The Byzantine solidus - Moruzzi Numismatica Roma

The Constantine solidus, keeping unchanged for a long time its weight and gold fineness, was an essential element for markets, ensuring stability and satisfaction in the various parts of an empire extremely large and beyond. This coin was also very important for the relations between state and citizens in the non-negligible field of tributes. After the crisis of the third and fourth centuries, the solidus became the pivot of the system, when the relationship between metals altered with a dizzy devaluation, greatly increasing the bronze issue for coins more and more smaller: at the end of the fourth century, a solidus was equivalent to 25 bronze libras, as the Theodosius Code evidences. The solidus remained at the centre of the monetary system and it was a coin with real value: for this reason, it was also an useful tool in long distance transactions or a reference basis for calculations and conversions in other currencies. In fact both the acronym "ob" (obryzum) placed on coins meaning pure gold and the weight quite stable over the time (4.45 grams) made it the currency par excellence. Also the types were the same: on the obverse the emperor's bust, without any physiognomic connotation, and on the reverse Victoria with the cross and the crucifer globe, replaced after Justinian by the personification of Constantinople. The high prestige of this gold coin determined in the empire (which under Justinian was increasingly spreading especially in the West) the reopening or the creation of new mints for the solidus coinage. The solidus was not limited only to the circulation within the empire, but it was also used in a vast area including the Mediterranean basin, Spain, Africa and regions to the east of Asia. The Byzantine solidus with ups and downs was the reference currency in major international circuits until the beginning of the thirteenth century when it lost interest, also in relation to the instability situation determined by the continuous state of war against Turks, Crusaders and Venetians.
In this way ended the solidus story, the hub coin of international trade, thanks to its long stability enjoyed for centuries, giving way to new good Western currencies, particularly to those of municipalities and Italian states that received high visibility in the world thanks to the crusades.

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