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5 Nummi - Justin II Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 565-578 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Cruciform monogram of Justin II (Sear type 8) occupying the central field, composed of interlaced Greek letters rendered in bold relief. The monogram is formed by a large N bisected diagonally with a Phi surmounting the upper left arm and additional letterforms completing the cipher to the right. The design is unframed and fills the flan, typical of the small hammered pentanummium coinage of the Constantinopolitan mint. No legend is present; the imperial identity is conveyed entirely through the monogram. The flan is irregular and slightly ragged at the edges, consistent with hand-cut copper planchets of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ϵ A |
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| Additional information |
Justin II inherited the treasury depleted by Justinian's reconquest campaigns and almost immediately faced fresh military pressure — the Lombard invasion of Italy in 568 and sustained Avar aggression along the Danube frontier. The 5 nummi was the smallest denomination in practical Byzantine use, and under Justin its production reflects a period of fiscal contraction rather than expansion.
Constantinople mint output for this fractional denomination is documented across several officina sequences, which is how the DOC and MIB references manage to distinguish individual emissions despite the coins' minimal size.