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JUSTIN II. AD 565-78. Half-follis of Thessalonika. Year 1. One-year type
JUSTIN II. AD 565-78. Half-follis of Thessalonika. Year 1. One-year type

JUSTIN II. AD 565-78. Half-follis of Thessalonika. Year 1. One-year type

$ 2.63

Availability: 24 in stock
  • Restocking Fee: No
  • Denomination: Half follis
  • Condition: It is hard to get a good picture of this because the coin is dark, with low contrast. It looks better in hand, though it is still quite worn. See description below. You can make out all the essentials.
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Item must be returned within: 30 Days
  • Grade: Ungraded
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
  • Cleaned/Uncleaned: Cleaned
  • Year: 565-78
  • Era: Ancient
  • Historical Period: Byzantine (300-1400 AD)

    Description

    JUSTIN II, AD 565-78.  Half-follis of Thessalonika. This looks a lot better in hand, though it is still a worn, badly-made coin. But you can make out the essentials. On the obverse is a facing bust. The emperor wears a large helmet/crown and holds a globe-cross. On the left side you can make out the letters IVSTI, spaced in such a way that it could not spell "ianus" on the other side, so this has to be Justin, not Justinian.
    On the reverse is a large K meaning 20. A value mark. This is a 20-nummia coin, or half-follis. On the left is the word ANNO. Between the branches of the K is the number I, which clinches the identification, since dates on Byzantine coins begin with year XII of Justinian. So somebody with a Year I would have to be one of Justinian's successors, of which there was only one with a name like this, Justin II. Below are the letters TES for Thessalonika. This is (I believe) a one-year type, only issued in the year 565-66, since after that Justin's wife Sophia also appears on the coinage.
    Justin II was Justinian's nephew and successor. He was not up to the job. He went mad under pressure. They had to bar the palace windows to keep him from leaping out. His wife Sophia ran things.
    This is a nice cheap example of a Byzantine coin. A good way to start a collection.
    Always happy to combine shipping on multiple orders. This will be mailed between two slabs of cardboard as a first-class package. The advantage of doing that is that a package can be tracked. The foreign postage charges are a rough guess. I will refund any excess.