Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 77 26 Nov 2020
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Theodosius I, with Arcadius and Honorius, Æ Exagium Solidi Weight. Constantinople, AD 402-408. DDD NNN GGG, diademed and draped facing busts of Honorius, Theodosius, and Arcadius respectively / EXAGIVM SOLIDI, Moneta standing to left, holding scales and cornucopiae; wreath between palm branches in exergue. Bendall, Byzantine Weights 8; Sabatier 7; cf. Göbl, Antike 228-9; RIC X, p. 8. 3.88g, 21mm, 11h.
Near Very Fine; heavy encrustation. Extremely Rare; unaltered by piercing or plugging.
From the inventory of a UK dealer.
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 such exagia display holes and/or plugs to bring the exagium to the correct weight, so unmodified exagia (especially examples that are underweight such as the present piece) are thus a rarity.
Near Very Fine; heavy encrustation. Extremely Rare; unaltered by piercing or plugging.
From the inventory of a UK dealer.
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 such exagia display holes and/or plugs to bring the exagium to the correct weight, so unmodified exagia (especially examples that are underweight such as the present piece) are thus a rarity.