Half-Follis of Justin II & Sophia

This Byzantine coin of Justin II and Sophia is a copper half-follis. On the reverse the K indicates its value, 20 nummi, and the inscriptions reveal Thessaloniki’s mint mark and the year of Justin’s reign, dating the coin to 574/575 CE. The image on the obverse, while largely degraded and highly schematic, features the two co-rulers sitting enthroned, haloed, and wearing imperial and consular garb. Justin II is on the left holding the globus cruciger in his right hand. Sophia is on the right holding the cruciform scepter. Besides the insignia that they hold, there is little that distinguishes one figure from the other. A portion of an inscription that surrounded both figures would have read in full: Our lord, Justin, [Eternal Augustus] — a standard inscription on Byzantine coins. Coins were some of the most conservative visual media in the Byzantine Empire. Emperors typically preserved the iconography of their predecessors with minor variations, changing only the portrait and inscription to reflect the new ruler. This coin represents a major shift in this tradition as it is the first instance in this medium where an emperor and empress are depicted together as co-rulers. The fact that this image appears on copper coins, and was minted in many locations around the Mediterranean, meant that the message of shared rulership between Justin and Sophia would have been seen by all classes of people in all corners of the empire. This innovative design draws upon the Late Roman tradition of depicting two male rulers together, as seen on the gold solidus, issued in 430 CE, celebrating the consulship of the Emperor Theodosius II and his son-in-law Valentinian III. On this coin, the two rulers are shown side-by-side, facing frontally, sitting on the throne, dressed in consular costumes, and are nimbate. While the depiction of Justin and Sophia on their half-follis is similar to that of Theodosius and Valentinian on their gold solidus, the differences are what make Justin and Sophia’s coin more striking. Whereas the hieratic scale clearly marks Theodosius as the senior, and more important, figure in relationship to Valentinian, no such scaling is used to differentiate Justin and Sophia. Additionally, while the bodies of Theodosius and Valentinian are separated to clearly distinguish the two sovereigns, Justin and Sophia are sitting so close together that they appear as one body. In addition, Justin and Sophia are depicted on the obverse as opposed to the reverse, which signifies their joint importance and status as rulers. Through this comparison, we are able to better recognize the innovations of Justin and Sophia’s coin. Sophia is presented not as subservient to Justin; rather, their equal stature and virtually indistinguishable features indicate their relatively shared and equal status. Empress Sophia’s presence on this half-follis draws from a tradition of female rulers demonstrating their authority through coinage as seen with the empresses of the Constantinian and Theodosian dynasties of the fourth and fifth centuries. Ultimately, Empress Sophia paved the way for the visual expression of female authority, which is reflected in the later coinage of Empress Irene of Athens (r. 797-802 CE). Empress Irene was the first empress to be depicted alone on both sides of her coinage, and was the first woman to solely rule the Byzantine Empire. Bibliography Cameron, Averil. 1975. “The Empress Sophia.” Byzantion 45: 5–21. Bellinger, Alfred R., and Philip Grierson, eds. 1966. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, vol. 1, Anastasius I to Maurice, 491–602. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. Holum, Kenneth G. 1982. Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity. Berkeley: University of California Press. Kalavrezou, Ioli, ed. 2003. Byzantine Women and Their World. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Art Museums. Maya Virdell (’24), May 2022https://digital.kenyon.edu/arthistorystudycollection/2136/thumbnail.jp