Ancient Byzantine Coin

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The Solidus is a very rare Byzantine gold collector coin. It is a coin from the ancient Byzantine Empire. The word Solidus is a Latin word meaning 'solid'. The plural of Solidus is Solidi. Solidus was introduced by the great emperor Constantine in 309-310. The coin was produced and used through the whole Empire of Byzantine. The Solidus is a solid and pure gold coin with high purchasing power. These coins were usually marked as wealth and were never used by the common citizens. Solidi were primarily used to make military payments. During the campaigns against the 'Vandals' the Solidi were paid to the Roman soldiers to arrange for transport and house.The term 'Soldier' derived from the Solidus, to describe the persons who were paid by Solidi.The coins introduced by Constantine had a value of 1/72 of a Roman pound that comes around to 4.5 grams. The thickness of the coin was less than aureus. The Solidus was produced in two forms, 'semissis' and 'tremissis'. The half Solidi were known as 'semissis' and one third Solidi were known as 'tremissis'. The Solidus left a notable impact on the world currency namely on France, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom. The French named their gold coin 'Sou'. The medieval Italian gold coin 'Soldo' and the medieval Spanish gold coin 'Sueldo' were also named after the Solidus. The abbreviation's' from the original word Solidus, was used to represent a shilling before 1971 in the United Kingdom.The Solidus throughout the years had been passed through generations as a symbol of the history. It is probably the rarest Roman and Byzantine gold coin and there are only some pieces available at present. The Constantine coinage collapsed during the barbarian invasions in the early 5th century. By the time of Anastasius in 491, only the solidus, semissus (1/2 solidus) and tremissis (1/3 solidus), and a tiny copper coin called the nummus (1/7200 of solidus) had survived. In 498, Anastasius introduced a series of multiples of the nummus. The most important of these is the follis (worth 40 nummi). The follis was used extensively for the next 6 centuries and its creation is considered a good starting point for the history of Byzantine coinage.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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The History Leading up to Byzantine Coinage. The Byzantine Empire considered itself a continuation of the Roman Empire, differing only that it was Christian and used Greek in speech. Most elements of Byzantine coinage came from the Romans, with the exception that they used Latin for the inscriptions. Much of the coinage of the Roman Empire disappeared during the great currency inflation of the late 3rd century, and not much was produced during that time. A new system took shape during the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine the Great (284-305 and 306-337). This new system was based on the gold solidus and some other denominations of silver, billion (debased silver), and bronze. The names and denominations of most of these coins are not known with certainty. The Constantine coinage collapsed during the barbarian invasions in the early 5th century. By the time of Anastasius in 491, only the solidus, semissus (1/2 solidus) and tremissis (1/3 solidus), and a tiny copper coin called the nummus (1/7200 of solidus) had survived. In 498, Anastasius introduced a series of multiples of the nummus. The most important of these is the follis (worth 40 nummi). The follis was used extensively for the next 6 centuries and its creation is considered a good starting point for the history of Byzantine coinage. Periods of Byzantine Coinage There are roughly 4 different periods of Byzantine coinage. The first runs from 491 through the mid 8th century. It is characterized by 3 denominations of gold coins (solidus, semissis, and tremissis), 5 denominations of copper (follis, half-follis, decanummium, pentanummium and nummus) and one of silver from 615 on (hexagram). The second runs from the 8th to the late 11th century. At this time the monetary system was simplified to one coin of each metal: the gold nomisma, the silver miliaresion, and the copper follis. The third covers the monetary reform of Alexius I in 1092 to about the end of the 13th century. There were several denominations of debased metal called trachea that were concave instead of being flat. A base (or unpure) gold coin called the hyperion replaced the nomisma, an even baser gold coin (electrum trachy) replaced the tremissis and trachea were created in base silver and eventually copper. There were also two denominations of small copper coins (tetarteron). The fourth covers the 14th century to the fall of the Empire in 1453 and saw the complete disappearance of gold coins and a return to the use of pure silver coins (basilicon, stavraton and half-stavraton) Weights and values of byzantine coinage The system used to weigh and value coins was based on that of the Roman Empire and was used throughout Byzantium. The gold solidus was the basic unit of coinage and all other coins were valued in relationship to it. The solidus = 1/72 of a roman pound or 24 carats (a carat was the weight of a carob bean or ~200 milligrams) The miliresion = 1/12 of a solidus or 2 carats Copper coinage varied considerably 1 Solidus=2 Semissis=3 Tremissis=7200 Nummus=~180 to ~300 Folis (depending on the period)=12 MiliresionThis product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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The solidus (the Latin word for solid) was originally a gold coin issued by the Romans.The solidus was first introduced by Diocletian around 301, struck at 60 to the Roman pound of pure gold and with an initial value equal to 1000 denarii. However, Diocletian's solidus was only struck in small quantities, and thus had only minimal economic impact.The solidus was re-introduced by Constantine I in 312, permanently replacing the aureus as the imperial gold coin of the Roman Empire. The solidus was struck at a rate of 72 from a Roman pound of pure gold, each coin weighing twenty-four Roman/Greek carats, or about 4.5 grams of gold per coin. By this time, the solidus was worth 275,000 increasingly debased denarii.The solidus maintained essentially unaltered in weight and purity until the 10th century, though in the Greek-speaking world during the Roman period and then in the Byzantine economy it was known as the NOMISMA (plural nomismata).Whenever the coin was taken in by the treasury, it was melted down and reissued. This maintained the evenness of the weight of the circulating solidi, since the coin did not tend to be in circulation for long enough to become worn.Minting of the gold coin - unlike the base-metal coins of the time - had no permanently established minting facility. Due to the requirement that taxes were paid in gold, solidus minting operations tended to follow the emperor and his court. For example, solidi were minted in Milan in 353, and in Ravenna after 402. Each of these locations were imperial residences at those times.Although merchants were forbidden from using solidi outside of the Byzantine empire, there was sufficient trade in these coins outside of the empire that they became a desirable circulating currency in Arabic countries. Since the solidi circulating outside the empire were not used to pay the taxes to the emperor they did not get re-minted, and the soft pure gold coins quickly became worn.Through the end of the 7th century, Arabic copies of solidii - dinars minted by the caliph Abd al-Malik who had access to supplies of gold from the upper Nile - began to circulate in areas outside of the Byzantine empire. These corresponded in weight to only 20 carats, but matched with the weight of the worn solidi that were circulating in those areas at the time. The two coins circulated together in these areas for a time.Except in special cases, the solidus was not marked with any face value throughout its seven-century manufacture and circulation. Solidi were wider and thinner than the Aureus, with the exception of some lower quality issues from the Byzantine Empire. Fractions of the solidus known as SEMISSIS (half-solidi) and TREMISSIS (one-third solidi) were also produced.The word soldier is ultimately derived from solidus, referring to the SOLIDI with which soldiers were paid.TETARTERON or HISTAMENON or STAMENON is the latter version.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Byzantine Empire, Constantine X Ducas, 25 December 1059 - 21 May 1067 A.D.; Bronze follis; references: SBCV 1854; DOC III, part 2, 9; aVF; 8.830 g, maximum diameter 30.2 mm, die axis 180 degrees, Constantinople mint, obverse + EMMANOVHL, bust of Christ facing, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium and colobium, raising right in benediction; Gospels in left; IC left, XC right; reverse +KWN RACILEVC O DOVK (or similar), Constantine X bust facing, bearded, wearing crown and loros, holding cross and akakia (Forum #36566)

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Byzantine Empire, Justin II, 15 November 565 - 5 October 578 A.D.; Bronze follis; references: SBCV 379, DOC I 150-60; VF; 14.725 g, maximum diameter 32.3 mm, die axis 180 degrees, 3rd officina, Theoupolis (Antioch) mint, struck 576 - 577 A.D., obverse DN IVSTINVS P P AV, Justin II seated on left and Sophia seated on right facing on double throne, both are nimbate, holding together large cross on globe; reverse large M between ANNO and II/II (year 4), cross above, G (3rd officina) below, THEUP' in ex (Forum #82838)

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Byzantine Empire, Constantine X Ducas, 25 December 1059 - 21 May 1067 A.D.; Bronze follis; references: SBCV 1853; DOC III, part 2, 8; gF; 9.004 g, maximum diameter 26.6 mm, die axis 180 degrees, Constantinople mint, obverse +EMMA-NOVHL, Christ stands facing on footstool, wears nimbus cruciger, pallium and colobium, holds Gospels; reverse EVDO AVG - + R Q KWN T DK ( or similar), Eudocia on left, Constantine on right both stand facing crowned, wearing loros, holding between labarum with cross on shaft on three steps (Forum #36556)

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The Romaioi, Greek citizens of the Roman East, stood squarely in the path of Islamic expansion and saved Europe from being overrun by powerful tribes from the Easy. Their coinage reveals a society with strong religious undercurrents and divergent philosophies, but plagued by political and financial crises.Ancient Coin Collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine Culture explores the history and art of a culture that survived for nearly 1,000 years. Through the timeless record of coins you'll learn what happened after the Fall of Rome, witness the sacking of Constantinople by marauding Crusaders, and experience the empire's last days under Constantine XI.This volume is the perfect introduction to the fascinating hobby of collecting ancient coins. Author Wayne G. Sayles entertains, educates and inspires beginning and expert collectors alike, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in studying and collecting coins from antiquity. Special features include:More than 300 photos, including an illustrated guide to the Emperors of ByzantiumA guide to coin attribution, along with denomination, dating and mint informationPowerful reference tools, including comprehensive index, bibliography and glossary

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Examines the imperial mythology that was reflected by Roman art and architecture during the rule of Augustus Caesar

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