Weighing only 0.68 g., this LRB of Emperor Arcadius measures scarcely 9 mm. It has Victory and a Cross on reverse. I wonder if there's any Roman bronze coin which is lighter than this one. Please post it in case you have any.
Where's the coin? I don't see it! Must be because its so tiny. Seriously though, that's impressively tiny. Very nice!
Interesting coin. I have one of Arcadius measuring in at 8mm ARCADIUS AE4 OBVERSE: D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped and cuiriassed bust right REVERSE: VOT X MVLT XX in laurel wreath, AN(delta) in ex. Struck at Antiochia 383-88 AD 1.3g, 8mm RIC 65c (IX, Antioch), LRBC 2735
here is a recent small roman i picked up...there should be called "AE5" coins! Arcadius, AE4, 388-392 AD O: D N ARCADIVS P F AVG R: SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory advancing left, dragging captive, Chi-Rho in left field. CONS? in ex. Constantinople mint. 11 mm, 1.5 g
Theodosius I 388 to 392 AD Constantinople AE 4 Obvs: DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG Revs: SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory holding trophy and dragging captive. Chi Rho left, CON 13mm, 0.7g I've seen smaller, but have none photographed.
Arcadius A.D. 404-6 10mm 0.6gm DN ARCADI-VS PF AVG pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust. CONCOR-DIA AVGGG legend surrounding cross In ex. SMHB RIC X Heraclea 123
I have a dinky one: RI Johannes 423-425 CE AE4 Nummus Victory RARE About 9mm, about 1g My Arcadius' (-ii?) are a bit bigger: RI Aelia Eudoxia wife of Arcadius 395-401 CE AE3 2-83g 17mm crowned by hand of God Enthroned Constantinople mint RIC 79 RI Arcadius AR Siliqua 383-408 CE Roma Seated RI Arcadius AE2 383-408 CE Emp stdg Standard and Globe RI Honorius 393-343 AE3 15mm Arcadius and Honorius Stdg
When we get into this size bracket, it is hard to tell if the weight is from manufacture or chipping/wear corrosion. I have several light ones but am not sure they were always that light. Also there is the matter that some of these were weighted on my old scale so I don't know if the digit is really significant. When you rely on sliding a metal weight along a bar, accuracy suffers. For that matter, when you calibrate a scale with a 100g weight, I'm not all that certain of the tenths digit either. Honorius .6g Theodosius II .6g Leo I .5g but corroded Leo I .6g I bought these for their mintmarks and not their size.
Okay, here are my Leo/Aelia Verina bronzes. #1 Leo I Roman AE-4 Half Centenionalis Constantinople, AD 457-474 0.82 gm; 10 mm Obv: DN LEO, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: b E, Verina standing, holding transverse scepter and globus cruciger. LRBC II 2272; RIC 714; Sear 21436; Vagi 3739; MIRB 30 #2 Same, 0.73 gm; 10 mm
This Pulcheria is pretty lightweight: Roman AE-4 Half Centenionalis Constantinople, AD 414-423 0.82 gm; 14 mm Obv: AEL PVLCHERIA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory seated right, inscribing Christogram on shield set on cippus; CONSA in exergue. RIC-420; Sear 4th ed. 4309 (not in 5th ed.); LRBC 2226 As is this Arcadius: Roman AE-4 Half Centenionalis Cyzicus, AD 388-392 1.15 gm; 14.2 mm Obv: DN ARCADIVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory advancing left, with right hand carrying trophy over shoulder and dragging captive with left; SMKΓ in exergue. RIC 26(c); LRBC 2578; Sear 20851
I notice the full flan and legend coins seem to weigh over 1.0 grams and be 11 mm or more. The coin of Victor seems to be the exception -- with apparent full size with room for the full legend and yet under 11 mm (at 10 mm) and under 1.0 grams (at 0.6 grams). Can anyone show us a well-struck smaller Roman coin?
Well struck and fresh... Roman Empire Croatia, Siscia Arcadius (r. AD 383-408) AE4 13.5 mm x 1.22 grams (s. AD 384-387) Obv. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Arcadius right. Latin script- DN ARCADIVS PF AVG Rev. Victory advancing left holding wreath and palm. Latin Script- VICTORIA AVGGG - BSIS in ex. Ref: RIC IX 39d I has got to be pretty close to ideal, eh?
