Romaion Empire

r o m a i o n  e m p i r e

Renamed Constantinople in 330 AD, the ancient city of Byzantion gave its name to a combined Greek and Roman culture that lasted for almost 1000 years. The 'Byzantines' never referred to each other as such; they called themselves Romaioi, the Greek word for Roman. In 1453 AD, the Ottoman Turks overran Constantinople, putting an end to the Romaioi and the Middle Ages.

Special thanks to Dane Kurth for help with attributions.

r e f e r e n c e s

SBC = David R. Sear, Byzantine Coins and their values, Seaby, London (1974)
DO = A. Bellinger & P. Grierson, Catalogue of Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and the Whittemore Collection, 5 Volumes, Washington, DC(1966-73)
WBC = P. D. Whitting, Byzantine Coins, G. P. Putnam & Sons, New York (1973)
BBC = George E. Bates, Byzantine Coins, Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1971)
ACC V = Wayne G. Sayles,Ancient Coin Collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine Culture, Krause, Iola, Wisconsin (1998)
B/E BCC = Harlan J. Berk and Victor England, Byzantine Copper Coins, Public Auction December 7, 1989, Berk/England, Chicago (1989)

Glossary

Akakia: scroll
Chlamys: imperial garment fastened at right shoulder; cloak
Cuirass: a piece of armor for protecting the breast and back
Diadem: jeweled headband
Globus Cruciger: globe surmounted by a cross
Labarum: military standard bearing Chi-Rho [ΧΡ] symbol
Loros: jeweled garment
Mappa: scroll; similar to Akakia
Nimbus: halo
Orans: 'praying'
Pendilia: pendants hanging from either side of a crown
Potent Cross: cross with a bar at the end of each arm

Dates

I = year one
II = year two
III = year three
IIII = year four
μ = year five
ς or uI = year six
ςI or uII = year seven
ςII or uIII = year eight
ςIII or uIIII = year nine
x = year ten

Imperial Byzantine Coinage

Anastasius I
April 11, 491 - July 1, 518

Anastasius I (491 - 518 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Ε
SBC 19
33 mm.
16.04 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Large 'M'; ✸ to either side.

Anastasius I (491 - 518 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Ε
SBC 19v.
33 mm.
16.71 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bust right. D N ANASTASIVS PP AVG
Reverse: Large 'M'; ✸ to either side.
Note: Overstruck on earlier issue (?)

Anastasius I (491 - 518 AD)
AE Half Follis [small module]
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Α
SBC 24
18 mm.
4.32 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse: Bust right. D N ANASTASIVS PP AVG
Reverse: Large 'K'; ✶ above and below.

Anastasius I (491 - 518 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Constantinople
SBC 29v.
12 x 11 mm.
2.34 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Large 'E'.

Justin I
July 10, 518 - August 1, 527

Justin I (518 - 527 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Constantinople
SBC 75
13 mm.
2.29 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: ☧

Justin I (518 - 527 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Antioch
SBC 111
14 x 12 mm.
1.99 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Tyche of Antioch seated; backwards 'E'.

Justin I and Justinian I
April 4, 527 - August 1, 527

Justin I and Justinian I (527 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Α (?)
SBC 125
29 mm.
17.26 gm.
Die position=2h
Obverse: Bust right; star on shoulder.
Reverse: Large 'M' between star and cross; cross above.

Justinian I
August 1, 527 - November 14, 565

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Β
SBC 163
42 mm.
22.14 gm.
Die position=7h
Obverse: Facing bust.
Reverse: Large 'M'; ☩ above. Year XII = 12 = 538/9 CE.

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Constantinople
SBC 170
21 x 20 mm.
3.55 gm.
Die position=11h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
SBC 203
23 mm.
7.06 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Facing bust.
Reverse: Large 'K'; 'NI' below. Year XXVI = 26 = 552/3 CE

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Antioch
Officinae: Γ
SBC 213
31 x 32 mm.
19.09 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Struck 527/8. Large 'M'; in exergue: 'ANTIX'

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Theoupolis
Officinae: Β
SBC 214
32 x 36 mm.
16.86 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Justinian enthroned facing.
Reverse: Large 'M' between ✶ and ❨

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Theoupolis
Officinae: Δ
SBC 217
33 x 32 mm.
13.83 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Large 'M'; ☩ above. ΘYΠOΛS in exergue.

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Antioch/Theoupolis
Officinae: Γ
SBC 225
24 x 25 mm.
8.10 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Theoupolis
Officinae: Γ
SBC 226
25 mm.
8.92 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust right.
Reverse: Large 'K'.

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Antioch/Theoupolis
Officinae: Γ
SBC 226
23 x 22 mm.
5.91 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: Theuopolis
SBC 239
22 mm.
3.36 gm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Facing bust.
Reverse: Large 'I'; ☩ above. Year XXXζII = 38 = 564/5 CE

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE 10 Nummi
Mint: Antioch
SBC 239
22 mm.
3.36 gm.
Die position=4h
Obverse: Facing bust.
Reverse: Large 'I'; ☩ above. Year XXXμ = 35 = 561/2 CE

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Antioch/Theoupolis
SBC 243
15 mm.
2.35 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Antioch/Theoupolis
SBC 243
15 mm.
2.06 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Diademed and cuirassed bust right. D N IVSTINIANVS PP AVG (or similar)
Reverse: Large 'E' with cross at center; symbol to right.

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Antioch/Theoupolis
SBC 245
16 mm.
2.25 gm.
Die position=5h
Obverse: Diademed and cuirassed bust right. Blundered D N IVSTINIANVS PP AVG (or similar)
Reverse: Monogram 2 within large 'C'.

Justinian I (527 - 565 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Ravenna
SBC 323
29 x 30 mm.
9.06 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justin II
November 15, 565 - October 5, 578

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Constantinople
Officinae: Γ
SBC 360
28 x 30 mm.
13.93 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse: Year I = 1 = 565/6 CE.

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Half Follis
Mint: Constantinople
SBC 361
27 x 26 mm.
7.11 gm.
Die position=12h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
Officinae: Α
SBC 369
30 mm.
13.22 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse:
Reverse: Year XI = 11 = 575/6 CE.

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Follis
Mint: Nicomedia
Officinae: Α
568/9 AD
SBC 369
31 mm.
14.96 gm.
Die position=6h
Obverse: Justin on left holding globus cruciger, Sophia on right holding cruciform sceptre; both nimbate and seated on double throne. D N IVSTINVS PP AVG (or similar)
Reverse: Large 'M' between ANNO and IIII (regnal year 4); cross above, officina letter 'A' below. NIKO in exergue.

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Nicomedia
SBC 371
14 x 13 mm.
1.62 gm.
Die position=8h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Decanummium
Mint: "Theoupolis"
SBC 383v.
20 x 19 mm.
3.36 gm.
Die position=5h
Obverse: Justin and Sophia seated. Blundered legend.
Reverse: Large I, ☩ above. Year 10. Blundered legend.
Note: Imitation; Arab-Byzantine (?)

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE Pentanummium
Mint: Theoupolis
SBC 385
11 x 13 mm.
0.59 gm.
Die position=9h
Obverse:
Reverse:

Justin II (565 - 578 AD)
AE 10 Nummi
Mint: Carthage
SBC 400
17 x 19 mm.
3.93 gm.
Die position=2h
Obverse: Facing busts of Justin and Sophia; 'VITA' in exergue.
Reverse: Large 'I' between 'N' and 'M'; legend around.

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