Justinian II
"Rhinotmetes",  Emperor,  685 -  695,   & 705 -  711
"Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the asp."
Psalms, 91:13  chanted by the crowd in the hippodrome while Justinian placed his feet on the necks of the usurpers Leontius and Apsimar following his reclamation of the Imperial power. 
AV solidus of Constantinople, 692-695, officina A, 4.42g, 20mm. First reign.
Obv.  IhsCRISTDSRЄX RЄS(NANT)IVM;  Facing bust of Christ, with long hair and full beard and cross behind head, without nimbus. His right hand is raised in benediction, whilst He holds the Gospel in his left hand.
Rev.  DIUSTINI ANU SSERUCHRISTI / A;  Justinian standing, crowned and wearing loros, with beard, holding cross potent on steps in his right hand and akakia in his left.
DOC 7a.3, Sear 1248
In 692 the Trullum Council, convened by Justinian, decreed: "..we ordain that the human figure of Christ our God, the lamb, who took on the sins of the world, be set up in the images instead of the ancient [depiction of Christ as the] lamb." It was at this time that Justinian made his landmark contribution to the imperial coinage - the introduction of the image of Christ. The long-haired Christ of the solidii of his first reign is said to have been copied from the mosaic above the Chalke Gate of the Great Palace. The reasons for promulgating the image of Christ were more than merely theological: with so much traditionally imperial land under the sway of the Muslims, it was considered an effective PR tool. Also, at this time the Arabs were paying tribute to the Byzantines, in Byzantine solidii, and the placing of Christ on the tribute coinage was an extra humiliation for them. It is probably not coincidence that it is right around this time that we see the introduction of a distinctively Muslim nature, the gold coinage of which depicts the caliph in a form very clearly influenced by the stance of Justinian here.

The last emperor of the house of Heraclius, Justinian II's reign, loss and regaining of power start with popularity and fairness and descended into bitter tyranny and revenge. The senatorial classes bore the brunt of his tyranny.

Justinian was a capable man, but marked with a streak of cruelty. Heavy taxation wiped out whatever good will he might have inherited at his ascension. Dissension rapidly reduced the empire from a position of strength - even the caliph Abd Al-Malik had agreed to tribute - to chaos. Justinian himself led a successful expedition against the Slavs in the early years of his reign, and his general Leontius carried out effective campaigns in the east.

Both grandees and peasants felt oppressed by Justinian's policies, and in late 695 the Blue circus faction instigated a coup with placed the general Leontius on the throne. So fast did the plotters act that Justinian's partisans, if such remained, put up no opposition. Leontius ordered Justinian's nose and tongue slit and the emperor was banished to Cherson for what must have been a hard exile. Assigning blame were it seemed due, Justinian's hated financial ministers, Theodotus and Stephen the Persian, were executed.

The comeback of Justinian is one of the most unlikely tales of Byzantine history. Rumours of his plotting to regain the throne reached the capital in 705, ten years after his exile. The emperor Tiberius III, who by then had overthrown Leontius, sent men to arrest him. Forewarned, Justinian fled Cherson to the neighbouring land of the Khazars. The Khazars were at this point just setting out on their rise from just another Turkic tribe to the semi-mythical empire they would later form and provided the fugitive a safe haven. It would be wonderful to know what language Justinian used to persuade the khan of the Khazars to give him succor, but he was so effective that the khan even gave him his daughter in marriage. (Her continued loyalty to Justinian throughout his future ordeals in another lost story.) Justinian's influence with the khan however, proved tenuous. When Tiberius sent envoys demanding Justinian be handed over, the khan agreed. But by then, the ever nimble Justinian had already fled to the Bulgars.

The Bulgars gave Justinian a warm reception, and with their armies he laid siege to Constantinople where he was able to exploit the loyalty of the forgetful, enter the city and regain the palace. This was the ideal situation for him: he held the city whilst the Bulgars remained outside and were compelled to accept a large pay-off and return home. Justinian had Leontius - then in a monastery - and Tiberius dragged to the Hippodrome for public humiliation and execution. His wife, who had taken the Christian name of Theodora, and son were brought to the city and crowned. Theodora in the process became the first foreign born empress of Byzantium.

Justinian's second reign was a nightmare of revenge. So absorbed was he in punishing those who had wronged him that the Arabs freely sacked the eastern empire. Cherson, the hated city of his exile, was placed under a harsh occupation, and in this act of retribution Justinian created his own downfall. It was from Cherson, and with the aid of Justinian's erstwhile allies, the Khazars, that the general Bardanes led the revolt which overthrew Justinian and brought to an end the line of Heraclius. Justinian himself was decapitated and conspirators pushed past the dowager empress Anastasia, widow of Constantine IVcut down his young son Tiberius while he clutched an altar seeking sanctuary

"After the decease of his father, the inheritance of the Roman world devolved to Justinian II; and the name of a triumphant lawgiver was dishonored by the vices of a boy, who imitated his namesake only in the expensive luxury of building. His passions were strong; his understanding was feeble; and he was intoxicated with a foolish pride, that his birth had given him the command of millions, of whom the smallest community would not have chosen him for their local magistrate."
Gibbon  Decline & Fall 
Justinian's reign is important for marking the transition from the earlier Byzantine coinage in ways even beyond introducing the portrait of Christ. For example, it is the last reign where the profile bust is used. It also saw the end of the hexagram: it was two centuries before any regular silver coinage returned into circulation. Dumbarton Oaks remarks on the high artistic quality of the gold coinage, whilst also noting the continued low quality of the bronze. Though the copper dies were well cut, the continued usage of overstriking kept the general quality low.
Constantinople
AV semissis of Constantinople, 705-711, 2.05g, 18mm. Second reign.
Obv.  δNIhSChSRЄXRЄG(NANTIyM);  Bust of close-bearded Christ facing, with cross behind his curls. He wears pallium and colobium and raises right hand in benediction, whilst holding Gospels in left.
Rev.  DNIySTINIANySЄTTIbЄRIySPPA';  Half-length figures of Justinian, on left, and smaller Tiberius on right, (as child, not infant). Each wears crown and divitision and chlamys. Between them they hold cross potent on globus.
DOC 4b, Sear 1418
Æ ½ follis of Constantinople, 686-687, officina Є, 4.68g, 26mm, 350º. First reign.
Obv.  No legend. Bust facing with short beard, wearing crown and chlamys and holding globus cruciger.
Rev.  Large K with A / N / N / O to left and regnal year II to right. Above, cross; below, officina number Є.
Berk 755, DOC 20c, Sear 1262
Unusual in that it is not struck on a quartered follis of Constantine IV, as is the norm for these. Year two is the first recorded for this issue, which continued throughout his first reign. (The half folles of year one depict Justinian beardless.)
Æ decanummium of Constantinople, 685-686, 1.70g, 11mm, 170º. First reign.
Obv.  Beardless bust facing wearing crown and chlamys and holding globus cruciger.
Rev.  Large I between cross and regnal year I, (the only year noted for this type).
DOC 26, Sear 1263
Ravenna
Æ follis of Ravenna, 685-695, 3.55g, 12mm, 180º. First Reign.
Obv.  Crowned bust facing, wearing short beard, holding globus cruciger in right hand.
Rev.  Large M, cross above; RA(V) in exergue.
DOC 72, Sear 1310
Syracuse
Æ follis of Syracuse, 685-695, officina Є, 5.16g, 21mm, 180º.
Obv.  Justinian standing facing, bearded, wearing crown and chlamys and holding long cross and akakia.
Rev.  Large M between two stars; above, Sear mongram 38; below, officina number Є; in ex., (SCL)
DOC 59, Sear 1299
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Last Modified 08 Aug 2007