Late Roman Silver

I find this comment puzzling. What “many series” do you have in mind? Off hand, from the ancient world, I can think of just these siliquae, and some Wu Shu and Huo Chuan Chinese cash……………..

This prompted me to dig around just a little for some facts. What I found seems to contradict your position, and indeed, they lead me to retract my own previous comments.

The consensus seems to be that the clipping of siliquae was a one time event, happening sometime in the period 402 and 420 AD. This would seem coincide with the break down of Roman tax collection in Britain altogether – perhaps even helped precipitate it? So again - it seems nothing to do with some new weight standard?

And further - that coin use had essentially stopped altogether by 470, long before sceatta, with coins by then just viewed as a form of bullion

see:

https://www.academia.edu/11479304

https://www.academia.edu/4195308

http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue41/8/5-1.html

Rob T

 

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Yes I agree. There are plausible arguments that Republican denarii were tariffed at 6 to the ounce but struck at 7 to the ounce - so with a fiat component of 14% - but I think that is about it?

I would rather say wealthy Romans were never ready to accept fiat currency. Setting aside the 3rd century silver debasement, the 4th century copper as I understand it was fiat and it likely represented a high level of state managed inflation. Not unlike today......

Rob T

 

Just to give readers an idea of how clipped these siliquae could be, here is a side by side comparison of a Valens siliqua, ca, 375 at 2.2 grams with one of Honorius, ca, 405 AD. My experience is that the coins of Honoriu s are the most likely to found clipped. The weight of the Honorius clipped coin is .85 grams

 

This may be but it is possible that these siliquae were pulled out of circulation in Britain and hoarded for a century or so before reappearing as a circulating medium in early Anglo Saxon Angeland,. At that point these long out of circulation Roman coins were clipped to the sceatta weight before entering the market place.

 

In principle, I think that an excellent hypothesis to follow up. It is exactly the sort of thing I seem to see happening in ancient and medieval India. For instance, a huge hoard found near Rajkot mixing the old worn coins of the Indo-Greek Apollodotus with the new issues of Western Satrap Nahapana seems to me to be likely indicating a hoarding/reappearance of Indo-Greek silver coins. I also discussed this sort of idea on CT in a recent thread about Indo-Sasanid drachms. But does the hypothesis stand up to test in the current case? On a quick look, I did not see any reports of mixed hoards of clipped siliquae and sceattas. Is there something I overlooked?

Rob T

 

Some rarities


Crédit photo : ©Siliquae
Siliqua, 364-367, R5
A/ D N VALENTINI-ANVS P F AVG
Dominus Noster Valentinianus Pius Felix Augustus, Notre Seigneur Valentinien Pieux Heureux Auguste
Buste à droite, drapé et cuirassé, tête diadémée (Perles).
R/ RESTITV-TOR REIP//TESG
Restitutor Reipublicae, Le Restaurateur de la République
L'empereur debout de face tourné à droite vêtu militairement, tenant le labarum chrismé de la main droite et un globe nicéphore de la main gauche.
Silver / 1.66 Gr / 17.7 mm / 12h

RIC IX 12a(01)-V, RSC manque

Comments :
An unknown issue to the RIC for this mint mark of the third officina.
A bronze issue (RIC 17a3) exists with the same characteristics. It might be a reuse of dies.
Fiche de la monnaie sur la base Siliquae

 

Some rarities


Crédit photo : ©Siliquae
Heavy Siliqua, 364-365, R4
A/ D N VALENS-P F AVG
Dominus Noster Valens pius Felix Augustus, Notre maître Valens Pieux et Heureux Auguste
Buste à gauche, drapé et cuirassé, tête diadémée (Perles).
R/ VOT/V//CONSA
Votis quinquennalibus, Vœux pour le cinquième anniversaire de règne
Légende en 2 lignes dans une couronne de lauriers fermée.

Silver / 3.17 Gr / 20.7 mm / 6h
RIC IX 11e(01), RSC 87†a

Comments :
One of the few siliques with the portrait on the left. The copy of the collection has the same right and back corners as the copy of the B.M ..
Observed weight of the British Museum copy (CGR143765): 2.83 gr
http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=CGR143765

Fiche de la monnaie sur la base Siliquae