Image Details

Courtesy American Numismatic Society

A male angel (P, shown here) replaces the familiar female personification of Winged Victory—a pagan symbol (Q, see photo of coin (Q))—on a coin minted during the reign of Justin I (518 to 527). The angel was considered a more suitable depiction for Christian coinage. Both angel and the Victory carry cruciform standards their right hands. The angel also holds an orb surmounted by a cross. The lettering at the bottom indicates that both coins were struck at the mint Constantinople. The Latin inscription, identical both coins, means “To the Victory of the Augusti.”