Roma Numismatics Ltd
E-Sale 98 16 Jun 2022
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Roman Imperial Æ Exagium Solidi Weight. Circa AD 420. DD NN AVG, diademed and draped busts (of Honorius and Theodosius II?) facing, each holding globus surmounted by crowning Victory / EXAGIVM SOLIDI, winged figure of Moneta (partially assimilated to Victory) standing to left, holding scales and palm. Described in RIC X, on p.8 = Sotheby 16 April 1985, 419; Bendall, Byzantine Weights -. 3.82g, 20mm, 1h.
Near Very Fine; heavy encrustation. Extremely Rare; no other examples on CoinArchives.
From the inventory of a North American 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; no other examples on CoinArchives.
From the inventory of a North American 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.