Item number: A263
Year: AD 527-565
Material: Gold
Size: 18.6 x 17.1 x 0.5 mm
Weight: 2.17 g
Manufactured by: Constantinople mint
Provenance: Coincraft 2018
This is a Semissis gold coin minted in Constantinople during the reign of Emperor Justinian I of the Byzantine Empire, from AD 527 to AD 565. The Semissis was a coin unit established by Emperor Constantine I in the 4th century, weighing 2.25 g, exactly half the weight of the Solidus coin, hence its name “Semissis,” meaning “half” in Latin. The role of the Semissis in the market was quickly replaced by the Tremissis, which was one-third of a Solidus. However, Semissis coinage continued until the reign of Emperor Basil I in the 9th century.
The obverse of the coin depicts a beardless bust of Justinian I facing right, wearing a pearl diadem and draped in a chlamys cloak. The Latin legend around the periphery reads “D N IVSTINI-ANVS PP AVI,” which translates to “Our Lord Justinian Eternal Augustus.”
On the reverse side, there is a seated, winged Victory goddess resting on a shield, with a shield placed on her knees inscribed with the numeral “XXXX.” To the left of the goddess, there is a star, while the symbol “⳨” below on the right signifies the Empire’s Christian faith. The legends on the left and right sides respectively represent “Victory” and “Augustus.” Below, “CON” stands for Constantinople, the abbreviated minting location, while “OB” indicates the use of pure gold.
Emperor Justinian I is indeed considered one of the greatest emperors of the Byzantine Empire, renowned for his many achievements. Particularly notable is his marriage to Theodora, who had a background as a courtesan. In AD 532, during the Nika Riots that erupted in the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Empress Theodora encouraged the Emperor to stand firm instead of fleeing, a decision that ultimately solidified Justinian’s subsequent accomplishments.
During his reign, Justinian I successfully reconquered much of the Western Roman territories that had been occupied by barbarian tribes, thus reuniting both halves of the Roman Empire under a single ruler. In terms of internal affairs, Justinian I not only oversaw the reconstruction of the fire-damaged Hagia Sophia in Constantinople but also enacted the Justinian Code, which became the foundation of civil law in later European legal systems.
物件編號: A263
年代: 公元 527-565 年
材質: 黃金
尺寸: 18.6 x 17.1 x 0.5 mm
重量: 2.17 g
製造地: 君士坦丁堡造幣廠
來源: 錢幣工藝 2018
這是一枚公元527至565年，拜占庭帝國皇帝查士丁尼一世時期，於君士坦丁堡鑄造的塞米斯金幣。塞米斯是公元4世紀的君士坦丁一世制定的金幣單位，其重量落在2.25克，恰好是索利都斯金幣的一半，故以「一半」即「塞米斯」稱呼。塞米斯在市場的角色很快被「三分之一」的特雷米西斯取代，不過直至公元9世紀的巴西爾一世方才停止鑄造。
金幣正面鐫刻查士丁尼一世的無鬚右側胸像，頭戴珍珠皇冠和穿著櫛孔扇貝斗篷。外圍的拉丁銘文「D N IVSTINI-ANVS PP AVI」意思是「我主 查士丁尼 永恆(的)奧古斯都」。
背面則是一個坐在盾牌上，長著翅膀的勝利女神，膝上有一個刻著「XXXX」數字的盾牌。女神的左側有一顆星星，右下方「⳨」符號代表帝國的基督信仰。左右兩側的銘文，分別代表「勝利」和「奧古斯都」。下方的「CON」是君士坦丁堡，即金幣鑄造地簡稱，「OB」則表示以赤(純)金打造。
查士丁尼一世是拜占庭帝國最偉大的皇帝之一，並且留下許多膾炙人口的事蹟，尤其是他的皇后是妓女出身的狄奧多拉。公元532年，面對君士坦丁堡的競技場暴民引發尼卡暴動之際，皇后狄奧多拉鼓勵皇帝打消出逃的念頭，方才奠定查士丁尼後續的成就。
查士丁尼一世在位期間，對外重新收復被蠻族佔據的西羅馬失土，使得兩個羅馬歸於同一個皇帝的統治之下。內政方面，查士丁尼一世不僅在君士坦丁堡重建遭到祝融的聖索非亞大教堂，更制定《查士丁尼法典》成為後世的歐陸法系基礎。
