 24860007, member: 134416&quot;]That&#039;s a really good way to put it, Randy Abercrombie.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1594179[/ATTACH]</p><p>Justinian II - 685-695, 705-7011 - AE Follis - 2.84g Sear 1445 Ravenna Year 21&nbsp; Ex: Harlan J. Berk.</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m a little embarrassed to admit it, but this was my most expensive coin of 2023.&nbsp; I&#039;ve always loved the Ravenna mint and while one will find many examples of the first reign on acsearch (although few in general trade), the second reign is super rare to come across.</p><p><br /></p><p>Justinian II won Totalus Rankiums (a podcast) award of most interesting Roman emperor.&nbsp; His story is like an adventure novel, enabling him to beat out the great Aurelian for #1.</p><p><br /></p><p>After being deposed, his nose chopped off, and sent into exile, he managed to escape and with Stupid Paul(!) and a small band, he escaped and came back to power. He set his foot on the necks of Tiberius III(the guy on the gold coin) and Leontius, while the crowd bayed for their blood.&nbsp; Justinian II had gone off the deep end and was only concerned with revenge for the second reign.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ravenna was the site of one such massacre.&nbsp; His agents came out with giant picnic baskets, and lured the nobles of Ravenna out. Having concealed knives in the baskets, the nobles were massacred and Ravenna sacked.</p><p><br /></p><p>Justinian II was later beheaded by a general whose family he had massacred. Really epic stuff.&nbsp; I deeply recommend looking up the relevant Totalus Rankium podcast (apple podcasts).&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The coin&#039;s small and ugly, but rare and packed with history.&nbsp; It could have witnessed the &#039;special&#039; picnic.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin also was on an adventure, coming a couple of mm. away from being destroyed by Post Office machinery. 2 of the 3 Priority packages have been damaged in some way, so I always send a letter to a new dealer about not sending Priority.&nbsp; I&#039;m lucky HJB had sold the large Constantine IV follis I wanted. It would have been destroyed.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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