Justin II & Sophie (Year 5, 569 - 570), Æ Follis, 31.4mm, 11.83g, Nicomedia, Obv: DN IVUSTINUS PP AVG Justin II and Sophie seated facing forward, each with nimbus, holding globus cruciger and cruciform scepter; Rev: ANNO U, large M surmounted by cross, with B below, NIKO in exergue, Sear 369
Nice example. Justin II & Sophia (565 - 578 A.D.) Æ Follis O: D N VSTI NVS P P AV, nimbate figures of Justin and Sophia seated facing on double throne, holding globus cruciger and cruciform scepter, respectively. R: Large M; A/N/N/O to left, Chi-Rho above, (date) to right; B//CON Constantinople Mint, Year 10 29mm 14g DOC I 38; SB 360
That is a very nice obverse for a Justin II & Sophia Follis! I think all of mine (at least in recent memory) came in group lots, and are of pretty average circulated condition. Some are in the "unfortunate-to-dreadful" range (I suspect that's actually what NGC would put on some of their labels if graded). I do have one that is from the NIKO mint (and Officina B), like the OP coin, but it was struck 6 years later: Part of what makes Byzantine Folles satisfying is that are pretty substantial coins (as H.J. Berk put it, they're the "Eastern Roman Successors of the Sestertius"!). Like the previous two posted (at 29mm/14g & 31.4mm/11.83g), mine is a hefty bronze: 30 x 27mm, 11.97g, 6h. What's really fun is to line up as many Byzantine Folles together as possible. Of course, there was the brief blip of extremely large Justinian Folles (struck in his Regnal Years 12-15) which dwarf all others. Below is a photo, to scale, showing this one alongside a few examples from the preceding and succeeding reigns, including a massive 45mm Year 12 Justinian (I got these ones together in the same group lot from Kolner Auktion 112): To my amazement, the other one in that group (in "unfortunate" condition) had virtually identical measurements, but from a different year (6) and mint (CON): 30 x 27mm, 11.98g, 6h!
Two folles of Justin II and Sophia, from Nicomedia and Antioch. But my favourite is a small Justin II pentanummion from Antioch :
Nice addition.. Nice and hefty. I only have a half follis of Justin II and Sophia that I purchased in 2020 for a heck of a deal
