Coin talk > Late Roman Bronze coins

Coins modified for use as tokens or weights

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Victor:
Here is an altered coin of Decentius from Lyon. Not surprisingly, since Magnentius and Decentius lost, the bust and name is mostly erased. The mintmark is also missing, but it is either RIC VIII Lyons 171, 173, or 175. This coin weighs 4.34 grams and it seems likely it was made to use as a solidus weight. A solidus ideally weighs about 4.5 grams, but some are underweight because of clipping; which is why people made weights, to make sure that the gold coins were in a tolerable weight range. These weights occasionally turn up for sale, you can find more information if you search for exagium.

'Emperor Julian Augustus to Mamertinus, Praetorian Prefect. The purchase and sale of solidi are impeded if the solidi are clipped or diminished in size, or nibbled away, to use the proper term for such avarice, since some persons refuse to accept such solidi on the ground that they are light and inadequate. Therefore, it is Our pleasure to establish in each municipality an official called by the Greek word zygostates (lit. weigher), who by reason of his trustworthiness and vigilance will neither deceive nor be deceived, so that in accordance with his judgment and reliabilty he may settle any dispute that may arise between the seller and the buyer with respect to solidi. - Given on the ninth day before the kalends of May at Salona in the year of the fourth consulship of Julian Augustus and the consulship of Sallustius [= April 23, 363].' (Cod. Theod. XII.7,2).

The above passage describes the government official, who would have used a government issued weight. The Chi-Rho coin is something that perhaps a local merchant would have made, to avoid having to go downtown to the official every time he had a suspect solidus.

RIC VIII gives the average weight for this S-✶ Chi-Rho series at 4.46 grams, but this coin was originally a bit heavier, given the amount of material removed. Bastien records weights for individual coins and the lowest weight for this series for Decentius is 4.27 grams and the highest is 6.85 grams, a weight which would have worked nicely to make a similar 4.34 grams weight.

Sometimes coins will turn up that have been similarly altered which are usually described as game pieces or tokens, but the weight of this Chi-Rho coin, being so close to a solidus, seems like too much of a coincidence for it to not have been intended as a weight.

tjaart:
That is an interesting hypothesis. I posted a couple of campgates before that had the same edge modifications. They were sold, as you mentioned as game pieces, however, I contacted a person at Warwick University Numismatic department (specialising in Roman tokens etc.) and they said they have not really seen anything like this before. Another colleague from an Italian university confirmed that they do not know what they really are. So this idea that it served as a weight is interesting.

Btw, my two campgates were not modified on the obverse and they both weigh 2.03g and have diameters of 16mm and 16.5mm. Could it be that these served as something close to half a solidus weight (or were the Romans not that accurate?)?

Victor:

--- Quote from: tjaart on May 13, 2019, 03:30:02 PM --- Could it be that these served as something close to half a solidus weight

--- End quote ---

The closest that I can think of is the siliqua circa Constantius II; which usually weighed more, about 2.3 grams (with a bit of wiggle room), but these are often clipped, so a weight closer to 2.0 grams might  be the lowest acceptable weight.

Genio popvli romani:
I agree with the idea of a siliqua weight. According to P. Bastien ("Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon-De la mort de Constantin à la mort de Julien" - p.87) the weight of the siliqua still to be not well defined but should be located "between" 1/144 of a pound (2.24g) and 1/168 of a pound (1.93g). So, 2.03g is exactly corresponding to 1/160 of a pound. The problem is that this weight does not belong to the duodecimal system but in the other hand, J.P. Callu was convinced that due to the impossibility to rank perfectly the siliqua in the monetary system it could have been a fiduciary currency.

Victor:
Here is a Gordian III with scalloped edges. Because of the weight (it only weighs a little less than an unmodified sestertius) this one was probably a token or game piece.


Gordian III
A.D. 241- 243
AE Sestertius
27x28mm    13.2gm
IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
P M TR P III(I) COS II P P S-C; Gordian in military dress, stg. right, holding transverse spear and globe.
RIC IV Rome 305/306

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