Bronze Follis Emperor Justinian I (543 AD | Last Roman Emperor of Antiquity)

Bronze Follis of Emperor Justinian I – Pocket Change from the Golden Age of Byzantium

A piece of world history you can hold in your hand: this bronze follis passed through the hands of merchants, craftsmen and soldiers in the Byzantine Empire back in the 6th century AD. Minted under Emperor Justinian I (527–565), the builder of the Hagia Sophia. Roughly 28 mm in diameter, about 17 g of bronze, with a bold, large M on the reverse. Not a modern series product, but an antique original carrying nearly 1,500 years of history.

Justinian I – the Emperor Who Sought to Surpass Solomon

Justinian is regarded as one of the most significant rulers of late antiquity. After the Nika riots of 532, he had Constantinople's destroyed main church rebuilt. The architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus completed the Hagia Sophia in just five years; it was consecrated in December 537. "Solomon, I have surpassed thee!" the Emperor is said to have exclaimed at the sight of the massive dome. For almost a thousand years, this building remained the largest church in Christendom – and it still stands today.

• Corpus Iuris Civilis: Justinian's jurists codified Roman law, laying a foundation on which European legal tradition still rests today.
• Reconquest of the Mediterranean: General Belisarius won back North Africa, followed by the long Gothic Wars in Italy (535–554).
• Justinianic Plague: From 542 onward, the plague ravaged Constantinople. Some researchers even interpret striking portrait changes on folles from 542/543 as traces of the Emperor's own illness – a numismatic puzzle still debated today.

The Design: Imperial Bust and the Large M

With the coinage reform of 538, the coin's design changed fundamentally. Instead of a side profile, the obverse now shows the Emperor facing forward, wearing helmet, diadem and armor, holding the globus cruciger in his right hand and a shield in his left. The inscription reads D N IVSTINIANVS PP AVG – "Our Lord Justinian, Perpetual Augustus."

• Denomination mark M: The Greek numeral letter M stands for 40 nummi, i.e. a full follis – the largest bronze coin in the Byzantine system.
• ANNO and regnal year: ANNO on the left, the year of the Emperor's reign on the right. A piece marked ANNO XVII corresponds to the year 543/544 AD.
• Officina: The letter below the M indicates the workshop within the mint.
• Mint mark in the exergue: CON for Constantinople; other mints include NIKO (Nicomedia), KYZ (Kyzikos) and THEUP (Antioch).

Technical Specifications

• Face value: Follis (40 nummi)
• Material: Bronze – fineness, denomination and year of minting vary
• Diameter: approx. 28 mm
• Gross weight: approx. 17 g
• Country of origin: Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium)
• Condition: Circulated piece, grade of preservation varies
• Series: History · Investment type: Coin · Purpose: Collector's item
• Delivered via insured value shipping

Circulated Coinage with Character – Every Piece a One-of-a-Kind

These pieces once served as circulating currency and bear the marks of their duty: darker patina, individual centering, nicks, wear, and in places weaker legends. That is precisely their charm. Since the year of minting, mint, and reverse variant may vary, the piece you receive will differ from the illustration – you are getting an original, not a series product. Please understand that the image shown in the shop is only an example and may individually differ from the delivered item in appearance and condition due to historical circumstances. A tip from experience: never polish the natural patina to a shine – it is part of the coin's history and, for connoisseurs, a mark of quality.

Whoever holds this follis in their hand is holding money from a time when Constantinople was the richest city in the known world.

Follis, Solidus, and the Question of Size

In the Byzantine Empire, the follis was everyday money for the general population, while the golden solidus served as the leading currency of the Mediterranean world. Justinian's reform of 538 temporarily turned the follis into a real heavyweight of over 20 grams; afterward the weight declined again, which is why coins from the 1540s are more compact. This gives collectors an interesting comparison: a follis offers the look of a large ancient coin and dense history, while a solidus from the same era scores with the precious metal value of gold and is traded accordingly higher. Later Byzantine emperors such as Heraclius also had folles struck – but Justinian's issues are considered the classic representatives of the type and are, for many collectors, the centerpiece of a Byzantine collection.

For Collectors and History-Minded Investors

Gold is humanity's oldest currency and has outlived every paper currency. This follis tells the other half of the same story: that of the everyday money that carried an empire. As a collector's item, it is ideal for entering the world of Byzantine numismatics, as a gift with substance, or as a tangible addition alongside Roman denarii, ancient bronzes and modern bullion coins. For those who value precious metals as a store of wealth, this piece offers the cultural-historical counterpart to the plain bar: a witness to history from the Eastern Roman Empire, whose appeal lies precisely in its individuality and its unmistakable patina.