I may be locked up from any large future purchases for a while but the occasional cheapo that I can have smuggled into my armored wagon won't hurt me . This week brings to me another one for my Byzantine Italy subcollection. The Justinian dated decanummi type from Ravenna are among the most common Byzantine Italian types you can get, but like many, many other coin types especially from this period, it is not very common to find a decent or better example. My newest example was struck in 561 AD (regnal year XXXV=35, counting the first year of Justinian's rule in 527). Like the Western Romans, Odoacer, and the Ostrogoths before them, the Eastern Romans made Ravenna the capital of their administration in Italy following the taking of the city in 540 AD. A governor was installed in the city and the province was ruled like any other in the Byzantine Empire. Italian unity was broken by the invasion of the Lombards (a Germanic tribe) in 568. They took many parts of Italy but stubborn Roman resistance prevented the Lombards from conquering the whole peninsula, which was still recovering from the Gothic War that occurred decades earlier. The Romans reorganized their remaining Italian territories, including Ravenna and Rome, into the Exarchate of Ravenna. This state of things lasted until 751 when the Lombards took Ravenna and killed the last exarch, Eutychius. Justinian, Byzantine Empire AE decanummium Obv: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVG, helmeted, cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe in left hand and shield in right hand Rev: Large I, ANNO to left, regnal year XXXV to right, all within wreath Mint: Ravenna (struck 561 AD) Ref: SB 326; MIB 229 Italy around 575 AD (source: Wiki): Here are my other Byzantine Italian coins: Justinian decanummium, Rome, 547-549 AD (Same as above) Justinian pentanummium, unknown Italian mint (Sicily or Rome) Tiberius II Constantine half-follis, Rome Justin II pentanummium, Ravenna Justinian half-follis, Rome, 537-542 AD Justinian pentanummium, struck in Rome: Tiberius II Constantine decanummium, Ravenna: Maurice Tiberius decanummium, Catania, 602 AD Justinian decanummium, Ravenna, 563 AD
Very cool examples!!! It's fascinating to see how fragmented Italy was at that time...'Islands' of occupied domination cut off from one another.
Wow, you're pretty cool at times, eh Jango? ... very sweet thread (you rock) => dude, you're the King of the 6th Century AD!!
another great addition to the byzantine coins from the west. a byzantine coin from italy is VERY high on my get list, this year i picked of cherson and carthage however.
Contraband!! I'm sorry but I am going to have to confiscate this and your will have to plead guilty - you can do XXX days in the hole and pay a fine of no more than XLII nummi.
Thanks all! Once again I am glad to have a willing audience for my oddball pursuit Almost forgot: please post anything and everything you think is even remotely related to anything in my thread
