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Justin II (565–68)

 
 

Obverse

Nimbate bust of Justin II, facing forward, wearing a helmet with diadem and trefoil ornament and pendilia. Ties hanging down from the diadem visible at the left and right of the neck. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

.NIVST-INVSPPAV

[D(ominus)] n(oster) Iustinus p(er)p(etuus) au[g(ustus)].

Reverse

Winged Victory standing, holding in each hand a victory wreath. Border of dots.

Obverse

Nimbate bust of Justin II, facing forward, wearing a helmet with diadem and trefoil ornament and pendilia. Ties hanging down from the diadem visible at the left and right of the neck. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

.NIVST-INVSPPAV

[D(ominus)] n(oster) Iustinus p(er)p(etuus) au[g(ustus)].

Reverse

Winged Victory standing, holding in each hand a victory wreath. Border of dots.

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4238 (formerly DO 55.1.4238)
Diameter 21.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 7.2; Zacos–Veglery, no. 5.

Translation

Dominus noster Iustinus perpetuus augustus.

Our lord Justin, eternal augustus.

Commentary

Justin’s seals employ the same motifs as Justinian I’s and, in comparison with coins, the imperial bust is of simplified design. For the most part the emperor is shown beardless, but on an issue that Grierson attributes to January of 566 he is depicted with a short beard. Winged Victory as a main type appears on Justin II’s gold coinage, but as in the case of Justinian’s gold issues, we meet it on the reverse of the tremissis.

Seibt, in his review of the Zacos–Veglery catalogue (BSl 36 [1975]: 209), is inclined to attribute this seal to Justin I because of an absence of crosses flanking Winged Victory.  The manner in which the emperor is portrayed, however, varies considerably from BZS.1955.1.4234, and therefore the present entry follows Zacos–Veglery in assigning the specimen to Justin II. Corrosion has obscured the imperial bust, so it is not possible to determine if it is lightly bearded, a characteristic identified on an issue which Grierson dated to January of 566 (DOC 1:1 [pl. 49].  See also MIB 2: pl. 1, no. 52)

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 1, Anastasius I to Maurice (491–602) (Open in Zotero)
  • Moneta Imperii Byzantini: Rekonstruktion des Prägeaufbaues auf synoptisch-tabellarischer Grundlage (Open in Zotero)