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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Curtisimo, post: 2732836, member: 83845&quot;]I acquired this coin as a replacement for a coin that never arrived.&nbsp; I sometimes like to carry new purchases with me to work/travel so that I can admire them when I am not home.&nbsp; The first day I carried this coin the following happened.</p><ul> <li>My least favorite project at work got dropped off the long term plan… cool.</li> <li>I was able to focus enough to wrap up a difficult project I had been avoiding for the last two weeks… go me!<br /> </li> <li>My fiancé failed to notice that I left a bunch of dishes in the sink and my morning shower towel on the floor… what is going on!<br /> </li> <li>I was in such a good mood we went out for a nice dinner… Fun!<br /> </li> <li>…on the way home I found an Eid Mar on the sidewalk.</li> </ul><p>Okay, maybe not that last thing but the other ones were enough to convince me.&nbsp; This new coin was going to be my travelling companion for a while.&nbsp; Without further ado;</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]621981[/ATTACH]</p><p>Byzantine Empire</p><p><b>Justin II AE Follis</b>, Nicomedia mint, Ca. AD 576-577</p><p>Wt.: 13.76 g</p><p>Dia.: 31 mm</p><p>Obv.: DN IVSTINVS PP AVG Justin II and Sophia, seated, facing</p><p>Rev.: ANNO XI, M in center; A below; cross above; NIKO in exergue</p><p>SB 369 MIB 46a (vine)</p><p><br /></p><p>Justin II was Byzantine Emperor from 565 to 578.&nbsp; He inherited a militarily overstretched and financially bankrupt empire from his uncle Justinian.&nbsp; As a consequence of his decision to abandon the strategy of paying tribute to potential enemies he quickly lost huge amounts of territory in Italy and the west to barbarian tribes and even lost parts of Syria to the Persians.&nbsp; After the fall of the fortress of Dara on the Persian border it is said that Justin began to lose his sanity.&nbsp; He had to be pulled around the palace in a wheeled throne and is said to have tried to bite anyone who got too close.&nbsp; He adopted Tiberius II as his son in 574 and receded into his madness with his wife Empress Sophia and Tiberius acting as regents in his stead.</p><p><br /></p><p>This coin is cool because it dates from the time of Justin’s madness and is the first Byzantine coin type to show a Byzantine Emperor and Empress on equal terms.&nbsp; The fact that this is a bronze piece that was likely to see wide circulation is even more remarkable.&nbsp; To be fair to Sophia this coin should probably show her towering over Justin as by this time he was completely insane and utterly helpless and it was The Empress who wielded true power.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So what about you all?&nbsp; Do you carry a lucky coin (or just one you like)?&nbsp; Please post it if you do!</p><p><br /></p><p>Even if you don&#039;t feel free to post your Byzantine or Justin II coins <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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