BALDI (2014), Ostrogothic coins in the British Museum, London

Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Elena Baldi A guide to types/all coins britishmusuem.org/ostrogoths 1 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Coinage of Julius Nepos, Zeno, Odovacar and Theoderic I Mint of Rome Gold Solidus The solidi minted in this period are characterized by the obverse image of the emperor, with the helmeted, diademed and cuirassed bust of Zeno facing in a three-quarters position, with a spear and shield as well as the inscription with his name, always with legend break: P-ERP. On the reverse a personification of Victory is standing to the left, holding a long cross, with the inscription VICTORIA AVCCC and the mint mark COMOB or also •COMOB•. The various combinations of obverse inscription and mint marks on the reverse of the coins denote the variants recorded by Kent. 1. RIC X, 3205 BM ID: 1863,0711.13 This type is characterized by the division of the inscription on the obverse in PERP and on the reverse the legend has a colon placed at the end of it. According to Kent, this is a characteristic of the emissions of Julius Nepos. The style of the coin is also quite similar to the Roman emissions of Zeno-Odovacar catalogued as RIC X 3651 that also have a colon-like mark : at the end of the reverse legend. 2. RIC X, 3651 BM ID: 1849,1121.685 Like the emission registered in the name of Julius Nepos (3205), this type is characterized by the obverse divided legend, P-ERP and the colon placed at the end of the reverse legend. The style of this coin is however rather crude and the star in the right field of the reverse has several points and almost looks doublestruck; the lettering and image are not as competently engraved as emission RIC X 3205. There is also a clear separation in the word VICTOR-I-A, broken by the arm of the cross. 3. RIC X, 3653 BM ID: R.357 Maintaining the P-ERP subdivision in the obverse legend, this type is characterized by the mint initial R following the reverse legend. In this case there is an additional separation in the reverse legend between R and I that is caused by the arm of the cross held by the Victory. 4. RIC X, 3656 BM ID: 1983,0703.3 This type is characterized by the combination of the mint mark Γ• at the end of the reverse legend and •COMOB• in the exergue. Another feature in this coin, visible in the reverse legend, is the separation of the letters R and I in VICTORIA, caused by the insertion of the arm of the cross, which, according to Kent, appears to become more decisively visible with this particular issue (although recorded previously). 2 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Tremissis The tremisses are characterized by a profile portrait of the draped Emperor Zeno with cuirass and paludamentum as well as the legend of Zeno with break: P-ERP, as on the solidi. The emissions of Julius Nepos often bear the obverse legend D N ZENO PERP AVC both unbroken and broken into P-ERP and the COMOB exergue mark. In contrast, the issues of Zeno-Odovacar have the title inscription that is always divided into P-ERP and the exergue mark is either COMOB or •COMOB•. The wreath on the reverse has two ties at the lower end, which are only found on coins from the mint of Rome. 5. RIC X, 3210 BM ID: 1863,0711.72; R.360; B.12659 Three coins are included amongst the emissions of Julius Nepos that bear a broken legend on the obverse, P-ERP, whilst on the reverse there is a cross located within a wreath; the exergue legend is COMOB. The wreath is tied at the bottom by a rope, which looks like a wide and horizontally elongated letter X. This type differs from the contemporary Zeno emissions that show a personification of Victory advancing, holding a wreath and globus cruciger.1 Coins 1863,0711.72 and R360 share the same die on both sides; it is likely, however, that the latter coin is either more worn that the former or was struck at a later time since the letters are less sharp and some details, such as the hair, the diadem and the wreath, are not as well defined as with the previous specimen. 6. RIC X, 3662 BM ID: R.358; R.359 These two coins have an obverse legend that is broken into P-ERP, as well as the reverse •COMOB•. On the obverse these two specimens show a more elongated bust when compared to the emissions of Julius Nepos. In these instances, the wreath is also tied at the bottom by a feature in the form of a wide and horizontally elongated letter X. Silver Half siliqua 7. RIC X, 3664 BM ID: 1984,0525.1 This is the only silver coin that Metlich accepts as minted under the authority of Odovacar. Kent records that this type had been wrongly attributed to the mint of Milan and ascribes it to Rome because of the divided P-ERP legend on the obverse. The Christogram on the reverse within a wreath is also believed to be the continuation of the Chi-Rho monogram. The exergue bears the mint mark •CM•, unusual for Rome, but the dots at either side could link the production to this mint, even though a similar feature appears on silver of Milan minted in the name of Anastasius (RIC X, 217). In addition, Metlich found a die link between the half siliqua and a tremissis of the Turin collection that would support a Roman production. 1 A cross topped orb (Latin: globus), a symbol of authority. 3 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum This mint mark was given a few interpretations: Caput Mundi (Grierson and Mays 1992, 186), an abbreviation for COMOB for specific use on silver coinage (RIC X, 217); or a mark of value (240 nummi – c=sigma=200; M=mu=40) (RIC X, 218), but no full agreement on his meaning has been reached as of yet. Copper alloy 40 nummi The general features of the 40 nummi emissions minted in the name of Zeno show a laureate head of the emperor on the obverse with two different inscriptions, which are IM(N)P ZENO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG and IMP ZENO SEMPER AVC, with or without IIII beneath the truncation of the bust (we do not know whether this is a mint mark or not). On the reverse there is a personification of Victory advancing whilst standing on prow, holding a trophy and wreath between the two letters S C, as well as the mark of value XL placed in the exergue. The reverse bears two different inscriptions: GLORIA ROMANORO or IMVICTA ROMA. 8. RIC X, 3665 BM ID: 1969,0517.1 This type is characterized, on the obverse, by the combination of the inscription IM(N)P ZENO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG, running outwards counterclockwise, and •IIII• below the bust. The reverse bears the legend GLORIA ROMANORO, with S C on either side of the central Victory and in the exergue •XL•. 9. RIC X, 3666 var. BM ID: B.11454; B.11494; 1860,0326.164; 1860,0326.163 This type shows on the obverse the legend, running outwards counterclockwise with additional title FILICISSIMO and •IIII• below the bust. On the reverse the inscription changes to IMVICTA ROMA with S C on either sides of Victory that no longer stands on the prow; in the exergue there is the legend •XL•. 10. RIC X, 3667 BM ID: B.11495; 1951,1115.2830 This type shows a change in the obverse inscription, which becomes IMP ZENO SEMPER AVC, and the absence of the •IIII• below the bust; there is also a change in style, seen especially in the now broader head. On the reverse the inscription IMVICTA ROMA with S C on either side of Victory and •XL• in the exergue. This type is considered rare by Grierson; however, the British Museum owns two coins of this kind, purchased in 1951 and 1969. Mint of Milan Gold Solidus According to Kent, the solidi were produced in Milan only for Zeno-Odovacar or there is no clear evidence that allows us to discern between Julius Nepos and Zeno. The obverse of the coins maintains the frontal image of Zeno, helmeted, diademed and cuirassed with spear and shield, with the inscription of his name generally not separated. On the reverse, Victory is standing to the left, holding a long cross with the inscription VICTORIA AVCCC, the mint mark M D (for Mediolanum) that identifies the mint of Milan and COMOB in the exergue. 4 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 11. RIC X, 3601 BM ID: 1860,0329.242 This type is characterized by the M D mint mark as well as a star located below the letter M on the left field, a feature that differs from the emissions of Rome, which have the star on the right. In addition, the legend on the reverse is separated only in the VICTORI-A, in the same way as the early emissions of Rome. 12. RIC X, 3602 BM ID: 1860,0329.241 This type also bears the mint mark M D of the mint of Milan, as well as a star located under M in the left field, a letter A that was inserted between the long arm of the cross and the lower part of Victory’s dress and a D in the right field. Tremissis The tremisses bear on the obverse the profile bust of Zeno, diademed, draped and cuirassed. The titles used for the obverse of the coins vary and Kent notes that they are also very irregular, almost like imitative issues. The reverse shows a cross within a wreath that is made up of two branches with ten pairs of distinct leaves, without a legend and only with the exergue mint mark, COMOB. The lower part of the wreath is always flat, almost like an exergual line. 13. RIC X, 3608 BM ID: R.361 This type shows on the obverse a broken legend, P-ERP. On the reverse, the wreath is well styled and is completed by a globe at the top; the lower part of the wreath is tied in the form of three letters in the shape of an X. 14. RIC X, 3610 BM ID: 1860,0329.239; 1867,0101.1009 This type is characterized by the unbroken PERP in the legend, even though the P in coin 1860,329.239 is more separate than that on 1867,0101.1009. On the reverse the two branches are joined at the top by a globe; the wreath of 1860,329.239 is tied at the bottom in the form of three letters in the shape of an X, while that of 1867,0101.1009 has only two. 15. RIC X, 3613 BM ID: R.362; R.363 These two coins share the same peculiar obverse legend with PEPR AVG, with a final ligatured AV in coin R363. On the reverse, the branches of the wreath are joined at the top by a globe and the bottom part is tied by one letter X in the case of R362, and two in coin R363. 16. RIC X, 3614 BM ID: 1867,0101.1010; 1914,0705.1; B.12651; 1860,0329.238; G3.RIG.508 These five coins bear the same unbroken legend PERP as well as a ligatured AV. On the reverse, the two parts of the wreath are joined at the top by a globe and they are roughly styled, especially in the case of 1867,0101.1010. The mint mark in the exergue reads COMOB and the lower part of the wreath is tied by two letters in the shape of X. 5 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 17. RIC X, 3614 var. BM ID: 1864,1128.213; 1864,0408.13; 1864,0408.12 In this case, the legend on the obverse maintains an unbroken PERP as well as a ligatured AV and, on the reverse, the mint mark is CONOB. The wreaths are joined at the top by a globe and they are not well styled. The lower bar of the wreath in 1864,1128.213 and 1864,0408.12 is tied by three letters X placed one next to the other. In the case of coin 1864,0408.13, the wreath only has two letters X, but the specimen is also of poor style, with crude lines and inferior portrait. Half siliqua The mint of Milan also produced silver coinage, denominations of half siliquae that Kent attributed to both Julius Nepos and Zeno. These emissions are characterized by the diademed, draped and cuirassed profile bust of Zeno with the title PERP that is also broken into P-ERP. On the reverse of the coins there are three different types: Victory advancing to the left with a wreath and palm; a turreted figure standing to the left, holding a spear and cornucopia (the only one with the mint mark MD in the field); and an eagle with spread wings, standing to the right with a cross above. 18. RIC X, 3615 BM ID: 1986,0421.2 This coin shows an undivided legend on the obverse with a ligatured AV and Victory advancing to the left holding a wreath. The style of the issue is crude, particularly on the obverse. 19. RIC X, 3617 BM ID: 1844,0425.2603 This specimen has on the obverse an undivided legend with a reversed letter Z; the reverse bears the mint mark of Milan, indicated by the letters M D placed at either side of the turreted figure. 20. RIC X, 3618 BM ID: B.2930; B.2931 Two coins belong to this variant that has an undivided legend on the obverse with a ligatured AV and the reverse shows the mint mark of Milan, with the letters M D placed at either side of the turreted figure. In coin B.2930, the reverse image is styled quite differently from the other specimen and is rather crude. 21. RIC X, 3621 BM ID: B.2932; B.2933 The two coins have a broken P-ERP legend on the obverse, with a P above the head of the king. On the reverse, the bird has its wings raised and stands on a prow or branch that is fairly stylized; the cross over the eagle looks like a Latin cross, with a longer lower arm. 22. RIC X, 3623 BM ID: 1906,1103.2; 1846,0910.184 The two coins show different legends on the obverse, since 1906,1103.2 is divided as P-ERP whilst the legend on 1846,0910.184 is undivided; both show the ligatured AV. One peculiar characteristic is the equal armed cross with the prow or branch beneath the feet that is well defined in 1906,1103.2, whilst quite stylized in 1846,0910.184. The image of the eagle on this latter specimen is a much rougher example, particularly in the depiction of the beak. 6 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint of Ravenna Gold Solidi The solidi minted in Ravenna bear on the obverse the three-quarter facing portrait of Zeno who is helmeted, diademed and cuirassed with spear and shield alongside the inscription of his name. On the reverse Victory is standing to the left, holding a long cross, and the inscription reads VICTORIA AVCCC. According to Kent, the earlier emissions of the mint (that would provide a date of 477–9) have a colon after the inscription, maintaining on the obverse the undivided legend PERP. In the later productions, the obverse inscription changes into PER F and then PERP F, a feature that allows us to distinguish between Ravenna and Rome. Later issues (according to RIC X) also have a letter added at the end of the reverse legend. In one type the R V mint initials are placed within the field, in others they are at the end of COMOB in the exergue. 23. RIC X, 3625 BM ID: 1904,0511.2 This coin is included in the type that was part of the early emissions of Zeno and perhaps Odovacar, which bears on the obverse the undivided title PERP. On the reverse : is placed at the end of the legend and COMOB in exergue. 24. RIC X, 3626 BM ID: B.11211 Maintaining the undivided title PERP on the obverse, the type has a colon at the end of the reverse legend and the mint mark RV in the field, with the two letters placed on either side of Victory; the letter V seems to take the place of the star that is normally placed on the right side of the figure. The exergue displays COMOB. 25. RIC X, 3629 BM ID: 1904,0511.3 This coin is characterized by the obverse title PER F, the addition of the letter X (or +) at the end of the reverse legend and COMOB in exergue. 26. RIC X, 3631 BM ID: 1860,0329.247 This type bears the features that correspond to the later emissions, with the obverse legend PERP F as well as the final letter И with a line above and CONOB in the exergue. 27. RIC X, 3632 BM ID: B.12663 The obverse legend in this type has PERP F; the reverse inscription ends with the letter N and the mint mark in the exergue is CONOB. 28. RIC X, 3634 BM ID: R1874,0715.144; 1860,0329.246 In this type, the obverse inscription reads PERP F and the exergue mark has the monogram of the mint of Ravenna (RV) added at the end, reading CONOB RV. In both specimens the use of an unbarred letter A in VICTORIΛ is recorded and both coins share the same reverse die. 7 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Tremissis The tremisses minted in Ravenna have on the obverse the profile bust of Zeno, diademed, draped and with the paludamentum alongside the legend PERP F. On the reverse, there is a cross within a wreath with COMOB in the exergue. According to Kent, earlier emissions show a well-designed wreath, whilst the later ones do not display the same quality and bear the mint mark CONOB. The branches of the wreath end in a circular feature that looks like a jewel, different from those used in Milan emissions but similar to those from Rome. 29. RIC X, 3638 BM ID: 1864,0408.14 This type has on the obverse the legend with PERP F and on the reverse the mint mark COMOB. As with the emissions of Rome, the lower part of the wreath is tied by a rope in the shape of an elongated letter X. 30. RIC X, 3639 BM ID: B.12662 On this coin, the obverse legend has a reversed Z in ZENO and the mint mark COMOB on the reverse. As with the emissions of Rome, the lower part of the wreath is tied by a rope in the shape of an elongated letter X. 31. RIC X, 3640 BM ID: 1869,0709.61 This type is among those that Kent suggested to be of a later date and lower in quality. The obverse legend remains as PERP F and the mint mark is badly written with the final B looking like a D. As with the previous types, the lower part of the wreath seems to be tied by a rope in the shape of an elongated letter X, but in this case it is shorter than that of the previous two types. 32. RIC X, 3641 BM ID: 1863,0711.14; B.12661 Specimen B.12661 bears the letter epsilon in the obverse legend, which becomes PЄRP F. In this type the legend on the obverse should end only in AV instead of AVC. The lower part of the wreath is tied by a rope that is shaped as an elongated letter X; in 1863,0711.14 the rope shows a central boss or globe. 33. RIC X, 3642 BM ID: B.12660 In this case, the legend on the obverse uses the letter epsilon in the word ZЄNO and the mint mark on the reverse is rendered as COM. The two branches of the wreath are tied at the bottom in the form of three letters X. Silver Half siliqua The mint of Ravenna produced an issue bearing the name of Odovacar on the obverse, with his monogram on the reverse. The silver issues of Ravenna in the name of Zeno attributed to Odovacar show on the obverse the profile bust of Zeno draped and cuirassed, with the legend PERP F and only rarely PERF. On the reverse, the three types minted in Milan were also produced in Ravenna: a turreted figure with sceptre and cornucopia, but with the mint mark RV; an eagle with spread wings; and a rather crude depiction of Victory advancing with a wreath and palm branch. 8 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 34. RIC X, 3502 BM ID: 1882,0405.1 This half siliqua portrays on the obverse a bare headed bust without any regalia, but with the barbarian fashion of longer hair and prominent moustache; the portrait as well as the legend FL ODOVAC, identify the bust as the king himself. On the reverse, the monogram of the king is within a wreath and the mint mark RV is positioned underneath. 35. RIC X, 3644 BM ID: B.2946 The obverse of this type shows the title PERF and the legend that ends in AV, with the use of the unbarred letter Λ. 36. RIC X, 3648 BM ID: B.12598 On this coin, the obverse legend has the reversed Z in ZENO and uses Λ instead of A. On the reverse, the eagle is standing to the left on a prow or branch, but unlike the type minted in Milan, the wings of the bird are spread in a different way and no cross is recorded above the eagle. 37. RIC X, 3649 cf BM ID: 1970,0512.1 This coin has a very irregular obverse legend with the use of И instead of N as well as Є; the letter Z is also reversed. On the reverse, there is a rather crude facing depiction of Victory walking to the left. Copper alloy 1 nummus It is likely that the mint of Ravenna also produced copper alloy coins in the last years of Odovacar’s reign while he was besieged in the city. These are 1 nummus denominations that bear on the obverse the profile bust to the right of Odovacar with the legend ODOVAC and on the reverse the monogram of the king formed by the letters A°D. 38. RIC X, 3502 BM ID: B.11496; B.11497 The two specimens that belong to the British Museum’s collection show on the obverse the inscription that reads ODOVAC and on the reverse the letter A in the monogram shows a horizontal bar. This is in contrast to similar examples in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge which show a transversal bar. 2 This difference led Grierson to suggest that the British Museum coins were Cigoi’s fakes, 3 a hypothesis that was contested by Kent who claimed that ‘the falseness of the 2 The same type of bar can be found in one specimen from the excavations at San Severo, Classe (Ravenna, Italy), whilst another specimen from the nearby harbour area is even simpler as the letter A does not appear to have the bar, but part of the obverse legend (ODO) is visible. 3 Luigi Cigoi (Udine, 1811–75) was a collector and forger. He was in fact a tanner and had found out that the process in the treatment and dying of leather could be used for aging forged coins. This practice remained undetected until 1869 when Cigoi himself tried to sell a whole group of coins to Adolf Hess, an antiquarian who had the whole group valued by numismatists who immediately uncovered the forgery (Grierson-Mays 2002, 297–8). 9 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum specimen is not self-evident’.4 This argument dates to the last century and since then more coins have appeared mainly through online markets and in the archaeological record.5 Even though the type with a transversal line is the most common,6 the evidence shows a more widespread typology than previously known, therefore supporting Kent’s claim. 4 5 6 RIC X, 213 Ranieri 2006; Asolati 2012; Baldi 2013. MEC 1, 28. 10 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Theoderic the Great Theoderic in the name of Zeno (490–1) Mint of Rome (490–1) Gold Solidus, tremissis 39. Metlich 1 and 2 Theoderic’s emissions are known to have been produced in the name of three emperors: Zeno, Anastasius I and Justin I. Only semisses and tremisses are known for Zeno (Metlich 1 and 2), both with the effigy and name of Zeno on the obverse; on the reverse the semissis bears a Christogram within a wreath and the tremissis shows a floating Victory with a wreath and globus cruciger. Metlich has only recently recognized the existence of the semissis type through stylistic similarities to a known Zeno tremissis. This could imply that a related production of solidi has yet to be identified. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Silver Quarter siliqua 40. Metlich 41 (Arslan –) On this type the reverse shows a standing Victory holding globus cruciger and wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Theoderic in his own name Mint of Rome Gold 41. Metlich 3 Three solidi BM ID: B.11479 This emission, equal to the weight of three solidi, is the so-called Senigallia Medallion that bears on the obverse the frontal bust of Theoderic and the legend REX THEODERICVS PIVS PRINCIS. On the reverse is the depiction of Victory, holding a wreath and palm, with the inscription REX THEODERICVS VICTOR GENTIVM. This is the only coin minted in the name of the king and it is likely that it was an emission minted to celebrate the official recognition of the Ostrogothic rule over Italy by Anastasius in 497 (only an electrotype of the original in the Museo Nazionale, Rome, is present in the British Museum’s collection). 11 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Theoderic in the name of Anastasius (491–518) Mint of Rome (491–518) Gold Solidus Six different types of solidi are known, all sharing similar obverse characteristics: the bust of the emperor is three-quarters facing, with a cuirass and helmet on which a trefoil is depicted. The spear has a barbed top and the legend reads DN ANASTASIVS PF AVC (instead of PP that was used for emissions from Milan). The diadem ties are curved and the flap is decorated with a dot and wave pattern. On the reverse is Victory with a long cross, standing to the left (in imitation of the contemporary Byzantine emissions of Anastasius I) and the inscription VICTORIA AVCCC with COMOB on the reverse exergue. Some slight differences in this pattern characterize the various issues as set out below. 42. Metlich 4 (Arslan AV7) BM ID: 1852,0630.8 This issue is characterized on the reverse by a standing Victory with a star on the right and a Christogram (Chi-Rho monogram = ) at the end of the reverse legend. Metlich assigned this emission to the earliest productions of Theoderic, a theory that is also supported by Arslan who suggests that it was minted before 497. 43. Metlich 5 (Arslan AV12) In this issue the monogram of Theoderic is found at the end of the reverse legend, however the mint monogram is absent. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 44. Metlich 6 (Arslan AV8) BM ID: 1846,0204.2 This type shows the Greek letter Θ at the end of the legend and the monogram of Rome (the letters R and M ligatured) on the left side of the field, whilst a star is placed on the right. Both Metlich and Arslan suggest that the letter Θ represents the Greek initial of Theoderic’s name. On the obverse, some depictions of Anastasius’ hand show a small loop above the index finger, a feature that is considered to be earlier than Metlich 7 and 8 in which this element is consistently visible. These features, together with the addition of the letter Θ, would demonstrate that the issue is transitional from one with a Greek initial to those with the Latin monogram. 45. Metlich 7a (Arslan AV9) BM ID: 1867,0101.1014; B.11436; 1904,0511.10 The main characteristic of this emission is the Latin monogram of Theoderic of a slightly simplified type, placed at the end of the reverse legend; the monogram of Rome is placed on the left side of the field (the letters R and M are ligatured) and a star on the right side of the field. The three coins in the British Museum’s collection show signs of wear, with the emperor’s face disfigured. It is also possible to see some similarities in the details 12 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum of the obverses of B.11436 and 1867,0101.1014, such as the shape of the diadem ties and the form of the lettering suggesting the use of the same obverse die. It is likely that 1867,0101.1014 was minted later since the lettering shows more sign of wear. 46. Metlich 7b (Arslan AV9) This type bears a different monogram of Theoderic from the previous type at the end of the legend. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 47. Metlich 8 (Arslan AV10) BM ID: 1864,1128.217; 1867,0101.1011; B.12285 On this type, the reverse does not bear the monogram of Rome, but has only the star on the right as well as the letter A at the end of the legend in place of the king’s monogram to indicate the officina. This emission is considered to be the type minted after Theoderic’s recognition by Anastasius in 497, a time at which any reference to the king himself (his Latin monogram or Greek initial) was no longer necessary. Semissis There is only one recognized semissis emission of the Ostrogothic coinage. On the obverse the profile bust of Anastasius I and the legend D N ANASTASIVS P F AVC; on the reverse a depiction of Victory, surrounded by the inscription VICTORIA AVCVSTORVN, is sitting and writing VOT PC on a shield. 48. Metlich 9 (Arslan AV4) This type has on the reverse a seated Victory with VOT/PC/* on a shield, held by a putto and a star above the head. The mintmark reads COMOB. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Tremissis The known tremissis issues bear on the obverse the profile effigy of the emperor with cuirass and paludamentum with the legend D N ANASTASIVS P F AVC. The reverse shows a standing figure of Victory walking to the right with a palm branch over her shoulder and a wreath in her right hand, alongside the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTORVM, a star on the right and the exergue mark COMOB. This depiction of Victory walking later changes to one standing in a frontal pose and floating on a globe,7 holding in her hands a wreath and a globus cruciger. This would remain almost unvaried from Theoderic's emissions to those of the other Ostrogothic kings. Although it had also been the standard reverse in Constantinople for a long time, according to Arslan the image of Victory alluded to Theoderic’s conquest of Italy and his attempts to dominate the other Germanic populations, such as the Visigoths and Franks.8 7 8 Metlich 2004, 11ff. Arslan 2004, 436. 13 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 49. Metlich 10a (Arslan –) BM ID: 1867,0101.1013 Metlich places this emission among the early types of Theoderic’s reign because Victory is walking to the right and not floating on a globe; another early feature present on the obverse is the faint lines used to represent the bust drapery, unlike later ones that are more carefully drawn and modelled. On the obverse of this illustrated specimen the letters A are not clearly defined but lack their crossbars to appear more like a Greek letter Λ. 50. Metlich 10b (Arslan –) The reverse feature that characterizes this issue, in addition to Victory who is walking to the right, is the star placed at the end of the legend. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 51. Metlich 11 (Arslan AV5) In this type the figure of Victory floats to the right on a globe and no mint marks are present at the end of the reverse legend. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 52. Metlich 12 (Arslan AV6) BM ID: B.12288 This type is characterized by an obverse portrait that shows a more detailed treatment of the bust drapery that had developed with curved rather than v-shaped lines on the issues of the mint of Rome.9 The legend on this specimen is not very clear with several small droplets of metal around each letter, perhaps indicative of a much worn die or poor maintenance such as the failure to clean off the residue of metal that can clog a die during use. On the reverse, Victory floats to the left above a globe. The star on the right was erased at one point, which is still visible from scratching on the surface. The style of the engraving is very similar to that of the Roman emissions, although the exergue mint mark reads CONOB, a characteristic of the mint in Milan (although not unknown in Rome since it is recorded for Metlich 11 as well as some 13a types). 53. Metlich 13a (Arslan –) On this issue Victory is floating on a globe, in a frontal pose and holding a wreath and globe cruciger with a star on the left and right with an additional letter T at the end of the legend (VICTORIA AVCVSTORVMT), which is considered an indication of the initial of Theoderic’s name. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 54. Metlich 13b (Arslan AV19) BM ID: 1867,0101.1012; B.12290; B.12291; B.12292 In this emission a star is placed on either side of the standing Victory who is walking to the right but looking left over her shoulder. Developing from the previous type, the legend loses the final letter T at the end. The four coins in the British Museum’s collection are quite uniform, although the reverse legend of B.12292 misses the final V of the word AVGVSTORVM and bears the exergue COИOB. Even though this exergue is considered a feature of the mint of Milan, the coin was added to the group of coins from Rome on the 9 Metlich 2004. 14 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum grounds of the latter part of the obverse legend, which reads PF (rather than PP), as well as a closer stylistic affinity to the emissions of Rome over those of Milan. 55. Metlich 14 (Arslan AV18) BM ID: G3,RIG.519.a; 1937,1007.1 The two coins in this group display on the reverse a Victory with a style of drapery that, according to Metlich, shows a similar treatment to that on the Senigallia Medallion (Metlich 3). In the field, the star is on the right and the exergue COMOB suggests that Rome is the most probable mint. Likewise, the style of the bust of the emperor is stylistically similar to other Roman issues. 56. Metlich 14 var. or 24? BM ID: B.12293 This coin appears to belong to a different group although the reverse is stylistically similar to Metlich 14. On the obverse, the drapery is made of stiffer lines, while the treatment of the hair is also different from other specimens of type Metlich 14. The lettering on the legend has the third letter S reversed (Ƨ) and the inscription reads PP instead of PF, a feature of the emissions of Milan. On the reverse there is one star in the right field, a rather more puffed-up dress on the depiction of Victory and the mint mark COMOB. Therefore, it seems that the obverse of this coin could be from a Milanese die (as in Metlich 24), although it does not have the cross above the head. However, the reverse seems to have characteristics such as the puffy dress that are typical of a Roman die. Consequently, the issue is placed with the emissions of Rome. Silver Half siliqua The emission of half siliqua is characterized, on the obverse, by the profile effigy of the emperor with cuirass, paludamenetum and diadem, alongside the legend D N ANASTASIVS P P AVC (which is a feature of the emissions from Milan). On the reverse, the Christogram is situated within a wreath, such as the tremisses minted in the name of Zeno, with the mint mark COM or CONS. Metlich places this issue with the mint of Rome because of the similarities in the bust. He also notices that this emission was minted with an eastern (heavier) weight standard; this characteristic, as well as the presence of the P P legend, according to Metlich seems to indicate the intention to mint for an intended specific audience. 57. Metlich 42a (Arslan 3–4) This issue is characterized by the mint mark COM in the exergue. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 58. Metlich 42b (Arslan 3–4) BM ID: B.12295 The reverse of this coin bears a Christogram within a wreath and the exergue mark CONS, which is typical of the eastern mints under Anastasius’ direct control, as well as using a heavier eastern weight standard. Metlich places this emission with 15 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum the mint of Rome because of its style; however Arslan considers this to be a Milanese emission.10 Both place the half siliqua emissions to the early period of Theoderic's reign since the reverse type is quite similar to the productions of Anastasius I. Copper alloy As discussed in the general introduction, it is likely that Theoderic also issued some ‘anonymous’ types that mention neither king nor emperor. Metlich classified these emissions in his catalogue with numbers from 76 to 78. However, because of the great deal of disagreement and uncertainty surrounding this matter, these bronzes will be discussed separately and this chapter will include only the issues that can be assigned to Theoderic with certainty. Minimi The copper alloy denominations produced by Theoderic are emissions of minimi to the value of 2 nummi, which bear on the obverse the bust of Emperor Anastasius with irregular legends and a monogram on the reverse. Arslan also records a smaller emission, one nummus, but this is not taken into account by Metlich and also not present in the British Museum’s collection. 59. Metlich 79 (Arslan AE22) BM ID: 1945,0403.5; B.11588 This emission, considered a denomination of 3 nummi by Arslan,11 shows on the reverse Theoderic’s ‘boxed’ monogram. Of the two specimens 1945,0403.5 is extremely worn, making the reverse almost illegible. 60. Metlich 80a (Arslan AE19) This type is characterized by a monogram with the letters T and R and a star to the left. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 61. Metlich 80b (Arslan AE19) BM ID: 1934,0903.25 In this issue, the monogram is created by the letters T and R, which Hahn interpreted as Theodericus Rex;12 however, the meaning is not certain and whilst Metlich suggests that this is a denomination of 2 nummi, Arslan even doubts that this is an emission of Theoderic. The style of the coin, mainly of the obverse, is very crude and almost like a copy. Lacking the evidence of the star on the left side of the field, this specimen was assigned to group 80b; however, it is likely that the coin was neither cleaned nor conserved and it seems possible that there is a star between the two legs of the letter R, which would place the coin with the previous type. 10 11 12 Arslan 2011, 371. Ibid., 373 and bibliography. MIB II, n. N73. 16 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint of Ravenna (497–c. 498) Gold Solidus The solidi produced by the mint of Ravenna maintains on the obverse the threequarter bust, cuirass and paludamentum, a trefoil on the helmet and the lancetshaped spearhead, alongside the legend D N ANASTASIVS P P AVC, which would develop into P F. The reverse bears the image of the standing Victory with a long cross, a star on the right and the legend VICTORIA AVCCC followed by different mint marks and COMOB in the exergue. 62. Metlich 15 (Arslan AV16) On the reverse of this coin the monogram of Theoderic is positioned at the end of the legend with a star on the right. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 63. Metlich 16 (Arslan AV 11) BM ID: 1863,0711.17; 1904,0403.1 This type shows on the reverse a monogram of Theoderic that is slightly different from the one of Metlich 15, as well as a star on the right and the monogram of Ravenna on the left (ligatured letters R and V). The monogram is not present on 1904,0403.1. However, there is some obvious scratching that is most probably a sign of an attempted removal of the monogram, an action executed prior to its acquisition by the British Museum (previously noted by Wroth). Also worthy of note in 1863,0711.17 is the exergue mark COMOB in which the letter M looks more like an N. A very similar – if not of the same style – N is found on the obverse legend suggesting that the same engraver worked on both dies. Tremissis The emission of tremisses shows on the obverse the profile effigy of Anastasius I and the legend D N ANASTASIVS P F AVC. On the reverse Victory is depicted floating on a globe, holding a wreath and a globus cruciger, alongside a star on the right, the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTORVM and COMOB/ CONOB on the exergue. 64. Metlich 17 (Arslan –) BM ID: B.12350 Originally Wroth placed this coin with the emissions of Baduila, but Metlich argues that it belongs to those of Theoderic for stylistic reasons. The similarities of the obverse with the specimens shown in Metlich’s work are quite clear, but in this case the reverse appears different since the exergue legend reads CONOD(B?) and the star on the right of the reverse field is not eight pointed as is the case on all coins minted under the authority of Theoderic. Furthermore, it strongly resembles those shown on Baduila’s coins. It is therefore suggested that this could be an overstruck coin of Theoderic with a Baduila reverse. Silver (493–518) Half siliqua The mint of Rome continued to be the main production site of gold coinage whilst Ravenna, and initially Milan, were the mints that produced silver coinage; it is in 17 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum the productions from Ravenna that it is possible to find characteristics that can be considered typical of Ostrogothic emissions. The striking feature of this coinage is the image on the obverse that is no longer of the emperor, but that of the king himself with ‘Ostrogothic’ appearance – moustache, long hair, robe and diadem – although the legend maintains the name of Anastasius. In this case, the legend on the obverse reads D N ANASTASIVS AVC and on the reverse is a six-pointed star within a wreath that is possibly a continuation of the Christogram minted in Milan and produced between 491 and 497.13 65. Metlich 43a (Arslan AR5) BM ID: 1906,1103.53 On the obverse this type bears the letter ●R● below the bust, which is interpreted as an indication of the mint of Ravenna. 14 The average weight of this emission is 1.65g, which corresponds to the emissions of heavier standards from the earlier stages of production. This coin can be included in the early weight emissions since the specimen is only about 10% lighter than the average 1.52g. 66. Metlich 43b (Arslan AR5) BM ID: 1867,0704.109; B.12296 This variant is similar to the previous, but on the obverse the letter R is omitted, leaving only two dots ●● below the bust. Metlich also notes that the weight of the emission lowers, settling around 1.45g, which is actually the same as that of specimen B.12296, whilst the recorded weight of 1867,0704.109 is only slightly lower with 1.42g. Quarter siliqua The quarter siliqua emissions shows on the obverse the profile bust of Anastasius I, but with ‘Ostrogothic’ appearance and the legend D N ANASTASIVS P (P) AVC. The reverse shows the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above and a star below, surrounded by the inscription INVICTA ROMA. 67. Metlich 44a (Arslan –) Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 68. Metlich 44b (Arslan –) BM ID: 1951,1115.2814 The obverse of this emission shows the use of a ‘dotted’ bust, which seems to be quite characteristic of the emissions of Ravenna. The top of the letter R belonging to the symbol ●R● is visible below the bust, even though the rest was largely removed by the clipping of the coin. The legend on this side starts from the left shoulder of the bust and it is counterclockwise and retrograde (not mentioned by Metlich). On the reverse the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above and a star below is placed within the inscription IИVICTA ROMA. 13 14 Arslan 2011, 372. Arslan (2011) suggests that it could be an emission of Rome/Milan. 18 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 69. Metlich 45a (Arslan 9) On the obverse of this type the symbol ●R● or R is placed below the bust. On the reverse there is the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above, all situated within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 70. Metlich 45b (Arslan 9) BM ID: B.12297 On the obverse of this type the most visible feature is the two dots ●● below the bust of the emperor, a typology that follows the use of the ●R● mark. The reverse bears the monogram of Theoderic within a wreath, marking a change from the previous type, with the inscription. 71. Metlich 45c (Arslan 9) BM ID: 1951,1115.2815; 1906,1103.325; 1844,0425.2550 These three specimens were included with this type (Metlich 45c) because of the lack of mint marks under the bust on the obverse. However it remains unclear if the three specimens lost the lettering because of clipping or if the mint mark was intentionally absent. Mint of Milan (491–c. 501) Gold Solidus With all the solidi the effigy on the obverse is three-quarter facing, with a plain spearhead and the legend D N ANASTASIVS, which ends in PP AVC instead of PF; the hand of the emperor holding the spear is also decorated by a ribbon. On the reverse Victory is standing with a long cross, with an eight-pointed star on the right and the inscription VICTORIA AVCCC followed by a mint mark that characterizes the different issues. 72. Metlich 18 (Arslan –) In this type the legend on the obverse bears the reversed letter Ƨ, as well as ending with PRP AVC, while the legend of the reverse is followed by a Christogram. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 73. Metlich 19a (Arslan AV14) BM ID: 1860,0330.1021; 1908,0506.3 This type is characterized by the monogram of Milan, a ligatured IMD positioned inwards, placed at the end of the reverse legend with a star placed on the reverse field on the right. Of the two specimens in this group, the obverse legend in 1908,0506.3 shows an inconsistent representation of the letter A: the first one in ANASTASIVS appears as Λ, the second A has a crossbar, whereas Λ is used again for the AVC part. The reverses of both these two specimens are minted from the same die; 1860,0330.1021 seems to have been struck later when the die had become worn. 73a. Metlich BM ID: B.10397 This specimen is similar to the issues of Milan, but lacks the monogram of the city mint. The legend on either side uses the letter Λ instead of A. On the reverse, there is a visible dot between Victory’s dress and the cross. The Greek letter ϴ that indicates Theoderic is located at the end of the legend, a feature characteristic of the mint of Rome (Metlich 6). 19 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 74. Metlich 19b (Arslan –) In this type the legend is followed by IMD inwards; the monogram of Milan is visible on the left field and a star is on the right. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 75. Metlich 20a (Arslan AV14) This type is characterized by the letter I after the reverse legend, followed by the monogram of Theoderic; in the left field there is the mint mark of Milan, a ligatured MD, and a star on the right. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 76. Metlich 20b (Arslan AV14) BM ID: 1922,0523.3 This type is recognizable by the addition of the letter I after the legend, also followed by a monogram of Theoderic that is slightly different from that visible on the previous type. In the left field there is the mint mark of Milan, a ligatured MD, and a star on the right. As regards to the meaning of the letter I next to the monogram, both Metlich and Arslan suggest that it could be indicative of the date of this emission, the first year of Theoderic’s reign – 492/493. Also on the obverse there is a small variant to the effigy seen in the previous type – the absence of the ribbon on the hand that holds the spear. The legends also sometimes display the letter Λ instead of A, as seen already in the coins of type Metlich 20a. 77. Metlich 21 (Arslan –) This type is characterized, on the reverse, by the legend followed by I and the monogram of Theoderic, the ligatured mint mark MD in the left field and the star on the right. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 78. Metlich 22 (Arslan AV15) This type is characterized by the legend followed by the symbol :, as well as a ligatured mint mark MD on the left field and a star on the right. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 79. Metlich 23 (Arslan AV17) This type is characterized by the legend followed by the year of production. The ligatured mint mark, MD, is placed on the left field and a star is on the right. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Tremissis The mint of Milan also produced several types of tremisses, all sharing the same obverse – a profile bust with cuirass and paludamentum and a cross on the head of the emperor, which later became incorporated on the diadem. The cross then changes into a star and sometimes dots appear around one shoulder. The legend on the obverse is often irregular, generally D N ANASTASIVS P AVC. The reverse bears a depiction of Victory floating on a globe with the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTORVN, often irregular, in a style that is very similar to the productions of Anastasius. 20 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 80. Metlich 24 (Arslan AV22) BM ID: B.12298 This Milanese emission is characterized by a small cross placed above the head of the emperor on the obverse effigy; according to Metlich this production is slightly earlier than the other tremissis of the same mint in which the cross then becomes a star. 81. Metlich 25 (Arslan AV22) In this emission the legend on the reverse is followed by the indication of the year. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 82. Metlich 26 (Arslan AV21) The type is characterized by a simple legend and there is no star in the field. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 83. Metlich 27 (Arslan AV23) BM ID: 1904,0604.73; B.12299; B.12300; B.12301 This type shows the profile bust of the emperor to the right with a star placed on top of the diadem. Metlich mentions some occasional symbols on the shoulders of this type, but this is not the case for the specimens in the British Museum’s collection. On the reverse, the star is placed to the right and the legend becomes more erratic, e.g. AVCVSTORON or AVGVSTOROM. Three of the coins show CONOB in the exergue, apart from B.12300 that instead displays COИOB. 84. Metlich 28 (Arslan AV20) In this issue the reverse bears a star to the left of the standing figure of Victory. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 85. Metlich 29 (Arslan AV 24) This type is characterized on the reverse by two stars, one on the left and the other to the right of the standing depiction of Victory. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Silver Half siliqua The silver emissions of Milan show on the obverse the profile bust of Anastasius with cuirass, paludamentum and diadem alongside the legend D N ANASTASIVS P AVC. The obverse bears an image of Victory walking to the right, holding a long cross or rudder as well as a wreath, placed between the letters SC and surrounded by the inscription INVICTA ROMA. 86. Metlich 46a (Arslan –) This type is characterized by a depiction of Victory walking to the right and holding a long cross and wreath, placed between S C, and alongside the legend IMVICTA ROMA. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 87. Metlich 46a var. (Arslan –) BM ID: 1969,0517.2 An acquisition of 1969, this coin shows on the reverse a walking Victory positioned between S C and the legend IMVICTA ROMA. However, it also shows features that do not allow us to place it with group Metlich 46a, since the S in the field is 21 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum reversed and the figure of Victory holds a long rudder and not a cross; there is also evidence of a possible mint mark in exergue –three dots, ●●●, placed between two lines. This interesting specimen is possibly transitional between Metlich 46a and 46b. 88. Metlich 46b (Arslan –) BM ID: 1904,0511.36 In this type Victory holds a rudder or trophy instead of a cross and there are no visible mint marks. 89. Metlich 46c (Arslan AR1) This type shows Victory walking to the right holding a trophy and wreath, with a star above her head and S C at the sides, all within the legend IMVICTA ROMA. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Quarter siliqua The quarter siliqua emissions bear on the obverse the profile bust of Anastasius I with retrograde legends that read D N ANASTASIVS P P AVC as well as mint marks below the bust that are indicative of the Milanese mint. On the reverse of the coin there is the monogram of Theoderic within the legend INVICTA ROMA (adding C M with later emissions). 90. Metlich 47 (Arslan AR7) BM ID: 1847,1108.365; 1856,0705.1; 1847,1108.366; B.12302 Of these four specimens that should all be part of Metlich 47, only one (B.12302) shows evidence of the mint mark below the bust on the obverse – oMo. The coins are stylistically very erratic and show completely different styles in the engraving on both sides. 91. Metlich 48 (Arslan –) BM ID: B.12303; 1844,0425.2597 This type is characterized by the mint mark oMo, ●M●, ●m●, M below the bust on the obverse; on the same side the legend is also retrograde. The reverse of the coins shows an irregular legend, INVITA ROMA, with the letters C and M added at the end. The two coins appear to share the same dies, on both sides. 91n. Another coin, B.12304 (BMC 82) was listed by Metlich as being part of this group, but in spite of the mint mark oM(?)o under the bust, the legends on both sides are completely illegible and it is possible that this could be a barbarous emission, possibly by the Gepids, as it is quite similar in style to a specimen in Metlich (2004, fig. 22). 92. Metlich 49 (Arslan –) The obverse of the coin bears the mint mark IMD and on the reverse the monogram of Theoderic, within INVICTA ROMA C M legend. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 22 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint of Milan or Ticinum (c. 493–c. 498) Silver Half siliqua These productions are characterized by the use of the profile bust of Anastasius with the legend D N ANASTSIVS P P and a bust with Ostrogothic drapery, dotted in a similar way to the later productions from Ravenna. The mint mark ●●● is placed below the bust. The reverse types show an initial Christogram that is substituted at a later date by a star. 93. Metlich 50 (Arslan –) The type is characterized by a mint mark ●●● under the obverse bust and a Christogram within a wreath on the reverse. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 94. Metlich 50b (Arslan AR6) On the obverse of this coin is the mint mark ●●● and on the reverse a star within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Quarter siliqua The emissions of quarter siliquae are characterized by the use of a profile bust on the obverse of the coin with the legend of Anastasius, D N ANASTASIVS P P AVC, sometimes with a mint mark below it; the legend is often retrograde and becomes corrected with emission Metlich 52. The reverse bears the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above and a star below, initially within the legend INVICTA ROMA, which does not appear from emission Metlich 52 onwards. 95. Metlich 51a (Arslan –) The obverse bears a mint mark m under the bust and on the reverse there is the monogram of Theoderic within the inscription IMVICTA ROMA. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 96. Metlich 51b (Arslan –) BM ID: 1906,1103.327; 1855,0512.67 This issue bears no evidence of a mint mark below the bust on the obverse. The monogram of Theoderic is on the reverse, above which the reversed ϩ is visible, all within the legend IMVICTA ROMA. The lettering is smudged in 1855,0512.67. 97. Metlich 51c (Arslan AR8) The issue is characterized by the monogram of Theoderic within the legend IMVICTA ROMA. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 98. Metlich 52a (Arslan AR10) On the obverse, the effigy seems quite ‘barbaric’ and bears the mint mark ●●● below the bust. On the reverse the monogram of Theoderic has a cross above and a six-pointed star below, all positioned within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 23 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 99. Metlich 52b (Arslan –) BM ID: 1847,1108.364 This type should bear on the obverse the mint mark ●●● below the bust (not visible in this example), and on the reverse there is the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above and below, all positioned within a wreath. This issue shows the change of the letter S on top of the monogram, now placed correctly (see Metlich 51b). 24 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Theoderic in the name of Justin I (518–26) Mint of Rome Gold Tremissis The tremisses of Theoderic minted in the name of Justin I maintain, on the obverse, the profile bust with cuirass, paludamentum and diadem and displays the new legend, D N IVSTINVS P F AVC. The reverse bears an image of a frontal depiction of Victory floating on a globe, holding a wreath and globus cruciger, as well as a star on the right and the legend VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM and COMOB in the exergue. 100. Metlich 30a (Arslan AV27) BM ID: B.12305; G3,RIG.529; B.12306 All the three specimens belonging to this group have clumsy errors in the ligatured letters (B.12306 and obverse legends of the three specimens), incorrect spelling of the legends (G3,RIG.529) or letters that are reversed (B.12305). 101. Metlich 30b (Arslan –) The type varies from the previous one in the addition of a dot ● at the end of the reverse legend. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Silver Miliarensis 102. Metlich 53 (Arslan AR13) On the reverse, there is the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above, all positioned within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Siliqua 103. Metlich 54 (Arslan AR14) On the reverse, the monogram of Theoderic is displayed with a cross above, all situated within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Mint of Ravenna Quarter siliqua The emissions of quarter siliquae bear on the obverse the profile bust of the emperor with Ostrogothic drapery. On the profile busts of the silver coinage, this latter feature consists of a prominent shoulder panel containing dots. Metlich (2004, 36) describes this as an ‘Ostrogothic garment’. However, it can be more clearly seen on the frontal busts of some bronzes (e.g. Metlich 2004, 97–8) as a robe with a decorative edging rendered as a dotted border. Inscriptions are in the name of the new emperor, Justin, with a legend that reads D N IVSTINIVS P AVC, or variants that end in P AVC or simply AVC. The reverse bears the monogram of Theoderic with a cross above, both positioned within a wreath. 25 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 104. Metlich 55 (Arslan AR15) BM ID: 1906,1103.324 This type seems to be separating from its variant, since the obverse image of the emperor is surrounded by a rim that seems quite linear. 105. Metlich 55 var. 1 BM ID: B.12308; B.12309; 1904,0511.55; B.12310; 1908,0506.4; B.12311; 1906,1103.326 This variant is characterized by the bust of the emperor on the obverse surrounded by a rim created by a beaded line that is quite clearly defined (unlike that in group Metlich 55). 26 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Athalaric Athalaric in the name of Justin I (526–7) Mint of Rome Gold Solidus The emissions of solidi show on the obverse the three-quarter bust, with or without trefoil ornament on the helmet (without in later emissions), who has a cuirass and is holding a spear with a barbed top (Metlich 2004, 24 states this issue should be without a trefoil, but this is contradicted in p. 93 of the same work – all examples in the British Museum are without a trefoil). The legend on this side reads D N IVSTINVS P F AAVC. On the reverse, the standing figure of Victory holds a long cross in a style that seems to remain immobilized from the time of Theoderic, therefore reading VICTORIA AVCCC, but the star is now located on the left of the field instead of the right as previously recorded for the productions of Theoderic, and the exergue reads COMOB. 106. Metlich 31 (Arslan AV31) This emission is recognizable by the use of the officinal mark and the final lettering •T•. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 107. Metlich 32 (Arslan AV 25) BM ID: 1870,0201.2; BNK,R.93; G3,RIG.525; B.12642 This type is characterized on the obverse by the lack of trefoil on the emperor’s helmet (except on B.12642), a feature that could be indicative of an imitative issue. Worthy of notice is also the staff held by the emperor that is composed of dots and not a plain linear feature. There is also a decline in the accuracy of the lettering, seen especially in the letter F, which is rather crude in 1870,0201.2 and BNK,R.93. Similarly, on the reverse, the letter B of COMOB becomes more similar to a letter D (see BNK,R.93 and G3,RIG.525). On the reverse the officina mark A is recorded, and there is also a shift of the star from the right to the left of the field. Tremissis The emissions of tremisses maintain the profile bust of the emperor with cuirass and paludamentum and the legend D N IVSTINVS P F AVC. On the reverse Victory is advancing to the right with her head turned back (described as ‘floating’ by Metlich), holding a wreath in her right hand and a globus cruciger in her left. The star in these emissions is located to the right of Victory; the legend reads VICTORIA AVCVSTORVM and the exergue COMOB. 108. Metlich 33 (Arslan AV28) BM ID: B.12307 The only peculiar feature of this coin is the ligatured final letters of the legend on either side of the coin. 27 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint of Ravenna Silver Half siliqua The emissions of half siliquae bear on the obverse the diademed profile effigy of Emperor Justin I with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N IVSTINVS P AVC. The reverse shows the monogram of Athalaric with a cross above and a star below, between two letters DN, and all enclosed within a wreath. The letters DN could possibly indicate the value of the coin, 500 nummi. 109. Metlich 56 (Arslan AR16) BM ID: B.12312 The style of this coin is very similar to the emissions of Theoderic, maintaining on the obverse the dotted drapery typical of Ostrogothic Ravenna with a slightly more visible diadem tie. Quarter siliqua Maintaining the portrait of the emperor on the obverse and the legend D N IVSTINVS P AVC, the reverse of these coins records a major development that is in fact the key change in the symbolism of Ostrogothic emissions. In fact, the monogram of the Ostrogothic king is replaced by the inscription of the Ostrogothic king, initially with his name, written over four lines, D N/ATHA/LARI/CVS and later adding the title REX, becoming D N/ATHAL/ARICVS/REX. This act is often interpreted as the desire to highlight the actual reigning authority in addition to that of the acknowledged emperor which is still stated on the obverse, asserting the identity of the ruling population.15 110. Metlich 57a (Arslan AR17a) BM ID: 1855,0612.482; B.12313 This type is considered to be the earliest issue of the quarter siliquae since it bears the name of the king without the title REX. Only very few of these emissions are known since it was substituted almost immediately with the legend of Metlich 57b. 111. Metlich 57b (Arslan AR17b) The emission is characterized by the addition of the title REX/RIX at the end of the legend on the reverse. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 112. Metlich – BM ID: 1986,0421.14 This coin is a silver quarter siliqua unknown to Metlich, probably because it was purchased by the British Museum in 1986 and was therefore not included in Wroth’s catalogue. The specimen shows on the obverse the profile bust of the emperor, with a dotted paludamentum that is typical of the issues from the mint of Ravenna. It is however 15 Arslan 2004, 440. 28 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum also similar to the emissions of Baduila from the mint of Ticinum. The legend on the obverse reads D N IVSTI(N)VS AVC; since the clipped part is so big, it is also possible that the legend could fit the name of Justinian I. The reverse of the coin bears a simple six-pointed star within a wreath, which was used for the emissions of Theoderic in the name of Anastasius (Metlich 43a–b), although it is stylistically more similar to a copper alloy minimus of Baduila (Metlich 96). With the given information the coin could be assigned to the mint of Ravenna for stylistic reasons and dated from the beginning of Justin’s reign in 518 to the end of Justinian’s reign in 565. 29 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Athalaric in the name of Justinian I (527–c. 530) Mint of Rome Gold Solidus The emissions of solidi maintain on the obverse the three-quarter frontal bust with cuirass and barbed spearhead; the helmet now has a gem placed on the forehead and the ties of the diadem are pointing downwards. The legend also records a change for the new authority, D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC. On the reverse the legend VICTORIA AVCC surrounds a depiction of Victory standing with a long cross. The star is placed on the left and the exergue reads COMOB; the exergual line has one dot at the end on each side. 113. Metlich 34 (Arslan –) BM ID: B.12314; G3,RIG.534 Of the two coins in this group, B.12314 shows a spearhead that is barbed, but the staff is created by a line of dots in the same way as in Metlich 32. The staff in G3,RIG.534 is instead more linear (although this could be due to the wear of the die) and the spearhead is not barbed, but more rounded, which possibly suggests that this could be an emission of Ravenna or Milan instead. Tremissis The tremissis shows on the obverse the profile bust of the Byzantine emperor with cuirass and paludamentum alongside the legend D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC. The reverse bears the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTORVM around a floating Victory holding a wreath and globus cruciger. A six-rayed star is present on the left and CONOB is in exergue. 114. Metlich 35 (Arslan AV30) BM ID: B.12316 This tremissis is not a well-manufactured coin. On the obverse it is possible to see a change in style of the bust of the emperor that becomes more linear and the legends on both sides were possibly badly engraved and are barely legible. On the reverse, the figure of Victory seems to stand on only one leg, holding the wreath and globus cruciger; near the feet of Victory is a small ‘wavy’ line that could be a snake, which is not found in any other specimen. In this case the eight-rayed star (instead of the six-pointed one described by Metlich) is placed to the left (Arslan 2008, 14, with a star on the right). 30 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint of Ravenna (527–34) Silver Half siliqua On the obverse the coin bears the diademed profile effigy of the emperor in Ostrogothic style with dotted drapery, features that characterize the mint of Ravenna, alongside the legend D N IVSTINIANVS P AVC (although not complete). The reverse bears the monogram of Athalaric between D N, as well as a cross above and a star below, which was later replaced by a letter ‘c’, all positioned within a wreath. 115. Metlich 58a (Arslan –) BM ID: 1844,0425.2594; 1906,1103.330; 1853,0716.319 The half siliqua does not show great stylistic changes from the emissions in the name of Justin I, apart from more evident ties of the diadem at the back. The style of the paludamentum also varies slightly, although it maintains the dotted feature that seems to characterize the Ravenna mint. 116. Metlich 58b (Arslan AR18) BM ID: 1904,0511.56; 1904,0403.15 This type, also a half siliqua, varies only in the reverse monogram without a star underneath, which is replaced by a small symbol that recalls the letter ‘c’. Quarter siliqua The quarter siliqua emissions bear on the obverse the profile image of the emperor with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N IVSTINIAN AVC. On the reverse the inscription consists of the name of the king written over four lines, D N/ATHAL/ARICVS/REX. 117. Metlich 59 (Arslan AR19) BM ID: 1918,0503.30; 1906,1103.328; 1847,1108.367; 1906,1103.329; 1852,0220.56; 1853,0716.320; B.12325 In this quarter siliqua emission, the inscription is written over four lines with the final title REX. The spelling is not regular in this last part, where REX and RIX seem to be used apparently without any particular rule. Amongst the coins at the British Museum, 1918,0503.30 and 1906,1103.328 have the final REX and the rest end with RIX. 31 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Athalaric in his own name (526–34) Mint of Rome Copper alloy 10 nummi The 10 nummi emissions bear on the obverse the image of the helmeted bust of Rome with the inscription INVICTA ROMA. The reverse records two types: the first depicts a king standing, holding a spear and shield between the letters SC, as well as a letter X placed under the S in the left of the field, with the legend D N ATHALARICVS. The second type bears the name of the king written over four lines, D N/ATHAL/ARICVS/REX. Arslan considers this issue to be a denomination of 15 nummi, not 10. Metlich 85 When examining this emission it is possible to recognize two different styles in its execution, which according to Metlich can be subdivided between 85a (described as being of a coarser style) and 85b (stylistically finer). According to the author, all the British Museum coins belong to group 85a, with a coarser style, although the distinction between the two is subjective and hard to assess. Arslan 16 noted a difference in the execution of the coins in the different posture of the king himself, either three-quarter facing or facing straight on, which is a more objective way of discerning between the two types. Furthermore, the analysis carried out on the coinage in the British Museum’s collection shows another difference between the two emissions, which is the evidence given by the legend on the reverse of the coins. In fact, all the coins that are here considered as belonging to group 85a (according to Arslan) show an obverse legend that reads D N ATALARICVS REX. The coins belonging to group 85b instead record a legend that reads D N ATHALARICVS REX. 118. Metlich 85a (Arslan AE12) BM ID: 1908,0506.5; 1843,1024.234; B.12326; B.12327; BNK,R.862; B.12328 This type 17 is defined as ‘romano-hellenistic’, in that the king on the reverse is depicted as a three-quarter standing figure, with his head to the right and his right leg just slightly bent to the back; the shield is represented behind the left leg, with the central boss visible and all the legends on the reverse of the coins show the name of Athalaric without the letter H, reading ATALARICVS. 119. Metlich 85b (Arslan AE12) BM ID: 1906,1103.331, 1847,1108.369, 1844,0425.2576; 1847,1108.370 This second group18 shows similar characteristics with the king standing and facing the viewer with straight legs; the shield is also facing straight on with a more decorated boss. As proposed by Arslan, the style in this group does not seem more or less refined than the other, just different and possibly belonging to another 16 17 18 Arslan 2004. Ibid., 443. Ibid., 443–4. 32 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum school of engravers. Arslan suggests that the change in the positioning of the standing figure could be related to information that was known to the bearer of the coin but now unknown, which perhaps stressed the importance of attributes and symbols of power.19 As mentioned above, the name of the king is here written with the letter H and reads ATHALARICVS. 120. Metlich 86 (Arslan AE8) BM ID: 1906,1103.332; 1855,0612.483; 1860,0326.165 10 (or 15) nummi This emission is considered by most numismatists to be a denomination of 10 nummi, a value that would be indicated by the presence of the letter/numeral X that ties the wreath at the bottom. However, Arslan has disputed this theory by suggesting that the interpretation of the X as a mark of value is not certain and that because of the heavy average weight of this type, the emission could be of 15 and not 10 nummi as is widely accepted.20 The three specimens of this type within the British Museum’s collection show a quite good style of execution; 1906,1103.332 and 1860,0326.165 are quite complete and show that the edge of the coin could be limited by a line that is dotted in the former. 5 nummi The emissions of 5 nummi bear on the obverse the helmeted figure of Rome with the inscription INVICTA ROMA. On the reverse is the mark of value V, the Latin numeral for five, surrounded by the inscription of the king, D N ATHALARICVS, with or without the final title REX. 121. Metlich 87a (Arslan AE6) In this type the inscription on the reverse reads + D N ATHALARICVS. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 122. Metlich 87b (Arslan –) BM ID: 1951,1115.2820; B.12329; 1904,0511.460 In this type the reverse inscription reads +DN ATHALARICVS REX; it is likely that this type was produced at a later time than the previous one without a title, a pattern already seen in the quarter siliquae silver emissions. 2½ nummi This issue is considered by Metlich to be an emission of 2½ nummi (3 nummi by Arslan). Unlike the other copper alloy denominations, the obverse bears the profile bust of Justin I with paludamentum and diadem, alongside the legend D N IVSTINIANVS, and the reverse bears the monogram of Athalaric within a wreath. 19 20 Ibid. Arslan 1989; Arslan 2004; Arslan 2011. 33 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 123. Metlich 88 (Arslan AE20) BM ID: 1864,0719.31; B.12330; 1908,0506.6; 1847,1108.368; 1904,0511.461; B.12331; B.12332; B.12333; B.12334; 1846,0711.5; 1937,1104.6; 1951,1115.2821; 1975,1106.1 The coins in this group are quite heterogeneous and seem to share only one characteristic, which is that of the die being larger than the coin itself. 1904,0511.461 and 1846,0711.5 seem to share a similar die on the obverse, visible in the rendering of the king’s hair. The same reverse die could have been used for B.12330 and 1904,0511.461. 34 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Athalaric, Theodahad and Witigis Athalaric, Theodahad and Witigis in the name of Justinian I (c. 530–9) It is not possible at present to attribute these pseudo-imperial coins to one of the three Ostrogothic kings during this decade. Mint of Ravenna Gold Solidus The production of solidi maintains on the obverse the three-quarter facing bust with cuirass and paludamentum, alongside the legend D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC. However, there are a few variations, such as the spearhead that is plain not barbed and the diadem ties that are ‘fluttering’ away from the head. On the reverse the image of the standing Victory is maintained with the legend VICTORIA AVCCC, the star is placed on the left and the mint mark COMOB below the exergual bar has one or two dots at each end. 124. Metlich 36a (Arslan AV26) BM ID: BNK,R.94; B.12317; B.12322 The three specimens in this group show similar characteristics in the highly decorative cuirass of the emperor with a dotted spear shaft and plain spearhead. On the reverse the three coins share the same officina mark ‘A’. B.12322 is the coin in the worst condition, with the spear shaft almost not visible. In this specimen the face of the emperor is also very worn and the legend is smudgy as if it was made from a very old die or little care had been taken when producing it. The star on its reverse is eight pointed, unlike those of the other two specimens that have only six points. 125. Metlich 36b (Arslan AV26) BM ID: G3,RIG.535; 1873,1201.2; B.12321 This group includes three specimens of good quality and style that maintain a very decorative cuirass as in the previous groups and the linear spearhead. The difference between this type and Metlich 36a is found in the reverse legend, which bears a dot ● between AVCCC and the officina mark A. Tremissis The tremisses bear on the obverse the profile bust of the emperor with cuirass and paludamentum alongside the inscription of Justinian I with the legend D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC. On the reverse Victory is depicted floating, holding a wreath and a globus cruciger with the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTORVM, as well as the star on the right and COMOB in the exergue, with one or two dots at each end of the exergual bar. 35 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 126. Metlich 37 (Arslan AV29) BM ID: G3,RIG.539; G3,RIG.542; G3,RIG.543; B.12315; B.12339 The coins in the group all show similar characteristics, especially on the obverse, but all have slightly different features on the reverse. Metlich was unable to determine the mint of emission, but stylistically the specimens in the British Museum’s collection seem to show cuirasses of the emperor that resemble more closely those on the emissions of Rome rather than Ravenna. However, Metlich suggests that the mint for gold was moved from Rome to Ravenna and as Ravenna was very busy producing silver coinage, it would have been necessary to add another officina to the already existing one. This second officina could have been the one that added the two dots at the ends of the bar, as seen in G3,RIG.539, G3,RIG.542 and G3,RIG.543, whilst B.12315 and B.12339 bear only one dot on each side of the exergual bar. A peculiarity of G3,RIG.542 is the letter F of the PF on the obverse and the letters C and N of the reverse AVGVSTORVN: F and C look like a letter Γ whilst the latter is turned over and reads И. This change of character could be due to the use of Greek lettering or a lack of care or knowledge shown by the engravers, a hypothesis that could also be applied to B.12339, which shows a reversed S in the obverse legend (the legends on both sides are both of a very crude style). 127. Metlich – (37 var.?) BM ID: B.10327 This coin shows quite a good level of style on the obverse with a fairly legible legend, as well as a bust that recalls the productions of Rome, but most importantly there is a very peculiar relief around the circumference of the coin. On the reverse there is a floating Victory with a badly drawn wreath and a globus cruciger in addition to a star in the right field. The legend reads VICTOR(IA AVGVST)ORVM, with unclear final letters and the mint mark that reads COИOO, placed under two exergual lines. No other specimens show this peculiarity and it is possible that this could be an imitative issue. 128. Metlich – BM ID: B.12588 This coin is quite peculiar since the obverse shows the bust of the emperor in a style that is similar to those of the mint of Rome. The coin is similar to types 33 and 35a, but on the reverse it shows an eight-pointed star instead of the six-pointed one listed in Metlich’s work, as well as one (or two) letter(s) C(V?) in the right field. The letters were not noticed by Wroth, and this may be due to the fact that the letter V could be a fold in the dress of Victory; Metlich does not include the coin in his catalogue. The meaning of the lettering is not known, but possible suggestions could be ‘civitas’ or ‘invicta’, both terms commonly associated with Rome in this period. 36 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Theodahad in the name of Justinian I (534–6) Mint of Ravenna Silver Half siliqua The half siliqua emissions show on the obverse the diademed profile bust of Justinian I with Ostrogothic style drapery decorated with dots in the style that is common of emissions from Ravenna alongside the legend D N IVSTINIANVS P AVC. The reverse bears the monogram of Theodahad within a wreath. 129. Metlich 60 The emission is characterized by the monogram of Theodahad placed between the letters D and N, all within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 130. Metlich 61 BM ID: 1853,0716.318; B.12335; 1855,0612.484; 1936,1012.14 All the specimens of this type are in quite good condition and minted in a style of a certain quality, especially 1855,0612.484 and B.12335, which probably share the same reverse die. The most different is 1853,0716.318 in that the letter D of the monogram is narrower than that of the other specimens as well as showing on the obverse ‘fluttering’ ties of the diadem. Quarter siliqua The emissions of quarter siliquae bear on the obverse the diademed profile bust of Justinian I with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N IVSTINIAN AVC. On the reverse the name of Theodahad is placed over four lines: D N/THEODA/HATVS/REX (or RIX). 131. Metlich 62 BM ID: 1867,0101.2223; 1847,1108.371; 1853,0716.317; 1906,1103.333; 1855,0512.68 The five specimens of this type are in quite good condition. 37 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint of Rome Copper alloy 40 nummi During the brief reign of Theodahad the emissions in copper alloy included the introduction of a 40 nummi issue with a very strong message that is visible especially on the obverse where the bust of the emperor is replaced by that of Theodahad himself. In this effigy, the king is also depicted with clear symbols of barbaritas since he is portrayed as a warrior with a Spangenhelm 21 and Ostrogothic robes with pectoral cross, in addition to the long hair and moustache and finally the legend that reads D N THEODAHATVS REX. On the reverse Victory is standing on a prow, holding a palm branch and wreath, between SC, and recorded with two different legends: VICTORIA AVGVST or VICTORIA PRINCIPVM. 132. Metlich 89a On the reverse of this type Victory is depicted with the irregular inscription VICTORIA AVCVST. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 133. Metlich 89b BM ID: 1847,1108.372; 1856,0705.3; 1951,1115.2822; 1908.0506.7; B.12337; B.12338; 1906,1103.334 The specimens within this group are quite regular with good quality engraving and a well-decorated jewelled bust with pectoral cross; the Spangelhelm is also jewelled and the plates decorated with 6 pointed stars. Following a die analysis carried out by Metlich and Arslan 22 on the 40 nummi coins of Theodahad, it is possible to discern three different die combinations visible in the coins in the collection of the British Museum. The different combinations are as follows: 1C: D N THEO-DAHATVS REX/VICTORIA PRINCIVM (BM ID 1951,1115.2822) 1E: D N THEO-DAHATVS REX/VICTORIAP-RINCIPVM (BM ID: 1856,0705.3; B.12338) 2A: D N THEODA-HATVS REX/VICTORIA-PRINCIPVM (BM ID: 1847,1108.372; B.12337) 3B: D N THEOD-AHATVS REX/VICTORIAP-RINCIPVM (BM ID: 1906,1103.334) For this subdivision, the scholars only considered legend breaks and not any visible variants to the legends as further evidence of a different die. This of course causes a problem in the actual number of existing dies, since few spelling inaccuracies are present. For example the legend of 1951,1115.2822 has on the reverse the use of the Λ instead of the A and reads PRINCIPV lacking the final M (also absent in 1908.0506.7); B.12337 has the letter И instead of N and is 21 This is a helmet made of strips (spangen) that form the framework of the helmet (helm) to which steel or bronze plates were connected that fill the gaps. 22 Arslan and Metlich in Metlich 2004, 125–34. 38 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum inaccurate in the miscalculation of the space needed for the legend, where the letters DA of Theodahad are smaller and just fit around the image and the final X looks more like a cross. 1906,1103.334 uses a И in the initial DN part, followed by a letter E that looks more like an F, and the final part REX actually reads R[+; on the reverse the reading is VICLOᴚIV bRIИCPVM (with letters written outwardly), as well as recording a reversed ϩ in the SC. Therefore, it is possible to see a number of what could be considered ‘spelling’ mistakes or inaccuracies in the lettering that contrast with the actual precision in the representation of the king’s portrait. This could possibly be interpreted as a clear sign of the shift from an ancient Roman style to a technique that stresses the importance of symbols of a different nature, as suggested by Arslan. 23 10 (or 15) nummi These emissions bear on the obverse the profile bust of the personification of Rome with the legend INVICTA ROMA. On the reverse the name of Theodahad is written over four lines, D N THEOD/ AHATHVS/REX. 134. Metlich 90 BM ID: 1853,0716.321; 1847.1108.373; 1906.1103.335; 1951,1115.2823 This type copies the previous emissions of Athalaric, with the name of the king written over four lines; all of the specimens show regular lettering and no misspellings on either side of the coins. The obverse of coins 1853,0716.321 and 1847.1108.373 is similar and it is possible that they could have shared the same die. 2½ nummi The emission of 2½ nummi bear on the obverse the effigy of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I with the legend D N IVSTINIANVS. On the reverse the monogram of Theodahad is positioned within a wreath, reading D N/THEODA/HATHVS/REX. 135. Metlich 91a BM ID: B.12336 The coin belonging to this type is not in a very good condition and the inscription on the obverse is unclear. On the reverse the flan used seems smaller than the die itself. 135a. Metlich 91b The issue is characterized by a monogram that is only slightly different in style to the previous one in the form of the letter S above the monogram. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 23 Arslan 2011. 39 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Witigis Witigis in the name of Justinian I (356–8) Mint of Ravenna Silver Half siliqua The emissions of half siliquae bear on the obverse the diademed bust of Justinian I with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and an inscription that reads D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC, although with irregularities (the legend is also surrounded by a pearled border not recorded by Metlich). On the reverse, the emission bears an inscription written over four lines, D N/VVIT/ICE(I)S/REX. 136. Metlich 63 (Arslan AR23) BM ID: 1847,1108.375; 1844,0425.2582; 1844,0425.2596; 1844,0425.2600; 1867,0101.2220; 1906,1103.336 Six coins belong to this quite uniform group, especially on the obverse where the bust drapery maintains the characteristic dotted decoration typical of the emissions of Ravenna. There are some spelling irregularities on the obverse in 1867,0101.2220 where the initial letter N reads II, whilst 1847,1108.375 and 1844,0425.2600 show the following endings: P Γ AV and P Γ IVC. On the reverse, the inscriptions all end with REX. Quarter siliqua The quarter siliqua emissions bear on the obverse the diademed profile bust of the emperor with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N IVSTINIAN AVC within a beaded border. The reverse displays the monogram within a wreath, with a dot between the two main letters, R and D. The monogram recorded is that of Theoderic and not Witigis, possibly an attempt to assert his belonging to the Amal family.24 137. Metlich 64 (Arslan AR22) BM ID: B.12340; B.12342 Maintaining the dotted drapery typical of the mint of Ravenna, the coins show quite regular features; the dotted line is well defined in these specimens. 138. Metlich 64 var. BM ID: B.12341 As with type 64 this variant shows the bust of Justinian on the obverse and the monogram of Theoderic on the reverse, but of a type without the dot in the middle. 24 Metlich 2004, 41, 40 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Unlike type 64, there is no evidence of a dotted border, which appears to be more linear. Copper alloy 10 (15) nummi The copper alloy production seems to record only one single denomination, 10 nummi (considered to be 15 nummi by Arslan), which bears on the obverse the profile helmeted bust of the personification of Rome and the inscription INVICTA ROMA. On the reverse the name of the emperor is written over four lines that reads D N/VVIT/ICE(I)S/RE(I)X, all within a wreath tied by the letter/numeral X. It is likely that Witigis did not emit minimi because of the need for higher value denominations due to the cost of the war. 139. Metlich 92 (Arslan AE15) BM ID: 1847,1108.374; B.12344; 1855,0612.485 The British Museum’s collection contains three coins of the Metlich 92 type, one of which shows the final part RIX (1847,1108.374) whilst the other two show REX. Particularly worthy of notice is B.12344, which displays a dotted line around the wreath on the reverse that is not visible on the other two specimens. 41 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Witigis in the name of Anastasius I (538–9) Silver Quarter siliqua This emission bears on the obverse the diademed profile effigy of the emperor with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery representing Emperor Anastasius I instead of Justinian I with the legend D N ANASTASIVS. The reverse bears a monogram of Theoderic in a slight variant. Because of the legend of Anastasius, Wroth had assigned this coin to the emissions of Baduila. However, since Baduila only uses his name on the reverse of his emissions, it is likely that this is a specimen minted in the latter years of Witigis’ reign when the Ostrogoths were at war with the Byzantine emperor. 140. Metlich 65 (Arslan AR34) BM ID: B.12343 This coin bears the clear inscription of Anastasius I on the obverse of the coin and the monogram of Theoderic within a wreath on the reverse. No monograms for Witigis are in fact recorded. 42 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Baduila in the name of Justinian I (541–9/550) Mint of Ticinum Silver Half siliqua The initial half siliqua emissions of Baduila bear on the obverse the diademed profile image of Justinian I with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N IVSTINIANVS P F AVC, which is often poorly executed. On the reverse the name of the king is written over four lines, D N/DADV/ILA/REX. 141. Metlich 66 (Arslan AR16) The obverse of this coin shows the portrait of Justinian I. On the reverse the legend of the king is written over four lines. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Quarter siliqua The emissions of quarter siliqua bear the profile effigy of Justinian I with a crosstopped diadem and Ostrogothic style dotted drapery. Variable forms of obverse legends occur: D N IVISTIVS, D N IVSTINIANVS as well as INVICTISIMVS AVC. On the reverse is the monogram of Baduila with D above and N below, all within a wreath, or a type with the name of the king, D N/BADV/ILA/REX. 142. Metlich 67a (Arslan AR25) BM ID: 1931,0810.1 This emission is considered to be an early example because of the presence of the inscription of Justinian I on the obverse, which is very poorly executed. The reverse bears the monogram of Baduila within a wreath. 143. Metlich 67b (Arslan AR25) In this emission the obverse inscription of Emperor Justinian I varies slightly to DN IVSTIVS PF AVC. The reverse maintains the monogram of Baduila. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 144. Metlich 68 (Arslan AR27) This type shows on the obverse the inscription of Justinian I, DN IVSTINIANVS PF AVC. The reverse records a change in its typology with evidence of the name of the king written over four lines. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 145. Metlich 69 (Arslan AR27) This type witnesses a change in the obverse legend to INVICTISIMVS AVC. On the reverse the name of the king is written over four lines. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 43 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Baduila in the name of Anastasius I (541–52) Mint of Ticinum Gold Solidus The single solidus emission shows on the obverse the three-quarter frontal bust of Anastasius with cuirass, paludamentum and diadem, with a trefoil on the helmet and no diadem ties, holding a spear with lance top and shield alongside the legend D N ANASTASIVS P P AVC. The reverse depicts an image of Victory standing with a star on the left, accompanied by the legend VICTORIA AVCCC followed by the mint mark/year and CONOT in the exergue. Metlich has some doubts whether this is an Ostrogothic emission.25 146. Metlich 38 (Arslan AV34) BM ID: B.12345; B.12346; B.7553 Three specimens in this group can be distinguished from the earlier emissions of Theoderic on account of the final mint mark ‘I’ at the end of the reverse legend (in earlier examples the letter/numeral was followed by the monogram of Theoderic (see Metlich 20)). Furthermore, the style of the engraving is slightly more ‘barbaric’, especially in B.12345. However, B.12346 is much poorer in style and the letters of the legend are almost illegible especially on the obverse where it is heavily worn. The legends are also very irregular since the obverse reads D N IVSTINIANVS P I AVG; the reverse adds II at the end to read VICTORIA AVCCC A II. The star in the field is placed on the left and the exergue that reads CONICI. B.12346 is not only smaller in diameter but also has quite a thick and rounded edge, reminiscent of a trimmed Lombardic coin. It is possible that this could be a contemporary imitative coin. B.7553 is instead distinguished by the more careful and detailed production style and it is possible to attribute it to the mint of Ticinum because of the legend C•N•T (the final T would stand for Ticinum). The mint mark is characterized by the two letters ‘O’ that look like a dot •, a feature also seen in specimens of Metlich 40b, var. 6. Tremissis The tremissis emissions show on the obverse the profile effigy of Anastasius I with cuirass, paludamentum and diadem alongside the legend D N ANASTASIVS P P AVC. On the reverse a frontal depiction of Victory is seen floating on a globe, holding a wreath and globus cruciger, and a star is normally positioned in the right field alongside the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTORVM; mint marks often vary. 25 Metlich 2004, 34. 44 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 147. Metlich 39 (Arslan AV33) BM ID: 1906,1103.317 This emission maintains the general features seen in Baduila’s productions, but the obverse legend refers to Justinian I and not Anastasius (Metlich 40). This coin does not bear the legend CONOT as specified by Metlich, but C•N•, as for example in Metlich 40b var. 6. It therefore seems that the same officina producing with this mint mark could have been active from the earlier stages of Baduila’s reign. 148. Metlich 40a (Arslan –) BM ID: B.12347; B.12348 These two coins show a similar reverse with a star in the right field, However, B.12347 is less precise with the legend and exergue placed in a continuous sequence in which the exergue inscription drops the final letter B. B.12348 is executed with more precision as the exergual bar and legend are better distinguished than those of the other coin. 149. Metlich 40b (Arslan AV35/6) BM ID: 1863,0711.20 This type is defined by the exergue inscription CONOI, as well as a dot present at each end of the exergual line. 150. Metlich 40b var. (Arslan –) Ten coins may be assigned to type 40b, but the characteristics of this type are not always present. Some show the same features or share similar patterns that could group the coins together. 151. Var.1 Mint mark CONO(B) BM ID: B.12352 On the reverse of this variant, the exergue mint mark is not clear and reads CONO(B). 152. Var. 2 Mint mark CONOB BM ID: B.12349; B.12351 The coins bear in the reverse exergue the full mint mark CONOB, but with two different reverse legends: B.12349 reads VICTORS AVCOSTRV with the mint mark ‘I’ at the end of the legend, as seen in the solidus emissions; B.12351 bears the legend VICTORIA AVCVSTII. 153. Var. 3 Mint mark CONOΓ BM ID: B.12353 This coin shows on the reverse the mint mark CONOΓ, with the use of the letter Γ instead of a T. The style of the coin is quite refined, but in the legend the letter A is substituted by Λ; the obverse legend is more imprecise than the reverse and contains the final mint mark ‘I’, already seen in B.12349 and B.12351 (var. 2). 154. Var. 4 Mint mark COHO BM ID: 1869,0709.59; B.12357 Two coins bear in the reverse exergue the inscription COHO, although this is more evident in B.12357. This specimen shows a style with quite crude images on both sides and legends that seem quite illiterate. On the contrary 1869,0709.59 is quite 45 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum well produced on the reverse with a regular exergue bar, although the inscription underneath is not complete. 155. Var. 5 Mint mark COИO BM ID: B.12358 This coin is of a rather good quality in the style of the engraving with a bust that shows a cross on the diadem. However, in the legends there are misspellings and a reversed ϩ, Λ and И have been used instead of the letters S, A and N, resulting in D N AИΛϩIΛϩIVϩ I I AL(?) and VICTORIΛ ΛVVCVSTORV I; this latter mark could be the same mint mark as already seen in the solidi and the tremissis of this same type (see var. 2). 156. Var. 6 Mint mark C•N• BM ID: B.12354; B.12355; B.12356; G3,RIG.520 Four coins belong to this group sharing a similar style of mint mark in which the letters O of CONO are represented by a filled dot • that can be of different sizes and is badly executed in G3,RIG.520 where the dots look more like small triangles. Both B.12354 and G3,RIG.520 have a thin border around the field that is reminiscent of later Lombardic coins manufactured in this way. Another common feature is the use of ϩ and Λ instead of the letters S and A. B.12354 shows signs of the gold smudging around the letters on either side of the coin, perhaps indicative of a worn die. Silver (549/550–2) Half siliqua The half siliqua emissions are characterized by the diademed profile bust with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the name of Anastasius, D N ANASTASIVS P F AVC, or DOMINO ANSTASIV OC. On the reverse the name of Baduila is written over four lines, D N/BADV/ILA/REX. 157. Metlich 70a (Arslan AR28) BM ID: 1853,0716.324; 1847,1108.377; B.12359 This emission bears on the obverse the legend of Anastasius I and shows the dotted garment that was typical of the mint of Ravenna, possibly a style that was being maintained even after the city had been lost to the Byzantine emperor. On the reverse the name of Baduila is written over four lines, with the Greek letter Λ substituting the letter A and the ending is REX or RIX. 158. Metlich 70b (Arslan AR30) BM ID: 1847,1108.376 This type maintains the profile bust of Anastasius I, but is of a rather crude style and the legend changes to DOMINO ANSTASIV OC. On the reverse the name of Baduila is written over four lines, with the letter A substituted by the Greek letter Λ. Quarter siliqua The quarter siliqua emissions bear on the obverse the diademed profile bust of Anastasius with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N ANASTASIVS P F AVC. On the reverse, the name of Baduila is written over four lines, D N/BADV/ILA/REX, all within a wreath. 46 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 159. Metlich 71a (Arslan AR29) BM ID: 1863,0711.18; B.12361 This emission bears legends of Anastasius that are irregular; the letter A is substituted by the Greek Λ. 160. Metlich 71b (Arslan AR29) BM ID: B.12360 This emission, similar to the previous type, shows a more regular style, particularly on the obverse effigy that is more detailed and reflects a more classical style. On the obverse, the legend is barely legible and on the reverse the letter A is substituted by the Greek Λ. Mint of Rome Silver Half siliqua The silver emissions of Rome are two issues of half siliquae that bear on the obverse the diademed effigy of the Byzantine emperor with Ostrogothic style drapery, engraved in a more linear way, but maintaining the dotted feature of the garment; the legends are irregular and consist of variants of D N ANASTASIVS P F AVC. The obverse effigy and legend are surrounded by a heavy dotted border. The reverse bears the name of Baduila written over four lines, D N/BADV/ILA/REX, within a wreath. 161. Metlich 72a (Arslan –) BM ID: 1867,0101.2222 On this type the name of Baduila is given on the reverse and preceded by a cross, therefore reading + D N/BADV/ILA/REX, and is positioned within a wreath. 162. Metlich 72b (Arslan –) This type bears on the reverse the simple legend of Baduila without a cross. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. Copper (541–52) 10 (15) nummi This emission bears on the obverse the crowned bust of the personification of the river Ticinus and the inscription FELIX TICINVS. The reverse bears the inscription of the king, D N/BADV/ILA/REX, written over four lines and positioned within a wreath. 163. Metlich 93 (Arslan AE16) BM ID: 1853,0716.325 The only peculiar feature of this coin is the obverse legend in which the letter A is substituted by the Greek Λ. 2½ (or 3 according to Arslan) nummi The emissions of 2½ nummi (or minimi) bear on the obverse the effigy of Emperor Anastasius, a profile bust to the right with paludamentum and diadem, alongside the legend D N ANASTASIVS. The reverse shows three main different types: the 47 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum monogram of Baduila; the inscription D N REX/B written over two lines; and a star within a wreath. 164. Metlich 94 (Arslan AE16) BM ID: 1904,0511.450; B.12362; B.12363; 1849,0717.268 This type shows on the obverse the effigy of the emperor, but the inscription is often not visible due to the fact that the die was likely to be bigger than the flan itself. On the reverse is the monogram of Baduila, with a cross above, all within a wreath. 165. Metlich 95a (Arslan –) BM ID: 1904,0511.462; B.12364 This type shows on the obverse the effigy of the emperor and on the reverse the inscription */D N REX/B, all positioned within a wreath. 166. Metlich 95b (Arslan AE24) BM ID: 1849,0717.291; 1849,0717.168; 1849,0717.267; B.12365; 1846,0711.9; 1934,0903.26 This type maintains the effigy of Anastasius on the obverse and shows a simpler inscription on the reverse, reading D N REX/B, all within a wreath. The execution of the coins is fairly irregular and heterogeneous and four specimens show a line above the letter DN, an indication of a slightly different production and could be interpreted as the abbreviation of the word DOMINVS. All of the coins show evidence on both sides of minting with a die that is larger than the flan itself. 167. Metlich 95b var. BM ID: 1934,0903.48 This type shows a different legend on the reverse, with RX instead of REX. 168. Metlich 95b var. BM ID: 1849,0717.266; B.12366 This type shows the effigy of Anastasius on the obverse and on the reverse the inscription D N REX/B, however without a line above. 169. Metlich 96 (Arslan –) BM ID: 1864,0719.27; 1864,0719.26 This type shows on the obverse the effigy of Anastasius and his legend, and on the reverse a star within a wreath. Whilst the obverse is often minted with a die that seems to be bigger than the flan itself, the reverse is more regular and fits better in the flan. 1864,0719.26 also shows some protrusion of metal on both sides of the coin, a possible indication of the technology used for its production, likely to be a cast flan on which the coin was struck without removing the excess parts. 48 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Baduila in his own name Mint of Rome Silver (550–2) Half siliqua The only known emission of Baduila in his own name is a half siliqua that maintains on the obverse an effigy that resembles those previously used for the Byzantine emperors – diademed and with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery, but with the name of Baduila, D N BADVILA REX. The reverse bears the inscription of the king written over four lines, D N/BADV/ILA/REX, positioned within a wreath. 170. Metlich 73 (Arslan –) BM ID: 1847,1108.378 This coin shows quite a good level of style in the execution on both sides. The obverse effigy resembles the quality of Thedoeric’s emissions and correct lettering, especially on the reverse emission in which the letter A is executed with the horizontal bar. Copper alloy (549/550–2) 10 (15) nummi The 10 nummi are produced with the effigy of the king, in a frontal pose with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and helmet as well as the legend of the king that reads D N BADVILA REX. This denomination was produced with two different types: the first one bears the legend of the king written over four lines, D N B/ADV/ELA/REX or D N/BADV/ELA/REX within a wreath. The second type bears an image of the king standing in a frontal position, holding a spear and shield within the legend FLOREAS SEMPER. 171. Metlich 97a (Arslan AE18) BM ID: 1860,0326.167; B.12367; 1906,1103.337; B.12368; 1951,1115.2825; B.12369 The six coins of this type show on the reverse a legend that is evenly distributed with three letters of the inscription on each line. 1860,0326.167 and B.12367 show a more similar execution and even alloy; the same occurs on 1906,1103.337 and B.12368 that are also lighter in weight. 172. Metlich 97b (Arslan AE18) BM ID: 1908,0506.23 This emission differs from 97a since the reverse inscription shows a different subdivision of the name of the emperor, D N/BADV/ELA/REX. 173. Metlich 98a (Arslan –) The type maintains on the obverse the frontal portrait of Baduila and on the reverse a depiction of the king standing with spear and shield and a numeral X in the right field within the legend FLORE ASSEMPER. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 174. Metlich 98b (Arslan AE13) BM ID: 1908,0506.8; B.12370; B.12371; 1860,0326.166; B.12372; B.12373 49 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum This type shows on the obverse the frontal portrait of Baduila and on the reverse a change to a depiction of a frontal facing standing king with spear, shield and the numeral (?) X placed in the right field. The legend FLOREAS SEMPER is subdivided differently from the previous type. 2½ nummi The productions of minimi maintain on the obverse the frontal diademed effigy of Baduila with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend of the king, D N BADVILA REX. The reverse instead shows a lion within a wreath. 175. Metlich 99 (Arslan AE25) BM ID: 1864,0719.32; B.12374; B.12375 The three coins belonging to this emission show evidence on both sides of the use of a larger die for a smaller size flan. The obverse sides in 1864,0719.32 and B.12375 show that a line surrounded the whole effigy and inscription, which is dotted in B.12375. 50 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Theia (552) Mint of Ticinum Silver Half siliqua The emissions of half siliqua show on the obverse the profile bust of Anastasius I wearing a diadem and Ostrogothic style dotted drapery, with irregular legends from DONINO ANASTASIV OC to D M/N ANASTASIVS P AVC and other variants. On the reverse the inscription of the Ostrogothic king is written over three or four lines from D N/THEI/AREX to DOM/NVSTH/EIAP/REX, also with very irregular legends. 176. Metlich 74a (Arslan –) In this emission the legend on the obverse reads DOMINO ANASTASIV OC. The reverse bears the inscription of the king over three lines, D N/THEI/A REX, positioned within a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 177. Metlich 74b (Arslan –) This emission bears on the obverse the legend DM ANASTASIVS P AC. On the reverse is the inscription of the king over four lines, DOM/NVS TH/EIA P/REX, all positioned in a wreath. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 178. Metlich 74b (var.?) BM ID: 1904,0403.16 The style of this coin resembles that of the Metlich 74b emissions, but with some variants. In fact, on the obverse the name of the emperor reads D N ANΛϩTAϩIVϩ Γ AV, with the reversed ϩ on either side of the coin as well as the badly incised letters A, one of which reads Λ as well as a badly incised P that becomes a Γ. On the reverse the inscription includes the P in the third line at the end of the name, reading DOM/NVϩTH/EIA P/REX. 179. Metlich 74c (Arslan AR32) BM ID: B.12376 One coin is assigned to this group and is characterized by fairly irregular legends that show on the obverse the effigy and name of Anastasius I, D N ΛNΛSTΛSIVS P P Λ, with all the A letters without a bar, resembling the Greek letter Λ. On the reverse the subdivision of the name is already irregular, reading D N/THE/IA/DEX, in which the letter D is used instead of R; also the A is particularly carelessly inscribed as it is made up simply of two lines convergent at the top / \. The same type of inscription is found in the quarter siliqua emission, B.12377. 180. Metlich 74c var. BM ID: 1847,1108.379; 1867,0101.2221 Because of the different reverse inscriptions two coins were assigned to a variant of group 74c. The two half siliquae show the use of the letter Λ instead of A in the obverse inscription, whilst the reverse uses the Latin letter. The reverse is also characterized by the legend D N/THIL/A REX in the case of 1867,0101.2221 and whilst the legend is correct in 1847,1108.379, the letter I is rather badly incised, looking more like a letter L. 51 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Quarter siliqua The quarter siliqua emissions show the diademed profile bust of Anastasius on the obverse with Ostrogothic style dotted drapery and the legend D N ANASTASIV(S P F) AV(C). The inscription of the Ostrogothic king is maintained on the reverse, written over three lines D N/THEI/AREX. 181. Metlich 75 (var?) (Arslan AR33) BM ID: B.12377 The coin included in this group shows quite irregular legends on both sides. On the obverse, the letters of the letters A are replaced by Λ. On the reverse the inscription is written over four lines, the subdivision of the name seems incorrect and the A letters are particularly carelessly inscribed, simply created by two lines convergent at the top / \. The same type of inscription is found in the half siliqua coin B.12376, both possibly the work of the same engraver (although the dies are different). 52 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Anonymous emissions INVICTA ROMA The copper alloy emissions of the Ostrogoths include some issues that are difficult to assign to one specific authority and were classified as ‘autonomous’ by both Wroth26 and Grierson.27 In 1973, Hahn arranged these issues in a more structured way, assigning most of them to an unspecified period between the reigns of Theoderic and Athalaric from the mint of Rome. These productions have been the subject of much debate amongst numismatists, without however reaching a satisfactory or fully accepted interpretation. There are in fact disagreements related to the issuing authority and therefore the date of their emission, as well as the mints in which they were produced. The issues are minted with denominations of 40, 20 and 10 nummi, all without the effigy of a Byzantine emperor. The obverse of 40 and 20 nummi issues bear the image of the personification of Rome with a helmeted head and the inscription INVICTA ROMA; the 10 nummi emissions display the personification of Ravenna and the inscription FELIX RAVENNA. Grierson subdivided the 40 and 20 nummi emissions into two groups, the first of which was ‘Class 1’ that included productions of follis and ½ follis with the image of the she-wolf with suckling twins and the mark of value XL or XX. In the issues considered as ‘Class 2’ the reverse of the follis bears the image of an eagle with the mark of value XL, whilst the ½ follis has a fig tree with the mark of value XX placed in the exergue.28 Initially Grierson 29 and later Arslan 30 suggested a classification that was mainly based on the analysis of their weight, with the hypothesis that the earliest 40 nummi emissions with the wolf were minted after 493, therefore replacing the emissions of Odovacar issued in the name of Zeno. Recently, Metlich has adopted a different approach by taking into consideration not only the weight of the emissions, but also their stylistic characteristics that were often ignored in the past. In his work 31 he supports the hypothesis that the weight of the coins cannot be the only factor for a chronological classification as he believes that the larger coins are often recorded to be lighter in weight than the standards recorded for those specific emissions. As a result, Metlich supports the theory that the reference weight should be calculated on the 10 nummi issues as their recorded weight is more stable.32 This created a new classification, whereby the 40 nummi with the image of the eagle and the FELIX RAVENNA emissions 26 BZ3. MEC 1. 28 Ibid., 32; Arlsan 2010 with bibliography. Arslan shares the same theory introduced by Grierson, but does not uses ‘Classes’. 29 MEC 1. 30 Arslan 1989. 31 Metlich 2004, 48. 32 Ibid., 64–6. 27 53 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum were ascribed to Theoderic, whilst the other types with fig tree and she-wolf were attributed to Athalaric. This new approach was strongly criticized by Arslan who argued that Metlich’s work only took into consideration coins that were conserved in museum collections and neglected the significant evidence from the archaeological record. 33 Another more recent work by Stahl 34 has subdivided the issues into Classes II–IV. In Class II he included the emissions with the legend INVICTA ROMA and the shewolf, both 40 and 20 nummi. In Class III he included emissions still with the legend INVICTA ROMA, the 40 nummi with an eagle on reverse and 20 nummi with fig tree and eagles. Class IV is related to the emissions of Ravenna with the FELIX RAVENNA inscription. Unlike Metlich, Stahl suggests that all these issues were minted by the Ostrogoths from Theoderic onwards. This is particularly important for the Zeno emissions with an image of an eagle, which Stahl dates to the early years of Theoderic when Zeno was still emperor. Table 1 shows a synthesis of the different hypothesis that have been put forward for the interpretation of these emissions, starting with those suggested by the British numismatists Wroth 35 and Grierson, 36 followed by the German-Austrian school of Metlich 37 and Hahn, 38 as well as the earliest interpretations of Friedländer39 and Kraus,40 and finally the Italian scholars Arslan 41 and Ercolani.42 Stahl43 is not included in this table, since his review is more general and did not analyse in detail the issues of minting authority and mint of production. Table 1 (T = Theoderic; A = Athalaric; RA = Ravenna; RM = Rome) Type Metlich 76, eagle Metlich 82, she-wolf, 40 nummi Metlich 83, fig tree, 20 nummi Metlich 84, she-wolf, 20 nummi Wroth 1911 (BZ3) T/A, RM CEM 1986 Metlich 2004 Friedländer 1849 T, RM Hahn 1973 (MIB 1) T/A; RM Odov, RM T/A, RM? ?, RM A, RM T, RM ?RA/RM T/A, RM? ?, RM A, RM T/A, RM T/A, RM? ?, RM A, RM T, RM Kraus 1928 Ercolani 1983 Arslan 2011 ? RM A, RM ? RA/RM ? RM T, RM ? RM ? RM ? RM T, RM ? RM ? RM ? RM T, RM 33 Arslan 2011. Stahl 2012, 637–8. 35 BZ3. 36 MEC 1. 37 Metlich 2004. 38 MIB I. 39 Friedländer 1849. 40 Kraus 1928. 41 Arslan 2004; Arslan 2011. 42 Ercolani 1983. 43 Stahl 2012. 34 54 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum FELIX RAVENNA The early scholars who took up the task of classifying Ostrogothic coinage associated the emissions of Felix Ravenna to the productions of the Ravenna mint, literally following the inscription on the obverse of the coin. The 10 nummi piece was minted in three different issues that bear on the reverse the image of an eagle, the monogram of the city or a standing Victory between the letters R and V, which are interpreted as the mint mark or Ravenna. However, the discovery of two coins that can be defined as ‘mules’ or ‘hybrid’ has created some problems in this identification since these specimens (Metlich 86/78) show on the obverse a helmeted bust of Rome with the inscription INVICTA ROMA and the monogram of the city of Ravenna on the reverse. This evidence led Hahn to suggest that the mint of production of the FELIX RAVENNA issue was not Ravenna, but Rome, a hypothesis supported by Metlich44 who also suggested that these productions were minted under the reign of Theoderic. In contrast, Arslan argued that the obverse die used for the ‘hybrid’ specimens was also employed to mint some issues of Athalaric. 45 Supported by this evidence, the scholar suggests that the die was initially used for emissions of Athalaric and only later recycled for the Felix Ravenna emissions, therefore proposing instead that the issue was minted during the reign of Athalaric. The issue could have been produced initially with the bust of Rome as a symbol of the kingdom and not of the mint of production, an effigy that was substituted by the bust of Ravenna. 46 Table 2 summarizes the different interpretations that have been presented to date. Table 2 (T = Theoderic; A = Athalaric; RA = Ravenna; RM = Rome) Type Metlich 2004 Metlich 77, eagle Metlich 78, monogram Metlich 81, Victory T, RM T, RM T, RA Hahn 1973 (MIB I) T/A, RM T, RM Wroth 1911 (BZ3) CEM 1986 T?, RA A?, RA ?, RA ?, RA – A?, RA ?, RA Friedländer 1849 Kraus 1928 ? RA ? RA – Ercolani 1983 Arslan 2011 ? RA ? RM A, RA ? RA ? RM A, RA ? RA ? RM T, RA? At the moment it is not possible to determine which interpretation is correct both for the mint and authority. However, it is important to stress that Metlich seems to have considered only data for coins in museum collections, apparently neglecting the archaeological data available. Following the work of Arslan and adding to recently recorded data (Baldi forthcoming), it is possible to observe a great preponderance of finds in the north-eastern areas of the Italian peninsula that 44 45 46 Metlich 2004, 48–9. Arslan 1978, 40–1. Ibid., 40–1, n. 83; Arslan 2011, 376. 55 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum contrast to the very scarce evidence of this particular emission in the central and southern areas of the Italian peninsula, supporting an attribution to Ravenna. The work of Arslan takes into consideration not only material in museums, but also archaeological finds. It is through the analysis of their distribution that it is possible to observe, for example, the diffusion of the Felix Ravenna type with a monogram of the city of Ravenna that is concentrated mainly in the north-eastern part of Italy, particularly around Ravenna and the Dalmatian coast. Furthermore, the subdivision that Arslan supports seems to be more logical and linear than that proposed by Metlich as Arslan considers the productions of 40 and 20 nummi to be contemporaneous, whilst Metlich suggests that Theoderic produced only emissions of 40 and 10 nummi and neglected the 20 nummi denomination. INVICTA ROMA Mint of Rome Copper alloy 40 nummi The 40 nummi emissions bear on the obverse the helmeted bust of Rome to the right, alongside the inscription INVICTA ROMA. On the reverse, the two types bear the image of an eagle or she-wolf with suckling twins. 182. Metlich 76a BM ID: 1904,0511.451 This issue bears on the reverse an eagle standing to the left and looking to the right. On its left is the mark of value, XL, surrounded by a dotted line. This type is characterized by the absence of an officina mark below the exergual bar on the reverse. According to Metlich this is the earliest copper alloy issue dating to 493–518 as the reverse could be connected to the known silver emissions of Odovacar issued in the name of Zeno,47 with the bust being inspired by Constantinian issues, as also suggested by Wroth.48 These issues were perhaps minted on the occasion of the 1250th anniversary of the foundation of Rome. According to Arslan these emissions should be ascribed to the productions of Athalaric since they were minted with a lighter weight standard, compared to the heavy weight standard that had been used for the emissions of the she-wolf. 183. Metlich 76b This type bears the reverse image of an eagle but also shows an officina mark on the reverse, below the exergual line. 49 47 48 49 RIC X, 3623 and 3624 (Milan), 3647and 3648 (Ravenna). BZ3, xxxii. Metlich 2004, 50. 56 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum Mint mark •Γ• MB ID: 1908,0506.9; 1904,0511.453 The officina mint mark is similar, but the letter Γ is turned at a different angle, perhaps only a casual occurrence and likely not to have been the mark of a different officina. With mint mark •(Δ)• BM ID: 1904,0604.598; 1904,0511.452 With mint mark •Є• BM ID: 1904,0511.455; 1951,1115.2819 With mint mark •϶• BM ID: B.12379; 1893,1007.39 With mint mark •A• BM ID: 1908,0506.10; B.12380; 1904,0511.454; 1856,0816.84 The mint mark letter A is slightly different in the four specimens present in the collection, but this is perhaps likely due to the work of different engravers. With mint mark •II• BM ID: B.12381 184. Metlich 82a This type shows on the reverse the image of the she-wolf with suckling twins with the mark of value XL placed above it and the officina mint mark in the exergue, from A, P and I to V. Three numerals in the exergue are recorded for examples in the British Museum’s collection: III, IIII and V. Illegible officina mark BM ID: B.12386 Mint mark •III• BM ID: B.12383 Mint mark •IIII• BM ID: 1904,0511.456; 1904,0511.457 Mint mark •V• BM ID: B.12384; B.12385 185. Metlich 82b In this issue the officina mark in the exergue is placed between two stars. Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 20 nummi The 20 nummi emissions bear on the obverse the effigy of Rome with helmeted bust and the inscription INVICTA ROMA. On the reverse one type bears the image of two eagles at either side of a tree, a fig tree or a palm, and a second type shows the image of the she-wolf with the suckling twins. According to Arslan, this issue was minted during the time of Theoderic. 57 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 186. Metlich 83a BM ID: 1906,1103.323; 1904,0604.600 Two coins belong to this type, with the two eagles looking backwards towards each other, with the mark of value XX in the exergue. 187. Metlich 83b BM ID: B.12382; 1847,1108.381; B.7679 The three coins belonging to this type are characterized by eagles that are threequarter facing. On the exergue the mark of value XX within two dots, •XX• is visible. 188. Metlich 84a BM ID: B.12387; B.12388 This issue bears the officina mark above the she-wolf and suckling twins between two stars and has the value XX in the exergue. The two coins show no obvious officina mark between the two stars and probably share the same die on the obverse. Officina mark *I* BM ID: B.12389 189. Metlich 84b BM ID: B.12390 In this variant, the officina mark is substituted by a Christogram. FELIX RAVENNA 10 nummi The 10 nummi emissions bear on the obverse the crowned and turreted effigy of Ravenna with earrings and necklace alongside the inscription FELIX RAVENNA. The reverse was minted in three different issues: the one believed to be the earliest shows an eagle between two stars and a letter/numeral X in the exergue.50 The second issue has the monogram of the city within a wreath bound by the letter/numeral X, recognized in two variants, with or without a cross above the monogram. The third issue shows Victory holding a wreath and palm walking to the left, between the letters R and V, an indication of the mint of Ravenna. 190. Metlich 77 BM ID: 1853,0716.326; 1844,0425.1780 These two coins maintain the features that are typical of this type with only stylistic differences between the two. Also visible is the use of the letter Λ in place of the letter A. 50 Most scholars have considered the letter X as a Roman numeral indicative of the value of the coin (see for example Stahl 2012). However Arslan disputed this, pointing out that the X is also used in the wreaths of silver coinage (Arslan 2011, 374, n. 79 with bibliography). 58 Coinage of the Ostrogoths in the British Museum 191. Metlich 78a BM ID: B.12378 This type shows on the reverse the monogram of the city of Ravenna without any particular feature or detail. 192. Metlich 78a var. 1 BM ID: RPK,p304.2.Rav; 1844,0425.1758 In this variant the letter R in the monogram is characterized by a small grapheme shaped like a letter ‘v’ placed between the two legs of the letter. In this particular type the letter/numeral X is somewhat detached from the wreath it is intended to tie, in a style that is different from that of the other coins. 193. Metlich 78a var. 2 BM ID: 1847,1108.382 In this variant a small dot is placed below the monogram. This is not a casual addition, as it is also evident in another example on a coin from Classe, near Ravenna.51 194. Metlich 78a var. 3 BM ID: 1849,0717.255 In this variant a dot is placed between the letters of the monogram. Once again, this is not a casual addition as it is also evident in nine coins from Classe, near Ravenna.52 195. Metlich 78b BM ID: EH,p.47.2.Rav This type is characterized by a cross placed above the monogram and the small grapheme in the shape of a letter ‘v’ placed between the legs of the letter R. 196. Metlich 81 Not present in the British Museum’s collection. 51 52 Baldi 2013, 104. Ibid. 59 

Contents Preface How to use this catalogue Odovacar and the Ostrogothic kings Coinage of Odovacar and the Ostrogoths The history of the collection A guide to types All objects Glossary Bibliography Acknowledgements 1 Preface This catalogue brings together the British Museum’s collection of 322 coins minted by the first successor kings of the Roman Empire in early medieval Italy dating from AD 476–552. It aims to provide an introduction to the coinage and the history of the Museum’s collection as well as to aid the identification of coin types. The last catalogue of the collection was published by W. Wroth in 1911. Publications in 1994 by J.P.C. Kent (The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. 10 (RIC X)) and in 2004 by M.A. Metlich (The Coinage of Ostrogothic Italy) set new standards of typology for this series of coins. The British Museum’s collection has now been catalogued according to this typology, which is reflected in the layout of this online catalogue. For ease of cataloguing and to avoid confusion, the dating given in RIC X /Metlich has been used throughout. This catalogue is intended as the first stage of an ongoing reassessment of the many coinages in use during this complex period and will be revised and developed to reflect current scholarship. Whilst some of the coins in this collection are on display in the galleries, the majority are housed in the Department of Coins and Medals. It is hoped that this online catalogue will enable access to the collection for a wider audience and make the coins more easily available for research and enjoyment. However, visitors are welcome to study the coins by appointment with the department. Dr Elena Baldi c/o Department of Coins and Medals, British Museum January 2015 2 How to use this catalogue The emissions of Odovacar are arranged according to the ordering and chronology adopted by the work of Kent (RIC X); the typology of the coins refers to his numbering (e.g. RIC10 3205). When some variants became evident during the recording, Kent’s classification was maintained with the addition of the abbreviation var. The emissions of the Ostrogoths are presented according to the ordering and chronology adopted by the work of Metlich (2004); the typology of the coins refers to his numbering (e.g. Metlich 86). When some variants became evident during the cataloguing, Metlich’s classification was maintained with the addition of the abbreviation var. (e.g. Metlich 40b var. 1, Metlich 40b var. 2, etc.). Some specimens not included in Metlich’s work are indicated as ‘Metlich –’. Where applicable, a cross reference to Arslan’s work (1989) is indicated in brackets. Bibliographic references are given in the entries for each coin, including those conferred by Wroth in 1911. A full bibliography for this online catalogue has also been supplied. The texts referred to in this work are listed below: Arslan, E.A. 2004. ‘Dalla classicità al medioevo. La moneta degli Ostrogoti’, in Quaderni Ticinesi, Numismatica e antichità classiche, XXXIII, 429–62. BZ3 = Wroth, W. 1991. Catalogue of the Coins of the Vandals, Ostrogoths and Lombards and of the Empires of Thessalonica, Nicaea and Trebizond in the British Museum, London. Grierson-Mays 1992 = Grierson, P. and Mays, M. 1992. Catalogue of the Late Roman Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, from Arcadius and Honorius to the Accession of Anastasius, Washington D.C. MEC 1 = Grierson, P. and Blackburn, M. 1986. Medieval European Coinage: With a Catalogue of the Coins in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Metlich, M.A. 2004. The Coinage of Ostrogothic Italy, London. MIB I = Hahn, W. 1973. Moneta Imperii Byzantini I. Rekonstruktion des Prägenaufbaues auf synoptischtabellarischer Grundlage. Österreichische Akademie des Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-historische Klasse, Denkschriften, 109; Veröffentlichungen der Numismatischen Kmmission 1, Vienna. MIBE 1 = Hahn, W. and Metlich, M.A. 2000. Money of the Incipient Byzantine Empire: Anastasius 1.– Justinian 1., 491–565, Vienna. Ranieri, E. 2006. La monetazione di Ravenna antica, dal V all'VIII secolo, Bologna. RIC X = Kent, J.P.C. 1994. Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. 10. The Divided Empire and the Fall of the Western Parts AD 395–491, London. Format of the catalogue entries This catalogue follows the main arrangement within the cabinet trays in the Department of Coins and Medals by issuing authority in chronological order, followed by issuing mint and the alloy of the coin: gold, silver and copper alloys. Within each alloy, the issues are further subdivided by denomination in decreasing order of value: for gold: solidus, semissis and tremissis; for silver: siliqua, ½ siliqua, ¼ siliqua and 1/8 siliqua; for copper alloy emissions: 40 nummi, 20 nummi, 10 nummi, 5 nummi, 2½ nummi and 1 nummus. 3 The following information is given for each entry: Denomination: for silver and copper alloy emissions the name of the full denomination is entered, followed if necessary by its fraction or multiple, e.g. siliqua, ½ or nummus, 40. Materials: expressed as gold, silver or copper alloy; the latter is preferred as a wider term than the alloy actually called ‘bronze’. Production place: when legible or known – if uncertain, all possible options are supplied with a question mark. Authority: Ostrogothic emissions, mainly gold, were minted maintaining the authority of the Byzantine emperor. Therefore the ruling authority is considered to be the Byzantine emperor and stated throughout; the issuing authority is the Ostrogothic king, as indicated. If there is uncertainty surrounding the issuing authority, all the possible kings are listed, followed by a question mark. Description: this describes the images shown both on the obverse and reverse of the coins. Mint marks and legends are inserted in the Inscription field. Exergue: a space on a coin, token or medal below the central part of the design, usually on the reverse. Inscription: this field contains the legends shown on the obverse, reverse and also any mint marks that appear in the ‘reverse field and exergue’. Breaks visible on the legends are not indicated and each word is separated: for example PFAVC becomes P F AVC (Pius Felix Augustus). Monograms present at the end of the reverse legends are added after the inscription with the letters that compose the monogram itself. For the mint marks that are mainly present on the reverse field, the layout is generally shown as follows: M D/*–//COMOB = M D in the left and right fields, star below in the left field, COMOB in exergue. Standard square brackets are used in the case of letters that are missing but known [AVC]; round brackets are instead used for examples where the letters are barely legible but it is still possible to detect the letters that were originally present, i.e.: P F (AV)C. Dimensions: weights are expressed in grams; the die axis is expressed by the hours of a clock face (i.e. 180° = 6 o’clock). Subject and associated names: these are fields in which all the names that are part of the legend/image of the coin are inserted, enabling a search by subject or name. Acquisition date and acquisition name: these fields provide information on the history of the coin, with the name of the seller, donor or bequeather. If known, the provenance of the coin and the date on which it was entered into the museum records are also given. Curator’s comment: provides any other information that is known or observable from the coin. 4 Odovacar and the Ostrogothic kings The reign of Odovacar (476–93) In 475, during a period of great turmoil in the western part of the Roman Empire, Orestes (the magister militum of Emperor Julius Nepos) led a rebellion that allowed him to seize power. Nepos was forced to flee to Dalmatia and Orestes was able to raise his son Romulus to the position of emperor. The coup was possible thanks to Orestes’ foederati, Germanic mercenaries to whom he had promised lands in the event of victory.1 As Orestes did not keep his word on this deal, the troops acclaimed Odovacar as their rex (king) on 23 August 476. The tribal origin of Odovacar is unclear. Among the ancient sources, John of Antioch stated that Odovacar’s father’s name was Edeko and was possibly an ambassador of Attila. Jordanes described him as a member of the Turlingi or the Rugii,2 while Marcellinus Comes3 argued that he was a Goth, which is considered by modern scholars to be unlikely.4 Odovacar was certainly a mercenary officer who had become a member of the imperial guard in 472. In the following year he became a comes domesticorum5 of Emperor Glycerius and later a supporter of Julius Nepos, leading a group of foederates consisting of Eruls, Rugii and Turlingi.6 Odovacar rebelled against Orestes, defeated him and deposed Romulus Augustulus7 (who is widely recognized as the last emperor of the western Roman Empire) and handed back all the imperial insignia to the eastern emperor Zeno. As a mark of gratitude, Odovacar requested for himself the title of patricius in order to govern Italy in the name of the eastern emperor. Zeno wrote back, claiming that only the exiled Julius Nepos could agree to this. However, the eastern emperor’s tacit acceptance was conveyed in the way he addressed Odovacar as both rex and patricius.8 Odovacar’s position in Italy seemed secure since he was king by popular acclamation and through a certain degree of collaboration with the Roman Senate and apparent acquiescence from the court of Constantinople. Once in power, Odovacar acted swiftly in strengthening his dominion over Italy. He began initially by conquering Sicily from the Vandal king Genseric. This was followed in 481 by his taking control of Dalmatia on the pretext of avenging Julius Nepos’ assassination and in 487 he led his army into victory against the Rugii.9 After this victory Odovacar acted once again with the utmost respect towards Zeno, sending part of the war booty to him. However, this was not enough to allay concerns over Odovacar’s increasing power. The eastern emperor decided to eliminate the problem by sending Theoderic, leader of the Ostrogoths, to fight him. Theoderic crossed the Alps with 20,000 troops and met Odovacar for the first time in battle at Pons Isontii on 28 August 489, where the Ostrogoths were victorious although not conclusively so. The following clash on 30 September forced Odovacar to flee to Ravenna. Fortunes seemed to change in Odovacar’s favour when one of his generals, Tufa, managed to kill a few elite Goths, forcing Theoderic to retreat to Pavia (Ticinum). Visigoths came to Theoderic’s help and on 11 August 490 he managed to force Odovacar once again to retreat to Ravenna. This time the Ostrogoths also managed to block the sea route to the town and left Odovacar isolated within it.10 1 Procopius in Cesa 2001, 42. Jordanes, Getica XLVI, 242, Romana 344. 3 Marcellinus Comes, Chronicon sine anno, 476. 4 Heather 1996. 5 Head of the domestici and a member of the protectores domestici (the protector of the house), the comes domesticorum was the commander of the emperor's personal troops, serving as a bodyguard and staff officer to the emperor. 6 Cesa 2001, 42; Jordanes, Getica, XLVI, 242. 7 The Latin suffix -ulus is a diminutive. Romulus officially reigned as Augustus but was nicknamed Augustulus, as he was only a young boy when his father made him emperor. 8 Cesa 2001, 43. 9 Ibid., 44. 10 Heather 1996, 219. 2 5 Negotiations between the two commanders began on 25 February 493 and, following the advice of Bishop John of Ravenna, Odovacar finally surrendered after a siege that had lasted over two years. Theoderic entered Ravenna ten days later on 5 March. It seems plausible that the initially amicable surrender involved an agreement of joint rule or at least that Odovacar’s life would be spared. If this was the case, then Theoderic did not keep to his word and killed his antagonist during a banquet, most likely alongside the majority of Odovacar’s supporters and relatives.11 Theoderic had become the new ruler of Italy, elevated by his men to the title of king, the second rex of Italy. A history of the Ostrogoths At the beginning of the 4th century, the Hunnic invasions displaced the Gothic tribes and whilst some moved inside the borders of the Roman Empire, others decided to stay and fight the invaders. The Goths were eventually subdued,12 despite several episodes of suppressed uprising. After the death of Attila the Hun, the Goths tried to win back their independence through the leadership of Valamer, who belonged to the tribe of the Amals.13 With the help of his two brothers,14 Valamer resisted the attack of Attila’s son in a victory that was recorded on the day his nephew Theoderic was born in 453/4.15 Having won back their independence, the Goths remained divided in three groups within their Pannonian homeland. When their leader Valamer was killed in a battle against the Sciri, his brother Theodemir took over and eliminated the third brother, Vidimer, and consequently raised his own son, Theoderic, as his rightful successor. Following a series of battles engaged by Theodemir against some allies of the Byzantines,16 a peace treaty was signed between the Byzantine emperor and the Ostrogoths in 461. Under the terms of the peace treaty that his father had signed with the eastern emperor, Theoderic left for Constantinople in 461 and spent ten years of his life at court as an aristocratic hostage. As a result of his fighting skills and him being a favourite of the emperor, he was elevated to the title of magister militum17 in 483 and was granted the title of consul and Roman citizen the following year. Following the death of his father, Theoderic was elected King of the Ostrogoths, leading a people who were becoming restless and increasingly difficult for Emperor Zeno to manage to the extent that in 486 and 487 they attempted to take over the city of Constantinople. At the same time, Odovacar, who had successfully fought against the usurper Orestes and his son Romulus Augustulus in the Italian peninsula, was now engaging a war against the Rugii, allies of the Byzantines. This event presented an opportunity for the Byzantine emperor to deflect the Goths from the eastern empire: Zeno sent Theoderic to Italy to win back from Odovacar the occupied territories of the former western empire in a pact whereby the Goth would hold power until the arrival of the emperor.18 Theoderic left for Italy with 20,000 men in 488, leading his troops and marching through Sirmium, which was to become the capital of the Gepids.19 After stopping for the winter in Slovenia, the army departed for the Italian peninsula and Theoderic engaged in his first battle against Odovacar on 28 August 489. As discussed above, after a few battles and changes in fortunes, Odovacar withdrew to Ravenna.20 After two and a half years of resistance, Theoderic entered Ravenna on 5 March 493. Following Odovacar’s death,21 Theoderic was proclaimed rex. Despite several efforts to receive official recognition from the emperor, the new king was acknowledged only in 497/8 by Anastasius I (491–518). 11 Cesa 2001, 45; John of Antioch, fr. 214a. Heather 1996, 98–111. 13 Ibid., 52. 14 Heather 1991, 319; Heather 1996, 114. Valamer had united the Pannonian Goths. 15 Heather 1991, 115. 16 Ibid., 125. 17 Carile 1995, 17. The magister militum was one of the highest military ranks in the Roman army. 18 Ibid., 18. 19 Ibid., 18. 20 Heather 1996, 219. 21 John of Antioch, fr. 214a. 12 6 Theoderic is remembered by ancient22 and contemporary historians23 as a great king who carried out works of reconstruction especially in Rome and his capital Ravenna, but he also carefully administered affairs with the Roman Church.24 The Ostrogoths were Christians but of Arian faith,25 like many other populations who were invading areas of the former Roman Empire at this time. However, unlike the Vandals who were not tolerant and in fact tried to eradicate the Orthodox faith in the areas of North Africa they had conquered, Theoderic not only appeased the Pope for support, but allowed freedom of faith. Theoderic did maintain, however, a separation between the Germanic elite (of Arian faith) and the native population (of Orthodox faith).26 In his capital Ravenna, Theoderic erected the only known examples of monumental buildings dedicated to the Arian faith,27 which coexisted alongside those of the Orthodox faith. These buildings, however, were situated in two different parts of the city. INSERT IMAGE 1 Theoderic’s Mausoleum, Ravenna (photo: author) Once king, and in order to establish his power, Theoderic started to create a network of alliances in 493 by marrying Audofleda, sister of the Frankish king Clovis. He also married his sister Amalfrida to the Vandal king Thrasamund in 500. On the battlefield, he defeated the Vandals as well as the Gepids, conquering their territories and their capital Sirmium. In addition to this, he became the de facto ruler of the Visigoths by acting as regent for his grandson Amalric, successor of Alaric II. Finally, he married his daughter Amalasuntha to the Visigoth Eutharic. Eutharic died around 522, leaving Amalasuntha with a son, Athalaric, whom Theoderic designated as his successor.28 Troubles for the Ostrogothic kingdom began to emerge at this point as the rightful heir according to tribal custom should have been the eldest male of the Amal family, Theodahad,29 a choice supported by the court of Constantinople, unlike that of Athalaric.30 Furthermore, on account of Athalaric’s youth, his mother Amalasuntha wanted to take over the regency. However, the members of the Gothic elite wanted the boy to remain under their care in the fear that she might perhaps remarry or raise the boy to take up Roman customs. To counteract this, she had three members of the elite sent to peripheral areas of the kingdom and consequently murdered, which solved the problem in the short term.31 Unfortunately, Athalaric’s health was not good and he died at a young age in 534. Before his death Amalasuntha tried to save her position by electing her cousin Theodahad to the throne, making him swear that he would follow her command.32 This failed and Amalasuntha was imprisoned by him on an island on Lake Bolsena where she was murdered in the bath on 30 April 535 by the relatives of the three tribal leaders she had put to death.33 The death of Amalasuntha became a useful expedient for Justinian I (527–65) who sent his magister militum, Belisarius, to the Italian peninsula on the pretext of avenging Amalasuntha’s murder, but his main intention was to regain these territories. Belisarius had a successful expedition in 22 Anonymous Valesiansus, Pars Posterior, 12.70 in Sarris 2011, 108. Heather 1996, 223; Carile 1996, 19; Sarris 2011, 108. 24 Heather 1996, 223; Carile 1996, 19; Sarris 2011, 109. 25 Hanson 1988; Sarris 2011, 108. Arianism is perhaps one of the earliest doctrinal disputes. Arius (256–336) was a presbyter in charge of the church and district of Baucalis in Alexandra, certainly of Libyan origin. Arius became a controversial figure at the Council of Nicaea (321) where he denied the trinity of God, claiming that Jesus is not consubstantial with the Father and therefore not like Him, or equal in dignity, or co-eternal. Orthodox creed, on the other hand, always maintained that Christ was truly the Son and God. After becoming the faith of a few members of the imperial household, the creed was outlawed in 381 at the Council of Constantinople. The reason why it became the religion of the Goths is related to a Gothic convert called Ulfilas who changed faith whilst Arianism was still flourishing in Constantinople. Ulfilas travelled across the Danube to convert the Gothic tribes and he succeeded in his task, converting the Goths to an Arian form of Christianity. Some populations like the Ostrogoths were more tolerant, while others like the Vandals tried to eradicate the Orthodox faith from the conquered areas of North Africa. The heresy was finally suppressed during the 6th and 7th century. 26 Sarris 2011, 105. 27 Still visible in Ravenna are the Palatine church of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Basilica of Spirito Santo, the Arian Baptistery located in the Piazzatta degli Ariani (Arians’ Square) as well as his final monument, the Mausoleum of Theoderic, which is located in a now peripheral area of Ravenna and once a long stretch of sand dunes along the ancient coastline. 28 Athalaric became king at the age of 8 or 10 on the death of his grandfather. 29 Heather 1996, 254. 30 Cassiodorus, Variae 8.1.3. 31 Procopius, De Bellis 5.2.2; Heather 1991, 260. 32 Procopius, De Bellis 5.4.4. 33 Ibid., 5.4.12. 23 7 Dalmatia and in 536 he led the conquest of the territories of Naples. Theodahad, who was apparently known more for his philosophical and religious studies than his fighting skills,34 did not act to defend the town and his kingdom. As a result of his incompetence, he was deposed and killed by a group of leading Goths. Witigis (536–40), who succeeded him, was an army man who had distinguished himself in several battles, but was not a member of the Amal family. To establish his position, he married Amalasuntha’s daughter, Matasuntha. In 536/7 he prepared for war against the encroaching Byzantines, but he had to retreat to Rimini and then Ravenna. From the capital he tried to negotiate with Belisarius to whom he promised co-regency; the magister militum pretended to accept these terms, but once the doors of the city opened, he detained Witigis and sent him and his wife to Constantinople where he died in 540.35 Whilst the Italian peninsula was conquered up to the Po River and the areas in the north were still held by Gothic troops, the Byzantines were under attack from the Persians and Belisarius was called back for the war in the east. The newly elected King of the Ostrogoths, Hildebad, initially shared the power with Urais before murdering him. Hildebad (540–1) was also killed within a short period, possibly in retaliation for his actions.36 Eraric (541), the leader of the Rugii, claimed the leadership, but was soon murdered and the power passed to Totila (541–52). Totila was known on coinage as Baduila37 and, according to Procopius, he became the leader of an army composed of several non-Gothic peoples. Baduila managed to retake the lost territories down to Naples or Beneventum in 543, and laid siege to the city of Rome which surrendered on 17 December 546.38 Baduila attempted a political settlement with Justinian and at the height of his success he offered to give Dalmatia and Sicily to Constantinople, with the payment of an annual tribute and provision of military contingents.39 However Justinian did not accept and instead prepared to conquer Italy once again by sending Narses who destroyed the Ostrogothic fleet at Ancona in 551.40 In June/July 552 Baduila and Narses met on the battlefield of Busta Gallorum,41 where the Ostrogothic king was mortally wounded.42 Theia (552–3), one of Baduila’s soldiers, was chosen as his successor. The new king gathered support and tried to fight off the Byzantines with the help of Frankish allies in the battle of Mons Lactarius, 43 but he died on the battlefield.44 Three Gothic leaders continued to fight, holding onto Pavia, Cumae and Consa della Campania, but Narses wiped out the resistance. By 555 the last regions to fall to Byzantine power were the north-eastern areas of the peninsula held by a Gothic count, Widin, until 561. 34 Heather 1991, 341; Procopius, De Bellis 5.8.1–11, 9. Heather 1991, 336. 36 Heather 1996, 267. 37 The name Totila is found in Procopius and was probably a war name, whilst Baduila is the only name that appears on the coinage. 38 Heather 1996, 268. 39 Procopius, De Bellis 7.37.6–7, 8.24.4. 40 Ibid., 8.23. 41 Modern Fabriano in the Marche region. 42 Procopius, De Bellis 8.28–32. 43 Now Monti Lattari, in the Campania region. 44 Procopius, De Bellis 8.33–5. 35 8 Coinage of Odovacar and the Ostrogoths Coinage of Odovacar The emissions of Odovacar were minted in Milan, Rome and Ravenna,45 initially respecting the authority of Zeno (474–91), the reigning emperor in Constantinople, and the deposed Roman emperor Julius Nepos who remained exiled in Dalmatia from 475 until his death in 480. They were produced in three metals: gold, silver and copper alloy. Gold coinage The gold emissions ascribed to Odovacar and struck in the name of Julius Nepos and later Zeno retained the previously minted late Roman/early Byzantine denominations: solidus, semissis and tremissis. In his catalogue, Wroth had attributed to Odovacar four solidi and three tremisses from the mints of Ravenna and Rome; however these were reattributed to periods outside of Odovacar’s reign by RIC X.46 Maintaining the title of Zeno on the obverse, the solidi show the three-quarter frontal bust of the emperor on the obverse and a standing Victory with cross on the reverse. The semissis bears on the obverse a profile bust on the right and a Chi-Rho on the reverse, whilst the tremissis maintains a profile bust on the obverse and a simple cross on the reverse. The exergue mintmark on the reverse of the coin is CONOB (CONstantinopolis OBryzum (pure gold standard from the mint of Constantinople) or COMOB (possibly deriving from COMes, relating to the court, and expressing a mobile mint following the ruler). It is likely that production started soon after the fall of Romulus Augustulus in 476, but there are no known examples of gold coins issued in the name of the exiled Julius Nepos. It is believed that most of the coins minted in the name of Zeno, produced in the Italian mints between 480 and 491, were in fact issued by Odovacar. However, it is likely that Theoderic also minted in the name of Zeno after 491, although it is as yet impossible to discern between the two authorities.47 Kent’s subdivision of Odovacar’s issues seems to be the most exhaustive work carried out so far,48 although it was recently disputed by Metlich.49 Awaiting further study in this area, the collection in the British Museum currently follows the subdivision dictated by Kent. Silver coinage The silver coinage of Odovacar was initially produced in the name of Zeno, with only emissions of ½ siliquae and three different reverse types: a typical city personification of a turreted figure holding a sceptre and cornucopia that also displays a mint mark MD or RV on the reverse field; an eagle with spread wings; and a Victory advancing to the left, holding a wreath and cornucopia. These three types were minted in Milan and Ravenna, leaving only one issue from Rome: a Christogram within a wreath on the reverse and a mint mark CM in the exergue. According to Metlich, this latter instance is the only type that can be assigned to Odovacar. Arslan followed Kent’s classification, but also recognized the need for more study as well as an analysis of distribution in order to obtain a better insight into chronology and mints.50 Also minted in silver, one type that is widely recognized as issued by Odovacar is a ½ siliqua that bears on the obverse the title and name of Odovacar and on the reverse his monogram (and Ravenna mint mark). The dating of the issue is still being debated: Kent suggests that an early date (circa 477)51 should be considered due to the high level of production, whereas Arslan proposes a later date (circa 491) when Odovacar was besieged by Theoderic in Ravenna.52 The presence of both the name of the rex as well as his monogram is considered by Arslan as a clear attempt to proclaim Odovacar’s legitimate power when he no longer recognized the authority of Zeno. 45 MEC 1, 28; RIC X 213–19. BZ3 43–4 (nn. 1–7), 45 (nn. 12–15). 47 Arslan 2011, 368. Arslan correctly points out that Theoderic, who had been raised as a ‘Roman’ at the court of Constantinople, would not underestimate the legal and symbolic value of legitimizing his position with the issuing of ‘official’ emissions. 48 Arslan 2011, 368. Arslan seems to follow Kent’s classification, however recognizes that the work needs to be updated. 49 Metlich 2004, 11. Metlich observes, for example, that the style of the tremisses can be linked to the early emissions of Zeno. 50 Arslan 2011, 368. 51 RIC X, 213. 52 Arslan 2011, 368 and bibliography. 46 9 Contrary to this opinion, Kent suggests that the emission was produced with Odovacar’s name before he had decided to recognize the authority of the exiled Julius Nepos.53 Copper alloy coinage The 5th century witnessed a continued reduction in the weight and size of the nummus.54 According to Wroth,55 Anastasius (491–518), whose reign was entirely without a western counterpart and is therefore often considered the first Byzantine emperor, carried out the reorganization of this impractical denominational system in 498.56 The result was a series of nummus multiples creating a handy suite of denominations standing between the basic unit and the much higher value precious metal coinage. Hitherto an intermediate bronze ‘denomination’ had only been possible by bagging up nummi into standard purses of set amounts known as folles (sing. follis); now a follis-worth could be more practically contained in a single coin type. However, other scholars believe that the introduction of nummus multiples are likely to have happened during the reign of Zeno, with the introduction of the follis coin that Odovacar (and perhaps Theoderic) minted in Zeno’s name57 occurring at the same time as Anastasius’ reform. 58 An alternative chronology was recently proposed by Alan Stahl who suggested that copper alloy coins minted in the name of Zeno were perhaps produced under Theoderic and not Odovacar.59 This would date the reform of coinage minted in the former western part of the empire to after 498 – the year of Anastasius’ reform – therefore occurring after, and not preceding, the Byzantine reform. For the purpose of this catalogue, Kent’s classification has been adopted. The copper alloy coinage of Odovacar was minted as two types: the large follis emissions in the name of Zeno and the small nummi with the monogram of Odovacar. There is disagreement surrounding the follis emission, the issuing authority as well as the date of production. For example, Wroth and Grierson60 placed this type among ‘Autonomous’ or ‘Municipal’ coinage,61 whilst Kent recognized them as issues of Zeno. More recently, Arslan suggested the possibility of Theoderic,62 whilst Metlich believes that they belong to Odovacar who would have started minting large coins after Romulus Augustulus had been removed from power in 476. The second source of disagreement is that of the mintmark placed vertically under the head of Zeno, which is composed of four vertical lines, IIII. Grierson, Hahn and Metlich give an interpretation that is related to the dating of the emission, suggesting that the four lines should be taken as symbolizing the fourth year after the coming to power of Zeno – 477. For the type without the IIII, a broader date is proposed of between 474 and 491. Kent notes that although it is possible that the interpretation could be right, there is no tradition of dating Roman coins in this period. Therefore, he proposes that the Zeno bronzes could actually be part of the early stages of the anonymous coinage of the Ostrogoths, which also uses the same reverse legend, IMVICTA ROMA.63 The issue should have been struck in the mint of Rome in one of the five officinae 53 RIC X, 213. At the end of the 5th century the nummus was exchanged at a rate of 7000–7200 nummi per solidus (Codex Theodosianus, Novella 16), which allows us to calculate a weight of about 1.137g (equivalent of 1/288 of a pound) (Arslan 2003, 28; MIBE 1, 14). According to Arslan the weight remained stable, at least in the eastern part of the empire, until the reign of LEO I (a theory that would be supported by his study of Cafarnao finds) (Arslan 2003; Arslan 2004). Arslan claims that the weight only fell during Zeno’s reign with hoards that record higher percentages of coins weighing around 0.7g (Arslan 1991). However, in reality, the weight of the nummus fell even further, reaching a weight as low as 0.22g, which Arslan believes to be the basis on which Anastasius’ reform was based. This theory is contested by Hahn (MIBE 1) who claims that the weight of the nummus never reached such low levels. 55 BZ3. 56 BZ3, MIBE I, 14. 57 MIBE 1, 13–14. 58 Arslan 2011, 370. 59 Stahl 2012, 637–9. 60 MEC 1, 32ff. 61 Grierson argues that there was a revival of senatorial privilege visible in similarities between the issue and earlier coinage of the Roman Empire, such as the FELICISSIMVS in the legend, the SC in the reverse field and the depiction of Victory, all very popular in the Flavian period (Grierson and Mays 1992, 31). 62 Arslan 2004; Arslan 2011, 369. 63 RIC X, 218–19. 54 10 (numbered I to V)64 known to have minted Ostrogothic coins with the she-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus. This hypothesis is supported by Arslan, who also suggested that it is likely that both Odovacar and Theoderic were both minting in the name of Zeno in separate mints during the period from 488 to 491.65 His conclusion is that Odovacar did not mint this issue, but that it was produced under Theoderic.66 The other copper alloy emission is the 1 nummus denomination, with the bust and inscription of the rex on the obverse (rather than the emperor) and his monogram on the reverse. The type is generally attributed to the mint of Ravenna during 489 and 493 when Odovacar was besieged in the city.67 More recently, Arslan68 has expressed some doubts about this being a product of Ravenna since the recorded archaeological finds have mostly been in central and southern Italy. However, recent finds in the Veneto region69 and Classe70 have widened the distribution, leaving the debate open. 64 BZ3, 104–5. Arslan 1984; Arslan 1989; Arslan 2011. 66 Arslan 2011, 370. 67 Arslan 1989, 20. 68 Arslan 2011. 69 Asolati 2012. 70 Baldi 2013. 65 11 Coinage of the Ostrogoths Amongst the coinages of the post-Roman ‘successor kingdoms’, that of the Ostrogoths was the most elaborate and was the only system developed on a tri-metallic base with issues in gold, silver and copper alloys. Monetary production had started by 491, initially in the mints of Rome and Milan and followed by Ravenna from 493 onwards. It is possible that Ticinum could also have been active from 493 to 49871 in the production of silver. It was certainly active after the loss of Ravenna in 540,72 probably between 542 and 553.73 It has been suggested that some Ostrogothic issues were minted in Marseille, Siscia and Sirmium. 74 The recognition and ordering of Ostrogothic emissions, particularly gold, has been carried out mainly on stylistic grounds (a method that is still widely retained) and originated from the works of Friedlander,75 Wroth,76 Kraus77 and Kent.78 However, it was Hahn79 who created a real milestone for the subdivision of the productions, constructing the foundations for later numismatists that have been revised most recently by Arslan80 and Metlich.81 Keeping in mind this earlier research, the main classifications will be referenced against Metlich’s publication since it is the most comprehensive work on the subject at this present time. The work of Arslan (in particular his latest publication82) will also be taken into consideration to offer a possible different interpretation on this subject. The general chronology of the issues is dictated by the legends on the obverse of the coins, since the reverse inscriptions and representation of Victory remain unchanged in gold coinage throughout the whole period. The immobilization of the iconography, particularly that recorded on the reverse, does not reflect the variations in contemporary Byzantine prototypes that Ostrogoths imitated in the early years of Theoderic’s reign. On the obverse of the coins, the legend refers to the Byzantine emperors who were contemporary to the Ostrogothic rulers. After the death of Anastasius, it seems that Ostrogothic coinage was simply adjusted to acknowledge the new emperor, Justin I. It is not clear, however, if the amendment was immediately carried out after his death, or if there was some time lapse. Theoderic minted in the name of Zeno, Anastasius I and Justin I while Athalaric minted in the name of Justin I and Justinian I. Theodahad and Witigis also minted in the name of Justinian I, creating problems of recognition in their gold emissions. This practice was followed until Baduila who minted in the name of the long deceased Anastasius. After the start of the Gothic wars, Baduila chose Anastasius I on account of his being the authority who had legitimized the power of the Ostrogoths on Italian territory in 497.83 After Baduila, Theia is the only king to have produced coinage.84 In spite of Baduila’s short reign the number of recorded emissions is high, suggesting that this large number of minted coins was produced to finance the last stages of the Gothic war. Metlich also suggested that types in the name of Theia could have been produced and circulated well after his death by the kings who succeeded him in the latest period of resistance against the Byzantines.85 However comprehensive, the work of Metlich does not cover all the types in the British Museum’s collection. In this work, discussion of the coinage present within the collection will be organized according to the current arrangement of trays and cabinets in which the coins are stored: by authority, mint, metal and denominations (in decreasing size) within each metal. 71 Metlich 2004, 102. Ibid., 33 73 Arslan 2011, 370. 74 Demo 1994; Mirnik and Šemrov 1997–8; Arslan 2011. 75 Friedländer 1849. 76 BZ3. 77 Kraus 1928. 78 RIC X. 79 MIB 1. 80 Arslan 1989, Arslan 2004, Arslan 2011. 81 Arslan 2004. 82 Arslan 2011. 83 Suchodolski 1989, 156; Arslan 1984, 46; Arslan 1994. 84 This is likely to have resulted from the fact that some of the kings reigned for a very short period. 85 Metlich 2004, 46. 72 12 Gold coinage Ostrogothic gold was minted in three denominations: solidus (with a weight that corresponded to 1/72 of a pound of gold, equivalent to c. 4.5g); semissis (also semis) (½ a solidus); and tremissis (a third of a solidus). The production of semisses is known only during the rule of Theoderic and was minted in Rome. 86 Metrology and typology followed the Byzantine system87 and also maintained a good standard of engraving. Initially, the quality of the engraving in Ostrogothic coinage surpassed that of its Byzantine counterpart,88 but it is possible to witness a steady decline particularly with the emissions of the later kings. In the past this was interpreted as a result of the absence of good engravers trained in the Roman tradition.89 Arslan recently proposed that the decline in style was probably due not only to a lack of craftsmen, but also to a slow change from Roman classical traditions to customs that put more emphasis on the symbolism and meaning of the images than on the epigraphy.90 As a result of the similarities between Ostrogothic issues and contemporary Byzantine coinage, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two during the earlier stages.91 There are however a few stylistic features that are important in the recognition of a coin that can be defined as ‘Ostrogothic’ as opposed to those produced in Constantinople,92 for example:     The initial three-quarter facing bust of the emperor on the obverse, while Byzantine emissions show a full frontal bust. The obverse inscription that ends with PF AVG [PIVS FELIX AVGVSTVS] instead of PP AVC [PERPETVVS AVGVSTVS] (or even PERP AVG at an earlier stage) for examples from Constantinople. Immobilization of the iconography on the reverse of gold coinage, which does not follow the changes that occurred on the reverse of Byzantine coinage. The general use of COMOB rather than CONOB in the reverse exergue (except as noted below). Once a coin has been identified as ‘Ostrogothic’, the next step is to establish the mint of production. Gold emissions were issued in the three imperial mints of Rome, Ravenna and Milan and, in later years, Ticinum (modern Pavia). In some cases it is easy to recognize the mint of production because of the mint marks on the coins, a feature that had already been taken into account by Wroth. Recent studies 93 have taken a more in-depth look at the issue and identified features and patterns that allow the attribution of a given production to a specific mint. The most widely accepted features that allow us to identify which mint the coin belongs to are as follows:94     A more rounded head of the emperor is seen in the issues from the mint of Rome, an aspect that was already visible in the coinage of Odovacar. The spear head that is barbed in emissions from Rome is plain or barbed in examples from Ravenna and plain on those produced in Milan. The inscription on the obverse legend that ends with PF AVC in Rome changes from PP to PF in Ravenna and is recorded as only PP in emissions from Milan. According to Metlich, the letter Θ found at the end of Theoderic’s gold emissions is a mark of the production of Rome, whilst the Christogram is used for those minted in Rome and also Milan. 86 Metlich 2004, 9. Arslan 1989, 18. 88 MEC 1. 89 Arslan 1984; Arslan 1989. 90 Arslan 2011. 91 Arslan 1984, 423; MEC I, 35; MIB I; Metlich 2004. 92 Arslan 1984, 423; MEC I, 35; MIB 1; Metlich 2004. 93 MIB 1; Arslan 1989; Arslan 2004; Metlich 2004. 94 Arslan 1989, Arslan 2004; Metlich 2004. 87 13  The exergue inscription is COMOB for Rome and Ravenna, CONOB for Milan (at least in the early years of the kingdom95) and CONOT, in which the final T is taken as an indication of the mint of Ticinum. Other minor features are recorded and characterize some of the different issues recorded and these will be discussed where necessary. After the death of Justin I, Ostrogothic gold coinage maintained the same general characteristics of the recognized emissions of Theoderic and Athalaric. However, Justinian’s long reign and the contrasting short period of the rule of the Ostrogothic kings has not enabled scholars to distinguish the emissions of the three kings – Athalaric, Theodahad and Witigis – who minted under the authority of Justinian I. Baduila’s issues are recognizable since he struck his coins in the name of Anastasius, the emperor who had legitimized the Ostrogothic kingdom (rather than in the name of the hostile contemporary Emperor Justinian). The absence of monograms as well as the style and care put into the engraving and lettering on the legends distinguish his productions from those of Theoderic. Silver coinage Silver emissions of the Ostrogoths were produced in two denominations: ½ siliqua and ¼ siliqua. Some rare emissions of miliarensis96 and siliqua97 have also been recognized. These were minted in Rome in the later years of Theoderic’s reign, but there are no examples in the British Museum’s collection.98 As with the gold, the obverse of silver coins portrays the effigy of the Byzantine emperor who was contemporary to the Ostrogothic king, from Anastasius I to Justinian I. Baduila, who initially minted in the name of Anastasius instead of Justinian I, later struck coins in his own name. The legend of Anastasius I is also used by Theia. On the reverse, the early emissions of Theoderic bear the image of a star or a Christogram, followed by productions with the monogram of the king. From the kingdom of Athalaric onwards, the two denominations bear on the reverse either the name of the king written over three or four lines or the monogram. The introduction of symbols such as the monogram, but especially the inscription with the name of the king, seems to show the desire for strong symbols intended to assert the power of the Ostrogothic kings. This identified their constitutional position in Italy and was therefore destined as a message to communicate their authority. It is also believed that the introduction of silver coinage in the king’s name was meant for internal circulation,99 whilst gold (which continued to bear the name of the Byzantine emperor) seems to have mainly been circulated outside the borders, being recorded as far as Gaul and Scandinavia.100 Revising his hypothesis, Arslan101 suggests that silver coinage would also have been accepted within the Byzantine Empire, but that the differences in the two economies and its scarce use in long distance transactions would have meant that silver as a metal was used mainly for local trade. The economy of the Italian peninsula under Ostrogothic rule relied heavily on silver coinage, especially as it allowed the completion of valuable transactions without relying solely on gold. For this reason, Ostrogothic silver was instead widely accepted in the Germanic world. It is perhaps because of the circulation in this ‘Germanic’ market, that smaller denominations, starting from the ½ and ¼ siliqua as well as the 20 and 40 nummi, underwent stylistic changes with images that become more overtly ‘Gothic’, proposing the abandonment of the ancient ‘Roman’ traditions for a new type of symbolism.102 The weight of silver emissions is not as clearly determined as that of gold productions. However, the study carried out by Metlich calculated the likely standard weight on the base of known ¼ siliquae; this allowed him to set the standard at 1/360 of a pound (the equivalent to 0.9g – making a ½ siliqua 1.80g). After the 95 Arslan 1989, 26. Metlich 2004, 53; Arslan 1989, 13. Arslan describes it as a ‘double siliqua’. 97 Metlich 2004, 54; Arslan 1989, 14. 98 Metlich 2004. 99 Arslan 1989. 100 Ibid., 45–6 and bibliography. 101 Arslan 2011. 102 Suchodolski 1989, 163. 96 14 death of Odovacar, the weight was reduced to 1/224 with a ½ siliqua equating to 1.45g.103 Arslan does not fully agree with Metlich’s work and sets the value of the ½ siliqua to 1/288 of a pound, which corresponds to 1.13g.104 Copper alloy coinage As a consequence of a widespread economic crisis throughout the Roman Empire, particularly in the west, monetary production at the end of the 5th century was considerably reduced. It witnessed a deterioration both in quality and style, with the use of copper alloys of poor standard and flans of slowly decreasing diameter, often identified only by metrological analysis and defined as AE4.105 This is witnessed by the weight of the nummus that remained quite stable until the beginning of the second reign of Zeno (480–91), after which point it started to decline from the average weight of about 0.93–0.92g to about 0.22g, which Arslan considers to be the weight of the nummus on the eve of Anastasius’ reform.106 Following Odovacar’s emission of heavy folles minted under the reign of Zeno, Theoderic also began the production of bronze coinage marked as 40 nummi. Theoderic and his successors minted copper alloy coinage in denominations of 40, 20, 10, 5 and 2½ nummi (also called minimus or the plural minimi). These denominations are widely accepted by scholars, although Arslan107 has long suggested the existence of the production of 15 nummi (corresponding to the emissions with the name of the emperor on 4 lines on the reverse) and 3 nummi instead of 2½.108 Some of the copper emissions can be easily attributed to a specific Ostrogothic king as they bear on the obverse the image and inscription of the contemporary Byzantine emperor and on the reverse the name of the king himself, written over three or four lines. As in the case of gold and silver emissions, the chronology is determined by the presence of the Byzantine emperor on the obverse of the coin, which was maintained up to the reign of Baduila who minted in the name of Anastasius I and later in his own name. No copper alloy productions of Theia are known as yet. Brenot109 and Arslan110 record issues that Metlich does not include in his work, but as these are not relevant to the examples in the British Museum’s collection they will not be discussed in this catalogue. The Ostrogoths also minted issues of 40, 20 and 10 nummi that have long been debated over, without however reaching a point of agreement. These issues are characterized by an obverse that bears the image of the personification of Rome, Ravenna or Ticinum, with the legend INVICTA ROMA, FELIX RAVENNA or FELIX TICINVM. On the reverse the images vary, from a she-wolf with suckling twins, a fig tree with eagles, a forward facing eagle, the monogram of Ravenna to the personification of Victory walking towards the left. None of these images provides an indication of issuing authority or mint of production. Both Metlich and Arslan have suggested some contrasting hypotheses regarding their interpretation. As a result, they will be discussed separately. 103 Metlich 2004, 56–69. Arslan 2011, 327, n. 58; RIC X, 16. 105 RIC X, 17. It is very hard to link written ancient texts and the known emissions of the 5th century. To overcome this problem the flans were subdivided into four denominations that differ according to the diameter and weight of the coins, in descending order: AE1, AE2, AE3 and AE4. 106 Arslan 2004, 437; Hahn does not agree on this value (MIBE 1, 12–14). 107 Arslan 2004; Arslan 2011. 108 Arslan 2011 and bibliography, in particular Arslan 1989 and Arslan 2004. 109 Brenot 1980; Brenot 2003. 110 Arslan 1989; Arslan 2001. 104 15 The history of the collection The corpus of early medieval coins in the British Museum consists of, amongst others, those minted in Italy during the reign of Odovacar and used throughout the Ostrogothic kingdom. The collections were formed mainly between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century following a series of donations, purchases and bequests. Among the well-known donors were Revd Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode (who bequeathed his collection in 1799), King George III (his collection was posthumously presented to the nation by his son King George IV in 1823), Charles Townley and the collection of the Duchés de Blacas d’Aulps. However, the majority of the coins were donated by Count John Francis William de Salis (1825–71). INSERT IMAGE 2. CAPTION: Count John Francis William de Salis, mid 19th century Count de Salis was an army man and a keen numismatist. In 1859 he donated his very large collection of coins (as well as some prehistoric antiquities) to the Trustees of the British Museum on the condition that he could carry on studying the coins. He mainly worked on the typological arrangement of Roman Republican coinage, but also took an interest in the identification of the ‘barbarian’ coinages. The work of de Salis strongly influenced Warwick W. Wroth: ‘[Count de Salis] had separated many specimens of this series from the Byzantine Imperial coins and classed them as “Italian”. In a few cases he appears to have discriminated between an “early” and a “late” class, but he has made no precise allocations.’ Wroth also realized that ‘The coins that hitherto have been most fully studied are those silver and bronze pieces which bear the names or monograms of Ostrogothic rulers; but besides these there is extant a great mass of gold, silver, and bronze money which is of Italian, and probably of Ostrogothic, origin, though inscribed only with the name of a Roman Emperor.’ (Wroth 1911, xxix) After Wroth’s pioneering work was published in 1911, the Ostrogothic collection was subsequently increased by only 21 coins with 8 specimens minted under Odovacar being purchased or donated after this date. This was a time when large collections could be assembled and the donations of aristocratic and wealthy individuals greatly increased the collection. However, most coins acquired during this period lack information about their provenance (e.g. area, archaeological excavation or even country of origin). To date, the British Museum has 271 Ostrogothic coins and 51 coins of Odovacar, which represents one of the most comprehensive collections of this rare series of coinage in the world. 16 

Glossary Die: a stamp or punch engraved with the design of the coin, which is impressed on the surface of a blank disc (flan) in the minting of coins. Die-axis: this is the relationship between the lower anvil die and the upper punch die. A straight alignment between the two would have a die-axis of 12 o’clock. In this period there is a slight preference towards 6 o’clock, but all orientations are found. Exergue: the area below a horizontal line at the bottom of the coin design (usually on the reverse of the coin). Flan: the blank metal disc on which a coin is struck. Forgery: the term is used in this catalogue (under object type) to denote both ancient and more recent coins made with the intention of being mistaken for genuine coins of that type; the catalogue specifies whether the forgery is thought to be ancient or modern. These are most commonly plated or cast copies. Monogram: a design in which the letters of the name of a king or emperor create an identifying mark. Mint mark: the inscription on a coin that indicates the mint where it was produced. Nummus: term used to indicate a coin with low value, mainly emissions from the 5th to 6th century. Obverse: the side of the coin commonly depicting a head; the other side is known as the reverse. Rex: Latin word for king. Semissis (also semis): in this period this term indicates a gold coin half the value of a solidus (in previous centuries it had referred to base metal denominations). Senate: a council consisting principally of former magistrates (administrative and executive officials) making up the governing body of the since the Roman Republic. Siliqua: the main unit of silver coin, with half and quarter siliquae also produced. Solidus: the main unit of gold coin. Struck: impressed with a design by hitting the surface of the metal with an engraved die. Tremissis: gold coin worth one third of a solidus. 1 Bibliography Primary sources Cassiodorus = Variae, ed. L. Pellegrini, Cosenza, 2005. 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Acknowledgements This work could not have been completed without the collaboration of colleagues in the British Museum Department of Coins and Medals, in particular Richard Abdy, Sam Moorhead and Eleanor Ghey to whom I am grateful for their help, constant support and encouragement. I also wish to thank Dr Gareth Williams (Curator of Early Medieval Coinage at the British Museum) who has entrusted me with this work, allowing me to study one of the most important collections from this period. Thanks are also due to the external peer reviewer for providing extremely helpful insights and comments on the text. I am grateful to the staff of the British Museum Collections Services and the Web Team who made this online catalogue possible, especially Tanya Szrajber and David Prudames, as well as the guidance and advice of Dr JD Hill (Research Manager) and Sarah Faulks (Senior Editor, Scholarly Publications). 4