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Justinian II First-Reign Christ-Type Gold Solidus, obverse

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Byzantine

Justinian II First-Reign Christ-Type Gold Solidus

Justinian II · Heraclian Empire

Christ takes the place of highest authority, while Justinian II appears on the reverse holding the cross: a decisive reordering of Byzantine coin imagery.

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Object number
AG-032
Date
AD 685–695
Denomination
AV Solidus
Material
Gold
Weight
4.46 g
Grade
MS · Strike 3/5 · Surface 4/5
Certification
NGC Ancients

Record completeness

Evidence, made visible

  • Object identityDocumented
  • Physical recordPartly documented
  • AttributionPartly documented
  • Legends & imageryNot recorded
  • ProvenanceNot recorded

The Story Behind the Strike

Around the end of Justinian II’s first reign, the gold solidus introduced a frontal bust of Christ as its principal image. This was more than devotional ornament. On the most authoritative coin of the empire, Christ now occupied the side traditionally reserved for the ruler. Justinian appears on the reverse holding the cross and the globus marked PAX, presenting himself as servant and representative of a superior heavenly kingship. The type is among the defining objects of Byzantine numismatics because it makes theology, ceremony and political hierarchy inseparable. Its artistic force comes from direct encounter: Christ looks outward, blesses and holds the Gospels, transforming payment into a portable declaration of sacred order.