Il pentanummo di Giustino I nel “IV cavallo” e una nuova cronologia della quadriga marciana.

The discovery in 1981 of a Justinian I pentanummium within the D horse of the Quadriga Marciana, which has remained unpublished until now, represents a finding of exceptional interest for art-historical and numismatic research. The coin, minted between 522 and 527 AD, constitutes the only certain find from inside the statues and offers a terminus post quem for their history, though without allowing for an absolute dating. The evidence of the long circulation of Justinian pentanummi, also documented in eastern contexts until the end of the 6th century, opens up the possibility of a late antique placement, which is more plausible than a medieval or modern insertion. Furthermore, it would be remiss to exclude the possibility of intentional introduction, connected to apotropaic practices in the Byzantine tradition, to ‘vivify’ the bronze statues. In this sense, the numismatic find can be interpreted as a clue to cultural interactions between artistic and ritual spheres. The monetary datum, though isolated, has the capacity to prompt a re-evaluation of hypotheses based solely on stylistic analyses, thereby introducing a degree of material verification within the statues. The rediscovery of this evidence, which had remained unpublished for over forty years, finally emphasises the importance of active protection and an interdisciplinary approach, capable of bringing forth new interpretative perspectives on the genesis and history of the Quadriga Marciana.