Follis of Justin II, Antioch on the Orontes 575 - 576

Curator: Here we have a Follis of Justin II, minted in Antioch on the Orontes. Look closely and you can see two imperial figures standing side by side. Editor: It's weathered, showing the long passage of time. You can almost feel the handling, the commerce, embedded within the very metal. Curator: Indeed. The figures on the obverse likely represent Justin II and Sophia, his wife. Note the emphasis on their divine sanction, and the power dynamic encoded within their pose. Editor: Copper alloy, the workaday material of the late empire, circulated widely, reaching every level of society. I wonder about the artisans who mass-produced these. Curator: And how these images reinforced imperial ideology. The "M" on the reverse likely indicates its value, but also functions as a strong, graphic symbol of imperial authority. Editor: It's remarkable how such a small object could carry so much weight, both literally and figuratively. This humble coin is a potent relic, telling us so much about Byzantine society. Curator: A durable testament to the image's capacity to outlive its creators. Editor: It reminds us that even the smallest artifact can reveal immense histories of labor and meaning.