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Nummus - Justinian I VOT XIIII, Carthage
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 540-541 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed, draped, and cuirassed imperial bust of Justinian I facing right, rendered in the stylized late antique manner characteristic of small Carthaginian nummi. The effigy displays the emperor's diadem across the brow, with the paludamentum visible at the shoulder. The flan is small and irregular, with the portrait occupying the central field and details somewhat worn due to the diminutive size of the flan. |
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| Reverse lettering | VOT XIIII (Translation: `Vows for the 14th Reign Anniversary`) |
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| Additional information |
The VOT XIIII (vota quattuordecim) inscription marks the fourteenth year of Justinian's reign, placing this issue squarely in one of the most turbulent moments of his reconquest programme. Carthage had only been back under imperial control since 533–534, when Belisarius dismantled the Vandal kingdom in a campaign of remarkable speed. The Carthage mint was re-established almost immediately after, partly as a statement of administrative restoration, partly out of practical necessity for paying troops still mopping up Moorish resistance across North Africa.
At 0.6 g and 9 mm, these nummi were the smallest denomination in circulation — struck in enormous numbers for petty transactions, yet survivors in any condition are genuinely scarce given the attrition of routine use.