Good to be back on this forum! At last got my hands on a Roman gold! it's also my oldest gold and the most expensive coin that I've ever bought. I was saving up for nearly four months, not buying a single coin! and I treated myself with this solidus last week. 4.48g, 21mm, Constantinople mint (1st Officina), 545-565 AD. A Roman gold, (anything pre-Heraclius) was on my bucket list, my interests are from the imperatorial period to the third century crisis, and the reconquest of Justinian I, and up to Heraclius, whose reign saw the eventual decline of the empire. However, an aureus from the early empire is totally out of reach, even a worn underweight aureus cost in the thousands. The next choice is the late western/early eastern empire, which I'm not as fond of, also the emperors don't excite me to spend so much. Which leaves me with the next big event, the reconquest of Justinian I, although I wonder if a common person from Rome or Carthage saw them as liberators! However I still consider him the Optimus Princeps of his era, other than his reconquest assisted by his general Belisarius, he overcame so much obstacles in his reign such a the Nika riots, the major Justinian plague wiping out most of the population, and despite that, he consolidated the empire, built Hagia Sophia, and produced Corpus Juris Civilis. For these reasons I wanted to have a gold coin issued by him. Now onto the coin, at first I planned on going for the cheaper options of tremissis or semissis, but turns out they're not so cheap! even a banged up worn tremissis is almost 500 AUD, and semissis are much rarer and cost as much as some solidi. So if I'm going to splurge, I might as well have more meat on the coin and went looking for a solidus, It did not matter which variety as long as it is under 1000 AUD (700 USD). Also I did not want to buy it from European or American sellers, simply because of lengthy shipping (>1 month) even after paying exorbitant shipping and taxes, also I felt more comfortable buying it within Australia. In regards to the coin, I want the bust as clear as possible, all the legends readable, minimal wear, and the weight as close to the real value. Luckily I came across a new listing of my coin from a dealer in Brisbane, which ticked all my checklist and the budget, and it only took 2 days to arrive! Here's a closer look. Please post your Justinian coins or any Roman/Byzantine gold!
Congrats on the addition. I still haven't bought any Byzantine gold, even though they are fairly affordable.
Ditto. I only own one gold coin. It is a Valens and, like you said, it is underweight, not to mention unremartkable. VALENS AV Solidus OBVERSE: DN VALENS PER F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right REVERSE: RESTITVTOR REIPUBLICAE, Valens standing right, holding labarum in right hand & Victory on globe in left, cross to left. Mintmark star ANTE star Struck at Antioch, 364 AD 3.6g, 19mm Antioch RIC 2d,xxxvii-5
My first and only Byzantine gold, just acquired last week. Not as nice as your Justinian. Coin is much brighter than my photos depict as I had glare problems.
I’d argue I’m more interested in Byzantine history than Roman or Greek history. However, I only own two Byzantine coins. Collecting Byzantine coins is an acquired taste for me as the Empire’s coinage is quite crudely engraved compared to the earlier Greek and Roman coinage. My only coin of Justinian is this humble bronze Pentanummium: Justinian I, 527 - 565 AD AE Pentanummium, Theoupolis Mint, 15mm, 2.44 grams Obverse: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Justinian right. Reverse: Large E with cross at center, D in right field. DOC 270 // Sear 243 Ex. Ken Dorney My only other Byzantine coin is a bronze Follis of Maurice Tiberius, the last emperor of the Justinian dynasty and the alleged author of the Strategikon, a manuel of Byzantine military doctrine. Maurice Tiberius was brutally murdered by the usurper Phocas, who was in turn deposed by Heraclius: 11.31g, 25mm Facing crowned bust of Maurice Tiberius holding a mappa and eagle tipped scepter. Large "M" "ANNO" to left, "X IIIII" to right, "r" below and "THEUP" in exergue. SB 533 Antioch mint Ex. Aegean Numismatics I’d love to someday own a gold Solidus of Justinian and a silver Hexagram of Heraclius.
Only have a common Leo I the Thracian, the first Eastern Emperor to legislate in Koine Greek rather than Late Latin. He is commemorated as a saint in the Orthodox Church, his feast day is January 20. Solidus, Constantinople, mint mark Γ (3rd officina), 462- 466 AD (early phase) 20 x 20 mm, 4.459 g, 5h RIC X 605; Depeyrot 93/1; DOCLR (Grierson-Mays) 525; Hunter V 6; Tolstoi 8; Ratto 245; SRCV V 21404 Ob.: D(ominus)N(oster) LEO PERPET(uus) AVG(ustus) "Our Lord Leo, Perpetual August", Pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear over shoulder and shield with horseman motif Rev.: VICTORI - A AVGGG Γ (Victory of the three Augusts), Victory standing left, holding long jeweled cross; star to right; in ex. CONOB CONOB in the exergue means Constantinopoli obryzum and means "Constantinople, 1/72-pound pure gold." (Byzantine Coinage, by Philip Grierson). Picture courtesy CNG:
Nice coin @JayAg47 I am Traveling a lot these days for work. Will be in Istanbul in next few days, I am excited. I do not have a solidus but I have a Semissis. I got it a year or so ago. Anastasius I, 491-518. Semissis (Gold, 18 mm, 2.01 g, 7 h), Constantinople, 507-518. DN ANASTA-SIVS PP AVC Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Anastasius I to right. Rev. VICTORIA AVCCC / CONOB Victory seated right, inscribing XXXX on shield set on knee; in field to left, star; in field to right, staurogram. DOC 3. MIBE 4. SB 57. Graffiti and edge bend, otherwise, very fine.
