Justinian Follis - Rome - Museum Gallery

ROMA mint Follis - and the first one I've encountered that was for sale. This appears to be the unusual type described in Seaby as (SB# 294) with a thicker neck, probably from a lesser officina as the style and strike are weak. Worth noting, on the Rx, there's a loop that surrounds the wreath, this may be a variety not documented in Sear. Struck: 538/544. DOC 322
OB: D.N. IVSTINIANVS PP.AVG; RX: large 'M' flanked by star and cross with larger cross above. Encircled within a wreath, the one here is thinner with a loop at the top. Struck after 536 AD, probably much later, after Belisarius reconquered much of Italy from the Goths. Very RARE!
Desirous of re-establishing the full extent of the Roman Empire, the Emperor Justinian appointed Belisarius to begin the re-conquering of those areas under the control of the Vandals and the Ostrogoths. Belisarius, despite having extremely limited forces and means at his disposal, successfully retook North Africa, Sicily and Naples for the Empire. As Belisarius then marched north towards Rome, the Ostrogoths left the city, having understood that the citizens of the city decisively supported Belisarius. The celebrations following Belisarius' historic entry into the ancient capital of the Roman Empire were short-lived; the Ostrogothic army under their king Vitiges soon laid siege to the city defended now by the greatly outnumbered men of Belisarius' expeditionary force. The siege lasted in all for a year and nine days (from 2 March 537- 12 March 538), during or shortly after which time this coin was struck. The Ostrogoths eventually abandoned the siege in order to defend Ravenna against John, Belisarius' subordinate general who by capturing Ariminum with a detachment of two thousand men posed a grave threat to the Ostrogoth capital which was barely a day's march away.
You can read an extensive article on 'regnally-dated' Byzantine coins at our library, plus the Intro to Sear Byzantine coins.
VIEW & DOWNLOAD:
Byzantine Regnally-Dated Coins - Cervin: [ link ]
Byzantine Coins - Sear Intro: [ link ]
"Numismatist" (ANA) article on Justinian reform Folles at this: [ link ]