![]() A golden solidus of emperor Jovian (363-364) Most of the gold in coins minted in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages probably derived from bullion that had been refined countless times in the region since the Neolithic and Bronze ages, in the form of earlier coins, jewelry or cult objects, but sources of alluvial gold were exploited throughout the period, and towards its end newly-mined supplies from sub-Saharan Africa began to reach the Mediterranean. Contemporary technology based on the touchstone made it easy for users to recognize debasements of gold coin metal by silver or copper. ![]() Gold was the rarest of the coin metals, the most malleable in striking and impervious to chemical change (though in its pure state most subject to wear and damage). The stars and cross are probably quality assurance symbols. The A refers to the workshop in which the coin was minted. The M refers to its value (40 nummi) CON is its mint (Constantinople). ![]() These metals had different rarities, different capabilities of striking and alloy detection, and different roles within the monetary system. Gold coins of western Europe from this century can often be identified only tentatively as Visigothic (from the Iberian Peninsula) or Merovingian (from the area of modern France).Ĭoin issues of the late antique and early medieval periods were usually in one of three metals: gold, silver, and copper, and occasionally in alloys of two or three of these. On Sasanian silver coins of the same period, the ruler appears with distinctive identifying regalia and the mint is identified, but some mint names, including that of the most prolific one, cannot be identified with modern locations. On the Byzantine copper coin of the sixth century,in addition to the emperor’s name, one can also read the denomination (value in the monetary system), the year of minting (in terms of the emperor’s regnal years), the name of the mint, and even the number of the workshop that produced it. The information stamped on a coin, both in the type and legend often provides more information than just the identity of the issuing authority. The emperor’s name can be read around his portrait. A bronze follis of emperor Anastasius I (497-517). The quantity of coins minted at a given time and place could depend entirely on state decisions and actions or might be subject to the supply of metal and demand of coinage on the part of merchants. They often also benefitted from a mint charge that produced income for the state treasury. States benefitted from their coin issues by having standard currency to pay their employees (military and civil), to buy materials for infrastructure, and as payment to mercenaries and other states. There were also imitative issues, often issued by a state to produce an identifiable denomination, as well as contemporary counterfeits which are, by their very nature, difficult to assign to a place of manufacture. It was the stamping of the identity of the issuing state onto a specially prepared piece of metal that guaranteed the contents of each coin and the willingness of the state to recognize it in payments to it. Minting A solidus of emperor Marcian (450-457) the reverse shows an angel holding a cross. The discovery of coins at a distance from their site of manufacture offers evidence for the military and diplomatic outlays of governments and the nature and degree of commercial exchange. The minting of coins was a principal activity of all late antique and early medieval states of Europe, central and western Asia, and northern Africa. This introductory text is written for non-specialists and includes a broad overview of ancient numismatics during the period covered by the FLAME project – the transitional phases between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (fourth to eighth centuries CE).Ĭoinage was the principal physical expression of the pre-modern economy, bearing information on the fiscal policies of states and the patterns of monetary activity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |