Author Topic: Coins modified for use as tokens or weights  (Read 3063 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Coins modified for use as tokens or weights
« on: May 08, 2019, 02:49:43 PM »
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.

Offline tjaart

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 292
  • Country: ch
Re: Chi-Rho coin used as a solidus weight
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2019, 03:30:02 PM »
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?)?

Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Chi-Rho coin used as a solidus weight
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2019, 07:36:12 PM »
Could it be that these served as something close to half a solidus weight

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.

Offline Genio popvli romani

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 285
  • Country: fr
Re: Chi-Rho coin used as a solidus weight
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2019, 01:40:31 PM »
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.
ROMA CAPVT MVNDI REGIT ORBIS FRENA ROTVNDI

Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Chi-Rho coin used as a solidus weight
« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2019, 03:24:06 PM »
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


Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Chi-Rho coin used as a solidus weight
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2019, 12:05:45 PM »
here is another coin that is modified the same as the Decentius coin and it is the same weight-- 4.3g

Roman Gaming Token (?), designed and elaborately cut from a Maxentius AE Nummus. Ostia, 312 BC. [IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG], laureate head right / [AETERNITAS AVG N], the Dioscuri standing facing each other, their horses between; [MOSTS] in exergue. Cf. RIC 35. 4.30g, 20mm, 12h.

Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Chi-Rho coin used as a solidus weight
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2020, 11:05:05 AM »

here are two more modified coins. The first is a GLORIA ROMANORVM emperor reverse from Constantinople  (circa A.D. 385) 19x20    4.4g

I am not sure about the second coin.  21mm   4.3

more coincidence or two more examples that could have been used as solidus weights.


Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Coins modified for use as tokens or weights
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2021, 08:50:35 AM »
I just got another example...a little lighter than solidus weight, but only about .1 gram; which might be accounted for by corrosion (some metal loss on obverse). Maybe a gaming token or some guy made something for his girlfriend in shop class?  :D

Galeria Valeria AD 293-311. Cyzicus
Follis Æ
20 mm, 4,17 g


the seller description had Cyzicus but this coin is RIC VI Thessalonica 33-35, with differences due to bust types which I can't make out.

Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Coins modified for use as tokens or weights
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2022, 11:02:50 AM »

I just picked up this Valentinian II. It weighs 1.3g, so too light for a siliqua weight.

Offline Victor

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4081
  • Country: us
  • all my best friends are dead Romans
    • Victor's Imperial Coins
Re: Coins modified for use as tokens or weights
« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2023, 03:03:19 PM »
Maximianus
A.D. 308- 309
24mm   4.3g
GAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
VIRTVTI E-XERCITVS; Mars advancing, naked but for flowing chlamys; right holding spear, left trophy over shoulder; in left field B
In ex. [MKV]
RIC VI Cyzicus 47