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Coin Jewelry :
Archive : Byzantine Gold Coin of Emperor Justin I
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Byzantine Gold Coin of Emperor Justin I - FJ.6607
Origin: Mediterranean
Circa: 518
AD
to 527
AD
Medium: Gold
Additional Information: Sold
$2,700.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
This Ancient Coin Has Been Set in a Modern 18 Karat Gold Ring
The emperor Justin I has been overshadowed by his eminent nephew who succeeded him, Justinian the Great. The foremost historian of the age, Procopius of Caesarea, in his Secret History written in mid-century, began Justinian's regime in 518, when Justin ascended the throne, and in his De Aedificiis, a book on Justinian's building program, he treated buildings constructed in Justin's reign. But without Justin there would have been no Justinian. It was Justin who came to Constantinople, joined the Excubitors and rose through the ranks, evidently thanks to his own merits for we know of no friends in high places. Yet Justin's reign was more than simply the preface for the age of Justinian. Both Justin and Justinian defended the creed of Chalcedon. Both championed imperial interests beyond the empire's frontiers, but it is doubtful if Justin would have fully shared Justinian's ambitions in the west. In the final period of his life, Justin, overcome by illness and old age, fell completely under the influence of his ambitious nephew and his wife, becoming incapable of independent judgment.
This stunning ring evokes the glory and beauty of the early Christian era and its flowering. The gold of the ring and the gold of the coin both complement each other. Together, the two hues merge into a lustrous splendor of precious metal. The sides of the ring have been engraved with an abstract pattern complementing the metalwork of the coin. The course of Europe and the world would forever change due to the efforts of Justin and his follower Justinian the Great. There is an eternal splendor to this ring, a beauty that radiates from within the coin and envelopes the gold setting. To wear this ring is to evoke the spirit of change. For although time changes and the world evolves, true beauty and elegance as defined by this ring are eternal and immune to the fancies and whims of individual tastes.
- (FJ.6607)
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