Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 1319. Closing Date: Jan 
10, 2005. JUSTINIAN I. 527-565 AD. AV Solidus 
(3.84 gm, 6h). Rome mint. Struck 537-542 AD. 
Estimate $1500 Sold For $3500 

JUSTINIAN I. 527-565 AD. AV Solidus (3.84 gm, 6h). 
Rome mint. Struck 537-542 AD. D N IVSTINIANVS P P 
AVG, diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed facing 
bust, holding globus cruciger and shield / 
VICTORIA AVGGG, angel standing facing, holding 
long cross and globus cruciger; star in right 
field; A/ROMOB. DOC I 319; MIB I 28 (this coin 
noted); SB 290. VF, clipped, a few dents and 
scratches. Extremely rare, less than ten specimens 
known. ($1500)

From the Malcolm W. Heckman Collection. Ex 
CNG XXXI (9-10 Sept 1994), lot 1463; 
Schweizerische Kreditanstalt I (22-23 April 1983), lot 534; 
Auctiones 11 (30 September -1 October 1980), lot 566.

In 536 AD Belisarius, Justinian’s brilliant general, retook Rome and, by 
540 AD, the rest of Italy.

To commemorate the retaking of Rome, solidi like this example briefly 
included ROMOB rather than the standard CONOB in the exergue as a 
proclamation of the reunification of the Empire under Justinian. The new 
edition of MIB lists four examples, including this piece, and at least 
two other specimens have appeared, in Numismatica Ars Classica (26-27 
October 1995), lot 772, and Triton III (30 November -1 December 1999), 
lot 1300.

                  Copyright © CNG 2002