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Justinian II Gold Solidus, Second Reign, obverse

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Byzantine

Justinian II Gold Solidus, Second Reign

Justinian II · Early Byzantine Empire

Restored after exile and mutilation, Justinian II places Christ the King opposite his own uncompromising portrait, turning a turbulent return into sacred authority.

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Object number
AG-067
Date
AD 705–711
Denomination
AV Solidus
Material
Gold
Weight
4.48 g
Grade
MS · Strike 3/5 · Surface 5/5
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

Justinian II returned to Constantinople in 705 after deposition, mutilation and exile, an extraordinary restoration that opened his second reign. His solidus answers political trauma with absolute sacred confidence. Christ occupies one face as King of Kings; the emperor appears on the other holding the patriarchal cross and a globe marked PAX. The pairing declares that Justinian’s recovered sovereignty rests within a divinely ordered Christian empire.

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