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.)

1.90 cm

1.90 cm

- cm

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
4.19	-	-	Auction Papillon 2020	No	No	Yes

Symbol	Technique	Direction	Position	Number	Synecdoche
Roman Emperor	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	FACING		Three	Bust
Constantinopolis	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	LEFT	Seated	One
Throne	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One
Balance scale	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck			One
Diademed figure	Stamped / Countermarked / Struck	LEFT	Seated	One

Auction Papillon 2020: Lot 505. Description: Theodosius I, with Arcadius and Honorius, Æ Exagium Solidi Weight. Constantinople, circa 402-408. Obv: DDD NNN GGG, diademed and draped facing imperial busts. Rev: 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. Near Very Fine. Extremely Rare. Condition: Very fine. Weight: 4.19 g. Diameter: 19 mm. 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 privi dell’indicazione esplicita della funzione: Teodosio I, Arcadio e Onorio, 393/394–395 d.C., [exagium solidi]. Zecca non indicata: Roma. 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/ Constantinopolis elmata, seduta a s. in trono, con bilancia nella mano d.; una figura diademata siede sulla sua gamba s. (Costantino?); in esergo, CONS. a. Papillon, Auction 3 (29/11/2020), lotto n. 505: g 4,19; mm 19.

No

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

DDDNNNGGG

CONS

D(ominorum) N(ostrorum) (Au)g(ustorum). || Cons(tantinopolis).

LATE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE

FROM 393 TO 408

Auction Papillon 2020: suggests a production date between 402 and 408.
Asolati 2022: proposes a chronological range from 393/394 to 395.

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
Antiquities Trade	Nov. 29, 2020	None

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
Auction Papillon 2020c	None	505	fig.	None
Asolati 2022	265–266, 273	28a	Pl. IV/28a	None

Asolati 2022: cf. Bendall 1996, – (cfr. supra, n. 3).