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.)

2.10 cm

2.10 cm

- cm

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
3.88	-	-	Auction Roma 2020	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 Roma 2020: Lot 1434. Theodosius I, with Arcadius and Honorius, Æ Exagium Solidi Weight. Constantinople, AD 402-408. DDD NNN GGG, diademed and draped facing busts of Honorius, Theodosius, and Arcadius respectively / EXAGIVM SOLIDI, Moneta standing to left, holding scales and cornucopiae; wreath between palm branches in exergue. Bendall, Byzantine Weights 8; Sabatier 7; cf. Göbl, Antike 228-9; RIC X, p. 8. 3.88g, 21mm, 11h. Near Very Fine; heavy encrustation. Extremely Rare; unaltered by piercing or plugging. From the inventory of a UK 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.
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. f. Roma, E-Sale 77 (26/11/2020), lotto n. 1434: g 3,88; mm 21; h 11.

No

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

[DD]DNNNGGG

[EXAGIVM       SOLIDI]

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

LATE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE

FROM 402 TO 408

Auction Roma 2020: proposes a production date between 402 and 408.
Asolati 2022: suggests a chronological range from 403 to 408.

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
Antiquities Trade	Nov. 26, 2020	None

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
Auction Roma 2020i	None	1434	fig.	None
Asolati 2022	260	11f	None	None

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