TYPE Byzantine Empire, Justinian I (527-565 AD), bronze 10 nummia, uncertain mint, 3.41g DESCRIPTION . Obv: Facing crowned and cuirassed emperor's bust, holding gl. cr. and shield, legend DN IV[STINI]ANV PP VI Rev: Large X in wreath REFERENCE: BE 53 GRADING: AVF, moderate to considerable pitting, olive green patina, extremely rare ORDER INFO: B2805, $95 An intriguing little piece, apparently unpublished outside the Berk-England 1989 auction (lot 53). While some crucial detail is obscured by pitting here, other is clearly present to distinguish it from other known types. The sole reverse X - in a wreath and with no cross present - is known as a rare type for Maurice Tiberius, but here does not match the obverse. The legend, though fragmentary, nevertheless supports a Justinian reading rather than Maurice, and crucially - the emperor quite clearly holds a shield (with a miniature horseman), which is characteristic of Justinian renditions.