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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;EWC3, post: 4518008, member: 93416&quot;]Interesting question, and I do not really know</p><p><br /></p><p>Looks to me like a rather narrow elite were in control in the later empire, (with perhaps an impoverished middle class pushed down by the billon hyper-inflation). So only gold coins would match their affluent lifestyle. Thus gold might be more monetised into coin to meet that need, with silver more held in plate and the like – which was perhaps the opposite of earlier times.</p><p><br /></p><p>But also, if the early 4th century 3.4g AR really was a “siliqua” – that puts the gold silver ratio at 1: 18</p><p><br /></p><p>Which is way high for gold in the ancient world – so surely the empire would be sucking in gold for payment - or even directly in exchange for its silver – most especially from Sasanid Persia who surely were anyway sucking on silver for their own currency.</p><p><br /></p><p>I always assumed alluvial gold from central Africa was permanently a big source of new metal – routed though Egypt prior to the medieval period – so I assume that would be a big source during late Rome too? Does anyone have facts to back that?</p><p><br /></p><p>Rob T[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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