Justinian I Follis Coins: Build a Set by Regnal Year and Mint
Justinian I follis coins offer one of ancient numismatics' most satisfying date-and-mint collecting projects. Many of his large bronze coins identify the denomination, mint, workshop, and emperor's regnal year directly on the reverse.
Instead of simply asking which coin to buy next, you can build a chronological map of a reign that transformed the sixth-century Roman world.
Who Was Justinian I?
Justinian I ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from AD 527 to 565. His reign included the reconquest of North Africa and much of Italy, the rebuilding of Hagia Sophia after the Nika revolt, the compilation of the Corpus Juris Civilis, long wars with the Sasanian Empire, and the pandemic commonly called the Plague of Justinian.
Justinian and his subjects understood their state as Roman. “Byzantine Empire” is a useful modern historical label, but it was not the name Justinian used for his empire.
What Is a Justinian Follis?
Collectors conventionally call the large copper 40-nummi denomination a follis. Its reverse is dominated by a large M, the Greek numeral for 40.
Justinian did not invent the denomination. Anastasius I's bronze reform of AD 498 introduced the clearly marked 40-, 20-, and 10-nummi denominations; a 5-nummi piece was added later in his reign.
Why Are Justinian’s Dated Folles Special?
In Justinian's regnal year 12, AD 538/539, a major copper reform introduced much larger folles and systematic regnal-year dating on the major bronze denominations.
A typical post-reform follis may show:
- M — 40 nummi
- ANNO — introduces the regnal year
- A regnal-year numeral
- A mint signature
- An officina or workshop mark
This means a collector can often place the coin within a specific year of Justinian's reign rather than only a broad date range.
Why Does the Dated Series Begin With Year 12?
Justinian became emperor in AD 527, but the familiar post-reform dated M-follis series begins with Year 12, corresponding to AD 538/539.
Earlier bronze coins of Justinian exist, but they belong to the pre-reform system and do not form a normal ANNO I through ANNO XI run of the later dated type.
How Do You Read the Regnal Year?
Read the numeral beside the large M and combine it with Justinian's accession chronology. Byzantine dates can span parts of two modern calendar years, so catalogs often write a date such as AD 538/539 rather than forcing the issue into one calendar year.
Numerals can be partly off the flan or worn, so confirm the date with mint, officina, style, weight, and standard references.
Major Mints to Collect
Constantinople
The imperial capital produced extensive bronze coinage and is the natural foundation for many Justinian date collections.
Nicomedia
A major mint in northwestern Asia Minor with many dated issues useful for comparison with Constantinople.
Antioch / Theoupolis
Antioch suffered a devastating earthquake in AD 526. Justinian later renamed the rebuilt city Theoupolis (“City of God”), and mint signatures can use forms such as THEUP.
Cyzicus
An important mint on the Propontis whose issues provide another substantial eastern series.
Other Mints
Depending on denomination and period, collectors can expand into Thessalonica, Carthage, Rome, Ravenna, and other mints associated with Justinian's changing imperial territory. Alexandria's bronze system is regionally distinctive and should not simply be assumed to mirror the Constantinopolitan 40-nummi series.
How to Build a Justinian Follis Collection
Phase 1: Build a Timeline Core
Start with several readable dates spread across the post-reform reign—for example an early reform coin, a mid-reign issue, and a late issue. Readability matters more than choosing arbitrary “key years.”
Phase 2: Expand the Date Run
Add as many regnal years as practical. A complete run is challenging because availability and rarity vary greatly by year and mint.
Phase 3: Add Mint Variety
Compare Constantinople, Nicomedia, Cyzicus, Antioch/Theoupolis, and western mints. Portrait style, module, mint signatures, and officina structures can differ dramatically.
Phase 4: Specialize
Advanced collectors can pursue multiple mints for the same year, officina varieties, half folles and smaller denominations, western issues, unusual weight standards, and scarcer mint-and-date combinations.
Can You Match a Follis to the Plague of Justinian?
You can identify coins struck during the years in which the pandemic affected the empire, including Constantinople in the early 540s. But a coin's date does not prove that the individual piece circulated in a particular outbreak, city, army, or historical event.
The responsible historical connection is chronological: the coin was produced by Justinian's monetary system during that period.
How Much Are Justinian Folles Worth?
Prices vary with mint, date, rarity, module, portrait, centering, surfaces, weight, and readability. Common worn examples can be relatively affordable, while unusually attractive, heavy, scarce, or historically desirable issues can cost substantially more.
For a date collection, a clearly visible regnal year and mint can make a modest coin more useful than a prettier example whose date cannot be read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does M mean on a Justinian follis?
M is the Greek numeral for 40 and identifies the 40-nummi denomination.
What does ANNO mean?
ANNO introduces the emperor's regnal-year date.
What year is Justinian Year 12?
It corresponds to AD 538/539 and marks the beginning of the familiar large, dated post-reform bronze series.
What is the easiest Justinian mint to collect?
Constantinople is usually the natural starting point because its output was extensive, although individual dates and varieties vary in rarity.
Are all Justinian folles huge?
No. Size and weight changed during the reign and vary by mint and issue. The famous Year 12 reform created especially large folles, but there is no single diameter or weight for every Justinian follis.
Final Thought
Few ancient bronze series give collectors such a readable chronological framework. With Justinian, you can build by year, mint, denomination, and workshop while following one of the most consequential reigns of Late Antiquity.