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Copyright credit: Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)
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Copyright credit: Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)
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Copyright credit: Museum of Fine Arts (Boston)
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Arcadius, Roman Emperor
;
Honorius, Roman Emperor
;
Theodosius II, Roman Emperor
;
Theodosius I, Roman Emperor
Mint
Rome
Denomination
1 Nomisma = 1 Solidus
Material
Copper alloy (bronze or brass)
Manufacture
Struck
Shape
Disc or similar (ellipse, etc.)
Length
2.00 cm
Width
2.00 cm
Height
- cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.07 | - | - | (scientific literature) | No | No | Yes |
Iconography
| 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 |
Wear
Corrosion
Handle
No
Suspension hole
Yes
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
MFA Boston: Coin Weight (Exagium Solidi). RomanLate Imperiallate 4th-early 5th century A.D. MEDIUM/TECHNIQUE: Bronze. DIMENSIONS: Diameter: 20 mm. Weight: 4.07 gm. CREDIT LINE: Theodora Wilbour Fund in memory of Zoë Wilbour. ACCESSION NUMBER: 64.978. ON VIEW: Byzantine Art Gallery (Gallery 208). COLLECTIONS: Ancient Greece and Rome. CLASSIFICATIONS: Numismatics. DESCRIPTION: This is an example of an imperial weight of the Exagium Solidi type corresponding to the weight of one gold coin (solidus). It was struck around A.D. 402-408 and shows the busts of Emperors Theodosius I, Arcadius and Honorius on the obverse, and Exagium Solidi and the personification of the mint (“Moneta”) holding scales on the reverse. PROVENANCE: By date unknown: with Münzen und Medaillen A.G., Malzgasse 25, Basel, Switzerland; June 8, 1964: purchased by MFA from Münzen und Medaillen A.G.
Asolati 2022: Exagia solidi imperiali con indicazione esplicita della funzione: Arcadio, Onorio e Teodosio II, 403–408 d.C., exagium soldidi. 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. g. MFA Boston, accession number 64.978 (purchased from Münzen und Medaillen, 08/06/1964): g 4,07; mm 20 [bucato].
Asolati 2022: Exagia solidi imperiali con indicazione esplicita della funzione: Arcadio, Onorio e Teodosio II, 403–408 d.C., exagium soldidi. 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. g. MFA Boston, accession number 64.978 (purchased from Münzen und Medaillen, 08/06/1964): g 4,07; mm 20 [bucato].
Autopsy
No
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Latin | Stamped / Countermarked / Struck | Authority, Denomination, Legal status |
Fac simile
DDDNNNGGG
EXAGIVM . OLIDI
Edition
D(ominorum) N(ostrorum) (Au)g(ustorum). || Exagium [s]olidi.
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Findspot (site)
context
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
June 8, 1964
circumstances
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
LATE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE
Time frame
FROM
402
TO
408
Comments on Chronology
MFA Boston: proposes a production date between 402 and 408.
Asolati 2022: suggests a chronological range from 403 to 404.
Asolati 2022: suggests a chronological range from 403 to 404.
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) | None | 64.978 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum of Fine Arts 1976 | 162–163 | C 142 | None | |
| Asolati 2022 | 260, 271 | 11g | Pl. II/11g | None |
VARIA
Additional comment
Asolati 2022: cf. Bendall 1996, –; Entwistle 2001, p. 264, n. III.70.
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