Preview
Creation Date
383–386
Geography
Nicomedia (İzmit, Turkey)
Culture
Roman, Byzantine
Medium
Copper
Dimensions
22mm
0.219 oz. (6.1 g)
Credit Line
Gift of Brad Hostetler, 2022
Accession Number
2022.16
Provenance
Purchased by Brad Hostetler from F. Kass-Elias (Bellevue, Wash.) on October 3, 2021.
Condition
The condition of the coin is good; the imagery and words inscribed on the coin stand out in contrast to the black colorization surrounding the central images on both the obverse and reverse. The outer rim appears to be most dented at 3, 6, and 10 o’clock on the obverse; while the reverse appears to be most fragmented at 1, 2, 7, and 10 o’clock. Minor indents are visible on the obverse and reverse surfaces of the coin surrounding the central figure. Furthermore, the coin has visibly darkened around the central figure of the obverse and reverse. This can be explained by the alloy content found in the bronze material. - Gus Callejas (’26), December 2022
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
Obverse:
DNARCADI VSPFAVC
Our Lord, Arcadius, pious, fortunate Augustus
Reverse:
GLORIARO MANORVM
Glory of the Romans
✳SMNΔ•
References
Grierson, Philip, and Melinda Mays. 1992. Catalogue of Late Roman Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection: From Arcadius and Honorius to the Accession of Anastasius. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, no. 13, p. 348.
Description
This is a common centenionalis of Arcadius (r. 383–408 CE). On the obverse, the emperor’s bust is dressed in military costume and looking to the right, exposing his side profile. The coin’s legend, marked with the letters “DNARCADI VSPFAVC,” is divided in half above the figure's head by a hand holding a crown (Grierson and Mays 1992, p. 348). Other distinguishing features include Arcadius’ diadem and a spear below his head. A diadem is a crown meant to symbolize royal dignity or power of an emperor (Oxford Classical Dictionary, s.v “Diadem”). On the reverse, Arcadius is shown again, holding a shield in his left hand and the labarum, Constantine the Great’s imperial standard, in his right hand. He is standing upright in a frontal position. To the left, there is a kneeling captive. The coin’s legend, marked with the letters “GLORIARO MANORVM,” is divided by the head and labarum of Arcadius (Grierson and Mays 1992, p. 348). When compared to other contemporary depictions of Arcadius, such as the marble head at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which highlights the emperor’s imperial aspects, the coin, with its inclusion of weaponry, the labarum, and the kneeling captive, emphasizes his military character.
This centenionalis was minted sometime between 383 and 386 CE in Nicomedia. During this time, it was equal to 20 denarii (AE4) and equivalent to 100 nummi (Mattingly 1946, pp. 117–118). As shown by Michael Yonan, an object’s materiality is integral to understanding its meaning (Yonan 2019). The materiality of copper indicates that this coin allowed for broad accessibility. Copper was less expensive than gold or silver, and thus coins of this material would have been in greater circulation. The character of the emperor, as portrayed by this imagery, would have therefore been seen by a larger portion of the population. This is important because it highlights the political achievements of Arcadius to all civilians. Arcadius was a weak Roman Emperor by many accounts. Aelia Eudoxia, empress of Arcadius, held power over her husband, becoming a corrupt politician. The Roman Empire under Arcadius became divided into East and West. From this point forward, the Roman Empire would be ruled by two different emperors, with the Western Roman Empire being ruled by Arcadius’ brother Honorius. The iconography of the Manus Dei attempts to show Arcadius as God’s chosen leader for the Roman Empire.
Bibliography
Bellinger, Alfred R. 1966. Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and the Whittemore Collection, vol. 1, Anastasius I to Maurice, 491–602. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Grierson, Philip. 1999. Byzantine Coinage. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Grierson, Philip, and Melinda Mays. 1992. Catalogue of Late Roman Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection: From Arcadius and Honorius to the Accession of Anastasius. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Hendy, Michael F. 1985. Studies in Byzantine Monetary Economy, c. 300-1450. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hornblower, Simon, Antony Spawforth, and Esther Eidinow, eds. 2012. Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kazhdan, Alexander P., ed. 1991. Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mattingly, Harold. 1946. “The Monetary Systems of the Roman Empire from Diocletian to Theodosius I.” The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society, Sixth Series 6, no. 3/4: 111–120.
Morrisson, Cécile, and Simon Bendall. 2012. “Byzantine ‘Medals’: Coins, Amulets and Piety.” In Byzantine Religious Culture: Studies in Honor of Alice-Mary Talbot, eds. Denis Sullivan et al, 217–238. Leiden: Brill.
Yonan, Michael. 2019. “Materiality as Periphery.” Visual Resources 35, nos. 3-4: 200–216.
Gus Callejas (’26) for ARHS 110 (Fall 2022)