Justinian II. First reign, 685-695. AV Solidus (20mm, 4.39 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. Struck 692-695. EF.

CNG Feature Auction 133
Lot: 674. Estimated: $ 2 500

Byzantine, Coin-in-Hand Video, Gold

Sold For $ 13 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Justinian II. First reign, 685-695. AV Solidus (20mm, 4.39 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 2nd officina. Struck 692-695. Nimbate facing bust of Christ Pantokrator, raising hand in benediction and holding Gospels / Justinian standing facing, wearing crown and loros, holding cross potent set on two steps and akakia; B//CONOP. DOC 7b var. (officina not retrograde); MIB 8a (this coin illustrated); SB 1248. Toned. EF.

From the Best Collection of Byzantine Coins. Ex New York Sale IV (17 January 2002), lot 428; Hess-Leu 24 (16 April 1964), lot 413.

The portrait of Christ that appears on this solidus issue marks the first portrait of Christ on a coin. The Council in Trullo, or the Quinisex Council, was held during the reign of Justinian II in Constantinople following the Fifth and Sixth Ecumenical Councils. The assembly was called partly in order to address diverging practices in the east and west and to set church policy explicitly in written canons in order to discipline those who continued to engage in contrary practices. One of the canons set during the council concerned appropriate portrayals of Christ. Canon 82 cites 1st Corinthians 13:10 and makes use of similar language in Hebrews 10:1 to specify that “we decree that the figure in human form of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Christ our God, be henceforth exhibited in images” (Quinisex Council, Canon 82). The text goes on to specify that Christ as a man ought be used in icons and visual depictions rather than the Agnes Dei. That same year, this issue of solidi was released into circulation by Justinian. The Council was very poorly received in the West and even denounced by some western thinkers. This monumental decision, however, greatly shaped the future of Byzantine coinage and concurrently stood in sharp contrast to the emergent Umayyad Caliphate’s contemporary practice of not depicting religious figures on coinage.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Three – Lot 595-896 will be held Wednesday morning, 16 September 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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