Antiquities Discussion Forums > Weights and Scales

Late Roman/Early Byzantine Weights - I

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Chaim S:
Dear Ross,

I am very intrigued by one of the Byzantine bronze square weights that you included in your first chart - the one inscribed KE and weighing 4.32g. Do you have any suggestions what the denomination of this weight might be? Even though it is marked with a Kappa as what appears to be its denomination type, it can't stand for Keration, since it weighs much more than five (E) keratia/siliquea (which would be 5/24 of a solidus). Do you know where this weight is from?

Many thanks,

Haim S.

glebe:
Hi Chaim,

The DI and KE iimages are simply the obverse and reverse of the same one nomisma weight.

DIKE here means correct or true weight.

Ross G.

glebe:
I have revised Chart I with an expanded treatment of the smaller types.
This I think makes clearer the role of the siliquae types as fractions of the nomisma, with the scripuli types as fractions of the uncia.
This all seems nice and neat, but of course it may not that simple.

Ross G.

wileyc:
Thanks to Ross for the above charts, I recently acquired a one nomisma weight with the DIKE inscription, The example that Ross shows was the first time I have seen that. I was happy to have found one just recently somewhat by accident.

4.27g
14/13/2mm

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