A rare gold coin, dating from the period of the Byzantine emperor Iustin II (who ruled between 565-578 EN), was discovered in the Tuida Fortress-an early Byzantine fortification of strategic importance, located in the northeast of Sliven, Bulgaria.
The announcement was made by the Regional History Museum in Sliven.
This exceptional discovery is the fourth gold currency found on the Tuida archaeological site and is considered particularly valuable due to its rarity and historical context.
Iustin II was the nephew and successor of the famous Emperor Justinian I, one of the most influential figures of the Byzantine Empire. Unlike the glorious period of Justinian, marked by extensive architectural projects and territorial expansion, the reign of Justin II was characterized by increasing pressures from the Sasanid Empire and the Longobarzi in the west. At the same time, he remained known for the episodes of mental instability, who led to the takeover of his wife, Empress Sofia, and General Tiberiu in the last years of his reign.
The Tuida Fortress (also called “Tidda”) is located on the top of Hisarlîk hill, a strategic position in the fortification system of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina). Originally built in the late period of the Roman Empire and rebuilt in the early Byzantine era, Tuida was an important military and administrative center. Throughout the Roman history, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian, the fortress has played a crucial defensive role, protecting the invasive region and controlling major commercial routes.
Initially, it was believed that the currency belongs to Emperor Justinian I (527–565 EN), but, after professional cleaning and analysis by the experts of the Museum in Sliven, it was confirmed that the correct dating is during the reign of Justin II. On the obverse of the currency is the front bust of the emperor holding a globe crowned by Victoria, the Roman goddess of Victoria.
The inscription on the obverse is:
DN IVSTINVS PP AVG
(Our Justinus Augustus – “Domnul Nostru Justin, August Etern”)
On the reverse, the inscription is:
Victoria Avgg θs
According to the researchers, this rare currency was most likely beaten in Theopolis, the historical name of the city of Antioch, one of the most important centers of the Eastern Roman Empire. Today, the old city is known as Antakya, located in the south of Turkey, near the border with Syria.
Antioch was a major administrative, commercial and religious center in the Roman and Byzantine era. The presence of the “θs” currency marking on the reversal of the currency confirms the hypothesis of its origin in the monetary in Antioch (Theopolis), which increases the historical and geographical value of the discovery.
During the archaeological excavations this year in Tuida, a total of 23 coins were found, dating from the 2nd-III centuries to the XII-XIII centuries, offering a clear image on the continuity of living and the importance of this site over the centuries of tumultuous history.
The discovery of this rare solid of Justin II makes a valuable contribution to the study of Byzantine numismatics and regional economic history. At the same time, it confirms the importance of Tuida fortress as a strategic node in the imperial defensive system of the early Byzantine era.
For history enthusiasts and researchers, this golden piece offers a new perspective on the sustainable inheritance of the Byzantine Empire in southeast Europe and the living cultural heritage of the city-one of the oldest permanently inhabited territories in Bulgaria.
