Handling Late Roman Coinage Melissa Bailey, ANS Summer Seminar, 2012

Background This project concerns the bronze coinage of the late Roman Empire (fourth through sixth centuries). A period of rapid change; what this meant for daily life is not always clear. During this period: 1.Bronze coinage was more or less unified across the empire. 2.But types/weights/etc. could change rapidly.

Third century: Already under the Severans the denarius contained only 50% silver. By 270 the “silver” coins (the radiate and the antoninianus) contained only around 1-2.5% silver. Gold coinage grew scarce and erratic; no precious metal anchor. Fourth century Reforms (first by Aurelian in 370s, then tetrarchs) Diocletian: nummus of 10 g and 4% silver Coins containing silver (billon) continued up to 360s Prices changed with silver content By 360s, a pure silver coinage was brought back and small denominations were pure copper AE nummus, Ostia CE 5.84 g RIC.6.Ostia.125 ANS

Fifth century Larger denominations outlawed or discontinued (395 in west, 425 in east), leaving only the AE4 nummus of about 1 g and 10 mm Sixth century Larger pure bronze denominations reintroduced (498) Lead Nummus, Carthage? grams 10.2 mm ANS

Research plan: 1.Gather information on as many hoards as possible, primarily from the eastern empire, from the fourth through the first half of the sixth century In the end, 21 hoards, not all of which were big: 4 th century: 10 hoards, 4 small (20-40 coins) 5 th centuty: 7 hoards, 1 small (about 40 coins) 6 th century: 4 hoards, all big 2.Analyze weights of coins and, where possible, sizes Working assumption: increased variability or inability to distinguish between denominations would imply weighing.

Fourth Century (1) Bastien, 182 coins (307 AD) average: 9.75 standard deviation:.92; 9.4% (2) Bland, 20 coins (early fourth) average: 9.74 standard deviation:.89; 9.1% (3) Bland, 451 coins; 310 AD averages: 3.72; 9.71 standard dev rad:.49; 13.2% standard dev nummus: 1.3; 12.7% (4) Doyen, 272 coins; c. AD 337 average: 2.94 std dev.58; 19.7% (5) King, 35 coins, 340s CE average: 2.62 standard deviation:.67, 25.4% (25.1% minus intruder coin) (6) Bland, 606 coins (hoard said to originally contain over 2000); AD 354 average: 5.25 standard deviation:.78; 14.8% (7) Lallemand, 219 coins; c. 354 CE average: 5.27 standard deviation:.86; 16.3% (8) Elkins, 31 to 34 coins, from a purse; 350s-360s CE average: 1.29 std dev.69; 53.8% (!!) (9) Bland, c. 356, 318 coins Average: 4.08 Standard deviation:.86; 21.2% (10) Dengate, c. 20 coins (about 390s) average: 4.67 standard deviation:.63; 13.5%

Hoard 3 (Bland, 451 coins, 310 CE)

Hoard 9 (Bland, 318 coins)

Results: Fourth Century Low rates of variation (9% to 15% for the majority). Higher rates occur for coins of multiple weight standards and, especially in the later part of the century, for lighter coins. Low variation and simultaneous use of multiple weight standards suggest coins were counted. At the same time, we know that prices responded to silver content. This suggests a complex monetary culture in which coins had rates or prices in money of account based on silver content. Stability of money an issue, especially for loans Counterfeiting apparently a problem (law codes) A gap between billon and gold; coins probably sealed into bags with value in terms of money of account on the outside

(11) Lallemand, 289 coins; c. 402 CE (all coins described) average: 1.32 standard deviation:.34; 25.6% (for size, 9.3%) (12) Doyen, 140 coins; CE (all coins described) average: 1.19 standard deviation:.35; 29.8% (13) Adelson, 515 coins; c. 474 CE (515 of 968 coins described) average:.904 standard deviation:.32; 35.7% (size: 14.3% max diameter, 15.5% min) (14) Arslan, 1924 coins; c. 476 CE (845 of 1924 described) Average: 1.07 Standard deviation:.36; 34% (15) Adelson, 1064 coins; c. 480 CE (1064 of 2231 described) average:.846 standard deviation:.27; 32.3% (16) Burrell, 695 coins; c. 498 CE (all described) average:.733 standard deviation:.32; 44.2% (for size, 19.6%) (17) Sheedy,, c 40 coins, end of fifth century, all described Average: 1.04 Standard deviation:.4; 38.5% Fifth Century

Hoard 13, Adelson, 515 coins, 474 CE

Results: Fifth Century Relatively high rate of variation from the start (25%), increasing over time (29.8% in 420, 35% by the 470s, 44% in 498 CE) Probably weighed in many circumstances But complications… Laws and documents continue to set numerical rates of exchange 7,200 nummi in 445 CE (14,400 nummi in 493 CE?) (16,800 nummi after Anastasius’s 498 CE reform?) Increasing numbers would suggest a lighter and lighter nummus, but both struck coins and hoards (especially the latter) show a heavier average weight

Either the weight ratio had changed (even official alloys of coins contained increasing amounts of lead), or counting was sometimes necessary, either because some people did not have access to gold or to weighing tools, or for small amounts. Evidence for counting: Extensive clipping of AE3 coins and in some cases AE4 coins Hoards don’t contain a miscellany of bronze objects Rates sometimes set by laws/papyri If there is a rising exchange rate, it correlates with decreasing quality overall, and thus a changed weight relationship (or a premium or a penalty applied to counting?).

Sixth century [[(18) Bijovsky, 1953 coins; only 370 coins catalogued; c. 551 CE average:.947 standard deviation:.31; 33.2%]] (19) Adelson, 1179 coins; 513 coins recorded; c average:.638 standard deviation:.2; 31.7% (20) Hahn, 252 coins; late 6 th cent. (up to Maurice) (Egyptian standard) standard deviation:.2 and 34%;.68 and 15.6% average:.599 and 4.36 (21) Dengate, 2 nd Corinth hoard, 322 coins, c. 580s multiple peaks

Hoard 20, Hahn, 252 coins, late 6 th cent (Egyptian standard)

Results: Sixth Century Hoards sometimes contain only small coins (nummi) or larger coins, rather than both Rates of weight variation in hoards hover around 35% for nummi, 15% for larger denominations Average weight of nummi decreases (though still not enough for 16,800 = solidus = 25 pounds to work) A separate nummus economy? Or nummi “backed” by follis? To confuse things further: The follis was overvalued (10 pounds of folles to the solidus judging by weight of follis) yet the gold/bronze exchange ratio was affirmed in 534 CE as 20 pounds to the solidus

Hoard 21, Dengate, 322 coins, c. 580 CE

Last thoughts/future plans… 1.More texts/examine texts (“A papyrus from around 440 CE in Egypt describes how a group of 60 taxpayers met their obligations by handing over 1,522,080 nummi weighing 1,705kg and equivalent in value to solidi.”) 2.More hoards (fourth century, more fifth century complete) 3.The fifth and sixth centuries remain complicated, perhaps best explained by coexistence of more than one practice