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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;BenSi, post: 3817974, member: 95174&quot;]By the 10th century in the Eastern Roman Empire , taxes to the state were paid in gold, however change from the state was paid in copper and silver. You did not pay your taxes with a follis, you had a money changer ( at a fee) change your lower denomination coins into gold and partial gold coinage to pay your taxes. The state never wanted or expected the copper coins back, they remained in circulation. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the reign of Alexius I a huge shortage brought copper back to the state to be reissued into a smaller ( Lighter) version of the coin, then in 1092 the coin reform occurred and even smaller coins were made ( Trachea and tetartera) It then gets more confusing because Trachea circulated in Asia Minor and tetartera in Greece. The only place all denominations comingled was Constantinople. Nothing yet has come to light on why these coins were separated but we do know it was by design of the government.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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