Getty Museum

Tremissis of Justinian I

Date

A.D. 525–565

Medium

Gold

Culture

Byzantine

Department

Coins

Institution

Getty Museum

Justinian I, emperor of Byzantium in A.D. 527-565, is figured on the front of this gold tremissis. With a crown on his head, Justinian is shown in military dress, garbed in chest--not visible owing to the coin's worn condition--and a cloak. His name appears in the middle of the Latin inscription DNIVSTINIANVSPPAVC, meaning "our Lord, Justinian, eternal Augustus." On the back, a pagan figure of winged Victory with her head mostly missing holds a wreath in her right hand and in her left a small globe surmounted by a cross. Below her left hand is a tiny star. Under Victory's feet is the abbreviation CONOB, which stands for Constantinople, the capitol of Byzantium, where this coin was minted. Surrounding her are the partly missing words VICTORIAAVCVSTORVM, or "Victory of Augusti." Justinian's most lasting achievement was his complete revision and modernization of ancient Roman law. On this coin he appears in profile, conforming to the traditions of Roman coinage; most Byzantine coins, however, depicted the emperor in frontal view. His title, Augustus, formerly belonged to the Roman emperors.

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