Byzantine Coins
A portrait of Christ appeared on numerous Byzantine coins until the thirteenth century demise of the empire and many of these contained features that appeared to have been directly copied directly from the image of the face seen on the Shroud. One major advantage of these coin images compared to other artworks is that coins can be accurately dated. The engravers responsible for producing Byzantine coin images were also required to accurately reproduce the appearance of any person that was being portrayed, which increases their importance as historical evidence.
Justinian II Gold Solidus
One of the most notable of these coins is a Gold Solidus that was minted in the reign of Justinian II and dates to the period 692 to 695 AD. A close examination of the coin image reveals a remarkable level of detail upon the face of Christ. It contains several unusual and often irregular features which we would not expect to see on a depiction of Jesus but which replicate markings seen on the face of the Man of the Shroud.
These include:
- A beardless area below the lower lip
- Asymmetric facial features
- Long nose
- Large, round eyes
- Long, wavy hair, longer on the left side
- Beard parted in two and longer on the left side.
John I Tzemiskes Bronze Follis
Another remarkable example of a Shroud-inspired coin is a Byzantine bronze follis which was discovered and bought by Justin Robinson, an historian who has worked for some of the world’s most prestigious coin companies and is a member of the British Society for the Turin Shroud.
This coin was minted between 969 and 976 during the reign of Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes. It’s a small coin measuring less than 2cm in diameter but the skilled engraver who produced the die for this coin appears to have deliberately copied some distinctive features that we can see on the Shroud. The quality of the image of Christ seen on this coin is not as fine or detailed as that usually found on the more valuable Byzantine gold coins but the engraver has nonetheless included some distinctive and extraordinary features that indicate that he must have studied the Shroud facial image.
For example, there’s a mark on the right cheek of the Shroud image which appears to be an injury to the cheek and the same mark is reproduced perfectly on the coin as indicated in the image opposite. There are also two long locks of hair on the left side of the head, which makes the hairstyle on this portrait of Jesus appear very uneven and perhaps even dishevelled. It’s hard to imagine why the engraver who created this image would have deliberately depicted Jesus with such an odd hairstyle but as you can see, the same style with those two long strands of hair on the left is clearly visible on the Shroud.
It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the engraver who included these unusual and irregular features in his portrayal of Jesus did so because he had copied them from what was believed to be the true image of Jesus found on the Shroud.
The skilled engravers who produced the dies used to make these coins appear to have deliberately copied some distinctive features that we can see on the Shroud. If so, then this is evidence that the Shroud already existed when these coins were minted, in the seventh and tenth centuries respectively. Both these dates are well before the earliest date that is considered possible according to the result of the Shroud radiocarbon dating test.
The following links provide further information on this research
The ‘Shroud’ Face on a coin precisely datable to 692-695 AD. An article by Ian Wilson published in BSTS Newsletter No. 30, December 1991
A Compelling Case for Authenticity. An article by Justin Robinson published in BSTS Newsletter No. 88, December 2018.
