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

Constantinople

1 Nomisma = 1 Solidus

Copper alloy (bronze or brass)

Struck

Disc or similar (ellipse, etc.)

2.10 cm

2.10 cm

- cm

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
3.83	-	-	Auction Roma 2018	No	No	Yes

Symbol	Technique	Direction	Position	Number	Synecdoche
Roman Emperor	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	FACING		Three	Bust
Constantinopolis	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	LEFT	Seated	One
Nike	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	LEFT	Standing	One
Globe	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One
Balance scale	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One
Prow	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One

Auction Roma 2018: Lot 841. Theodosius I, with Arcadius and Honorius, Æ Exagium Solidi Weight. Constantinople, circa 402-408. DDD NNN GGG, diademed and draped facing imperial busts / EXAGIVM SOLIDI, helmeted Constantinopolis enthroned left with foot on prow, holding scales and Victory on globe; CONS in exergue. Bendall 11; For reverse type cf. RIC X, 88-99. 3.83g, 21mm, 1h. Near Very Fine. Extremely Rare. 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, if not most, such exagia display holes and/or plugs to bring the exagium to the correct weight. Unmodified exagia are thus a rarity.
Asolati 2022: Exagia solidi imperiali con indicazione esplicita della funzione: Teodosio I, Arcadio e Onorio, 393/394–395 d.C., exagium solidi. Zecca di Constantinopolis. D/ DDD NNN GGG; tre busti frontali, affiancati, elmati e corazzati: quello al centro di dimensioni maggiori, quello a d. di dimensioni medie e quello a s. di dimensioni minute. R/ EXAGIVM SOLIDI; Constantinopolis elmata, seduta a s. in trono, il piede d. su una prora di nave, con bilancia nella mano d.; una piccola figura panneggiata siede sulla sponda s. del trono, o su un sostegno, tenendo le gambe appoggiate sulla gamba s. di Constantinopolis; in esergo, CONS. c. Roma, E-Sale 44 (03/03/2018), lotto n. 841: g 3,83; mm 21; h 1.

No

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

DDD[NNNGGG]

EXAGIVM   SOLIDI   
CONS

D(ominorum) [N(ostrorum) (Au)g(ustorum)]. || Exagium solidi | Cons(tantinopolis).

LATE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE

FROM 393 TO 408

Asolati 2022: The exagium is dated from 393 to 395 because the joint reign of Honorius, Arcadius and Theodosius I began in 393 and ended in 395.
Auction Roma 2018: Datation between 402 and 408 but the same emperors are identified.

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
Antiquities Trade	March 3, 2018	None

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
Auction Roma 2018b	None	841	fig.	None
Asolati 2022	255–256, 270	3c	Pl. I/3c	None

Asolati 2022: cf. RIC X, p. 8; Bendall 1996, n. 11; Entwistle 2001, p. 264, n. III.69.