Arcadius, Roman Emperor ; Honorius, Roman Emperor ; Theodosius II, Roman Emperor ; Theodosius I, Roman Emperor

Rome

1 Nomisma = 1 Solidus

Copper alloy (bronze or brass)

Struck

Disc or similar (ellipse, etc.)

1.98 cm

1.98 cm

0.21 cm

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
4.32	-	-	Measured by Bendeguz Tobias	No	No	Yes

Symbol	Technique	Direction	Position	Number	Synecdoche
Roman Emperor	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	FACING		Three	Bust
Aequitas / Justitia / Moneta	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	LEFT	Standing	One
Roma	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	LEFT	Standing	One
Balance scale	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One
Rotulus	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One

Auction CNG 2012: Lot 1735. Theodosius I, with Arcadius and Honorius. AD 379-395. Æ Exagium Solidi Weight (20mm, 4.32 g, 12h). Constantinople mint. Struck circa AD 402-408. DDD NNN GGG, diademed and draped facing busts of Honorius, Theodosius, and Arcadius respectively / EXAGIVM SOLIDI, Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopia. Cf. Göbl, Antike 228-9; RIC X, p. 8. VF, dark brown patina, red earthen deposits. Rare. During the later Roman Empire, coin weights began appearing with the legend exagium solidi, a phrase which has often been translated as “the weight (or weighing) of a solidus”, in order to deal with the practice of clipping. Exagium derives from the Latin exigere (lit. “to drive out”). However, extant examples of these weights vary and some weigh much less than the 4.5 g of a full-weight solidus. These lighter weights are thought to possibly represent the lowest acceptable weight for aurei, and were used to withdraw under-weight solidi from circulation and thereby maintain an acceptable weight standard minimum for solidi to circulate at full value.
Asolati 2022: Exagia solidi imperiali con indicazione esplicita della funzione: Arcadio, Onorio e Teodosio II, 403–408 d.C., exagium solidi. Zecca non indicata: Roma (?). D/ DDD NNN GGG; tre busti frontali, affiancati, diademati, drappeggiati e corazzati: quello a s. di dimensioni minori. R/ EXAGIVM SOLIDI; Roma come Moneta/Aequitas/Iustitia, turrita, stante a s. con bilancia e rotolo. a. CNG, Auction 90 (23/05/2012), lotto n. 1735: g 4,32: mm 20; h 12.

Yes

Language	Technique	Legend type
Latin	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	Authority, Denomination, Legal status

DDDNNNGGG

EXAGIVM       SOLIDI

D(ominorum) N(ostrorum) (Au)g(ustorum). || Exagium solidi.

LATE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE

FROM 402 TO 408

Auction CNG 2012: proposes a production date between 402 and 408.
Asolati 2022: suggests a chronological range from 403 to 408.

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
Seidl Collection (Munich)	None	23

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
Auction CNG 2012a	None	1735	fig.	None
Asolati 2022	260	11a	None	None

Asolati 2022: cf. Bendall 1996, –; Entwistle 2001, p. 264, n. III.70.