Humanity has long been passionate about collecting. Moreover, it is not known exactly when the desire to possess certain beautiful things arose in a person’s head. But over time, interest in rare gizmos has grown into a real industry that brings in a multimillion-dollar annual income. Anything can become a subject of interest for collectors: works of art, stamps, old postcards or figurines, for example. But most often people have a passion for collecting coins. Numismatists, as they are called, can spend their whole lives looking for a rare coin, and in some cases it is worth several million dollars at famous auctions. However, numismatists often select their treasures based not on value, but on historical interest.
In this situation, Byzantine coins have no equal in the world. At one time, they spread widely around the world thanks totrade relations of the empire, moreover, during the entire existence of Byzantium, they have changed dramatically more than once, acquiring special features and characteristics. Medieval Byzantine coins are found even on the territory of Russia, so it cannot be said that they are very valuable. However, their story deserves special attention, which we will devote to them today.
Characteristics of coins from Byzantium
The Byzantine Empire was able to exist for a whole thousand years, so it is not surprising that over a hundred different Byzantine coins saw the light during this time interval. All their distinctive features are understood only by specialists who, without difficulty, just by looking at the found specimen, will tell its long story.
It can be said that the state, which arose on the ruins of the Roman Empire, first of all adopted almost all the features of the former way of life. This also applied to the minting of coins, but over time, the new money began to seriously change. Therefore, today every numismatist will be able to name the distinctive features of Byzantine coins (we will highlight this topic in a separate section of the article).
In the empire, coins were made of gold, silver, copper and even bronze. In each variant, the use of a different amount of metal was assumed. Solidus was the main gold coin, which was readily accepted all over the world. She participated in the calculations of merchants and was considered the largest. Half of its value was semissis, one third was tremissis. Both coins were also made of gold.
Silver craftsmen mademiliaris. A smaller option, accounting for half of its full cost, is keratium. Similar Byzantine old coins were very popular and were widely used until the beginning of the thirteenth century.
In the future, all the coins of the Byzantine Empire acquired a concave shape. In this form they began to be minted from gold and silver. However, the Byzantine copper coins, which are considered the smallest, never acquired such a look. They remained flat until the collapse of the empire. Byzantine coin-cup is in almost every collection of a numismatist with experience.
It is noteworthy that initially the coins had an incredibly high metal content. This made them very valuable and now Byzantine silver coins, for example, are very beloved by numismatists. The fact is that over time, mints began to noticeably reduce the amount of metal in their products. However, this was not so strongly reflected in silver coinage. Therefore, this option for numismatists today is considered one of the most valuable and interesting.
Characteristic features of the coins of the Byzantine Empire
It is worth noting that the history of the Byzantine coin dates back to the collapse of the Roman Empire. After all, it is this period that experts call the edge, which seriously changed not only the appearance of money, but also the way they were minted. Therefore, the coins that were in use in Byzantium have well-defined features that characterize them.
If we compare the products of Byzantine and Roman masters, it becomes clearthat the coinage of the second was much rougher, but the portrait similarity of the emperors was more noticeable. The work of the masters of the mint was so filigree that the images were recognizable even for residents of other countries. However, by the end of the empire, the masters switched from naturalism only to an approximate transfer of the image. Such coins have little value among numismatists.
Another distinguishing feature of Byzantine coinage is sacred iconography. The reverse often depicted crosses and other Christian symbols. Historians claim that this was done to promote religion. At the same time, sacred symbols emphasized the sanctity of the power of emperors and their families. This approach was supposed to create a certain image of the ruling dynasty among the people.
A coin from Byzantium can also be recognized from the portraits of emperors. They were not always three-dimensional and in different periods of time were performed using certain technologies. For example, until the seventh century, all rulers were minted without a beard. In the future, the portrait became a little different - the emperor began to be depicted to the waist and with a long beard. If we consider a photo of a Byzantine coin of a later period, it will be noticeable how the image of the ruler has changed. Mandatory parchment was placed in his hands, and a diadem of leaves crowned his head.
Mints of the empire: how did it all begin?
You can't talk about the coins of the Byzantine Empire without mentioning the dynamics of the development of mints. These institutions were inherited by the new state from the Romans. Therefore, the first Byzantine moneyso similar to those that were in use in the Roman Empire.
Initially, mints worked everywhere, but Emperor Anastasius I ordered to close most of them. Only in the newly built Constantinople and Thessaloniki did the minting of money continue according to the old method. At the end of the fifth century, the emperor carried out an extensive reform, which also affected the financial sphere. As a result of the transformations, two more mints were opened. They were located in Nicodemia and Antioch. It is noteworthy that around this time the lathe was used to make money. This significantly affected the appearance of the coins, making them rougher.
Rise of Justinian's Empire I
This period in the history of Byzantium was marked by the opening of a huge number of mints. Money was minted not only in the center, but also in the provinces. There were more than fourteen such industries, and the Byzantines often used those enterprises that were built by other peoples. Many mints once belonged to the Ostrogoths and were captured by the soldiers of the empire along with the territories.
Justinian I forbade most industries to mint money from gold. Only three mints were awarded this privilege. They were located in Constantinople, Thessaloniki and Catania. Carrageenan and Ravenna could issue silver coins, but only bronze minting was available to everyone else.
Limitation of the number of coinsyards
The seventh century was a period of loss in the history of the Byzantine Empire. Not surprisingly, this almost immediately affected the production of money. The rulers waged a huge number of wars, and most of the battles were lost by the empire. Therefore, Byzantium was losing its territories, and with them the mints.
To save the equipment, Heraclius I ordered the closure of all enterprises in the provinces. Now only mints located near large cities could mint money. The only exception was the enterprise in Syracuse, but it was also lost as a result of the attack of the Arabs.
From that time on, only the mint in Constantinople had the right to issue silver and gold Byzantine coins. He was considered the main and retained his status until the decline of the empire. In different periods of their reign, the emperors made attempts to open new mints, but they did not receive a large amount of work and development. The only one who managed to hold out until the fall of Constantinople and the empire itself was the Kherson mint. However, he minted only small copper money.
Description of gold coins
We have already mentioned that the main Byzantine gold coin was called solidus. Historians believe that it appeared approximately in the first third of the fourth century. The solidus owes its appearance to the need to strengthen the imperial power and replace the Roman coins that were in use with new ones.
Numismatists know that at that time it was difficult to mint money onsingle standard. Therefore, the parameters of the solid may vary slightly depending on the time of manufacture and the method of production. On average, a Byzantine gold coin has a weight of four and a half grams and a diameter of twenty-two millimeters. An oval was adopted as the standard form, and the gold standard was nine hundredth.
The obverse of the solid was extremely simple. Usually, a portrait of the emperor with parchment and a diadem was placed on it, engravers beat out his name along the diameter of the coin and decorated it with a border. But the reverse had several manufacturing options. The very first coins had a portrait of the emperor on both sides. Later, solidi with Christian crosses and images of saints appeared on the reverse. Coins are known, on which the faces of the holy elders were minted on both sides. It is noteworthy that all the images were flat and often resembled abstract pictures.
The second most important gold coin was the semissis. The poor might never see that kind of money in their entire lives. But in the circles of the nobility and merchants, it was very common. The assay of gold in the semissos was identical to the solid, and the weight did not exceed two grams. The diameter of the coin ranges between eighteen and twenty-two millimeters.
The obverse of the semisis resembled a solidus. A portrait of the ruler with his name was also always minted here, but on the reverse one could see the Virgin Mary, images of saints or Victory. Sometimes craftsmen put various inscriptions on the coin. For example, VICTORIA AVCCC CONOB.
Tremissis appeared only by the fifth century and gained great popularity. Its weight slightly exceeded one gram, and its diameterequated to seventeen millimeters. Since at one time it was represented by a large number of copies, it is not of great value to collectors.
The value of gold coins in the eyes of numismatists
Byzantine solidus is in the collection of almost every numismatist. The value of the coin fluctuates markedly, it depends on many factors. First of all, on the state of a particular instance and the time of its manufacture. But on average, you can buy a gold coin for six hundred dollars, especially rare specimens can cost up to one and a half thousand dollars.
Semisis costs much less than solid, you can get it in your collection by spending only five hundred to eight hundred dollars.
Silver coins
These coins were very common and had a large number of manufacturing options. The largest was considered miliarisium, which changed its value several times due to an increase in the amount of silver in it. An oval shape was adopted as the standard, the diameter of the coin reached twenty-five millimeters, and the weight exceeded four and a half grams. On the obverse of the miliarisia, the profile of the emperor was always minted, and the reverse was decorated with Victory with two branches.
Half of miliarisia was keratii. It is considered the most popular and widespread coin in Byzantium. She made most of the internal calculations in the country, so many similar copies were produced in the empire. The appearance of keratia was no different from milariasia. However, the diameter of the coin did not exceedeighteen millimeters.
One of the rarest coins is the silver hexagram. It was minted for a short time, although it was very popular among the Byzantines. Now numismatists are ready to pay more than one thousand dollars for a hexagram.
Worst of all, siliqua has survived to this day. This coin was issued by Emperor Diocletian, who placed his image on it. It is noteworthy that despite the fact that the coin belonged to high-grade, its quality left much to be desired. Standards often changed when issued, and therefore today you can find similar money in collections weighing just over one gram and those that exceed three and a half grams.
The smallest coin, which was in use only in large cities of the empire, is half a siliqua. Its release required special permission from the main mint.
Value of silver coins
The most expensive silver coins in our time are miliaris and hexagram. The cost of the first coin reaches five hundred dollars, copies of good quality are sold for one thousand two hundred dollars and are in great demand among collectors.
Keratium can be purchased for two hundred dollars, the highest price for which it was bought reached five hundred dollars.
The cost of siliqua and half siliqua ranges from forty to two hundred dollars. These coins are not considered rare and are often sold in very good condition.
Bronze coins
This money was mainly paid by the poor. mostthe nummus was considered a large coin, it went down in history as a follis. The most famous of these Byzantine coins is the follis of Justinian. On one side, the coin had the profile of an emperor, and on the other side, the craftsmen applied a letter and a number. These designations had their own meaning - the value of money in nummias. The diameter of the follis reached forty millimeters, and the weight varied within twenty-two grams. Such coins were very common, so their value is low. They sell for an average of twenty-five dollars.
Polfollis and decanummium were in use in different parts of the country. The first coin was used only in large cities, while the second is found by archaeologists throughout the former Byzantine Empire. At auctions, this antique money can be purchased for fifty dollars.
The smallest pentanumium bronze coin is found in very poor condition and therefore is not worth more than fifteen dollars.
