Description:  Obverse: Bust of Justin I wearing cuirass, paludamentum and diadem.
Reverse: M (mark of value, 40 nummi) Cross above, stars to either side.

When Anastasius I died there was no heir, so the Senate had to choose the new emperor. Eventually the commanding officer of the Excubitors (imperial guard unit) was chosen. Justin I was a peasant from Illyria (modern Serbia). Justin is mostly remembered today for paving the way for the rise to power of his nephew Peter, the future Justinian I. On this coin Justin is shown in the traditional guise of soldier emperor (in his case an accurate representation).

Inscriptions:  Obverse: DNIVSTI NVSPPA (Our Lord Justin Eternal Augustus) D at beginning of inscription reversed.
Reverse: M (mark of value) THESSOB (THESS=mint mark of Thessalonica, OB=obrizum, refined gold, this is obviously a mistake of the die cutter, who was probably copying the design of a gold coin when making this die.) in exergue.

Bibliography:  Bellinger, A.R. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection (Washington D.C. 1966) coin 23
Grierson, P. Byzantine Coins (London 1982) 43-83.
Whitting, P.D. Byzantine Coins (London 1973) 99-106.

2 Related People