5 Nummi - Justin I Constantinopolis

Justin I came to power in 518 with no formal education and, by most accounts, limited literacy — a fact that made his nephew Justinian's administrative role almost immediately indispensable. The small bronze nummi of his early reign were struck as Constantinople's mint recalibrated following Anastasius I's sweeping currency reform of 498, which had introduced the large follis and restructured the entire bronze hierarchy. The 5 nummi occupied the lowest practical tier of that system.

BCV#74 attributions for this type frequently show significant die wear, a known characteristic of the Constantinopolitan small bronze output in this period.