Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction X 27 September 2015
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Theodosius I, with Arcadius and Honorius, Æ Exagium Solidi Weight. Constantinople, AD 402-408. DDD NNN, diademed and draped facing busts of Honorius, Theodosius, and Arcadius respectively / Large Christogram. Unpublished in the standard references, for obverse type cf. Bendall 11. 4.24g, 20mm, 6h.
Near Extremely Fine. Apparently Unique.
Official solidus weights, based on a standard 'imperial pound', came into being with the law of Julian of AD 363, which established a zygostates - an official weigher of solidi in each city to restore confidence in the solidus, which had become subject to widespread clipping. Exagium derives from the Latin exigere 'to drive out' - in this case, the underweight solidi, thereby maintaining an acceptable weight standard necessary for the imperial gold coinage to circulate at full value. Many, if not most, such exagia display holes and/or plugs to bring the exagium to the correct weight. Unmodified exagia are thus a rarity.
Near Extremely Fine. Apparently Unique.
Official solidus weights, based on a standard 'imperial pound', came into being with the law of Julian of AD 363, which established a zygostates - an official weigher of solidi in each city to restore confidence in the solidus, which had become subject to widespread clipping. Exagium derives from the Latin exigere 'to drive out' - in this case, the underweight solidi, thereby maintaining an acceptable weight standard necessary for the imperial gold coinage to circulate at full value. Many, if not most, such exagia display holes and/or plugs to bring the exagium to the correct weight. Unmodified exagia are thus a rarity.