Byzantine Follis

The Byzantine Follis from Italy was often struck on recycled bronze blanks, sometimes sourced from older Roman coins, reflecting the empire's thrifty reuse of materials amid constant warfare.

This made for a coin that varied in weight and purity, depending on the mint—places like Ravenna or Syracuse under Byzantine control. Designs typically featured the emperor's bust on one side, paired with a large M for 40 nummi, the coin's value, on the other. Variations appeared over centuries, from Justinian's reforms in the 6th century to later, cruder strikes as Byzantine power waned.

We don't know exact mintage figures; records from that era are scarce, lost to time and pillage. What survives shows these coins circulated widely in Italy, serving as everyday currency for trade and taxes.

If you're handling one, note the patina—it's usually a mottled green, evidence of centuries buried in Mediterranean soil. A dry observation: these folles outlasted many emperors they depicted.