10 Notes on the Production and Circulation of the Byzantine Ravennate Coinage

Abstract

: The paper aims at offering a presentation of the evolution of the Ravennate coinage. First a brief overview of the gold denominations struck by the mint is pro-vided along with some explanation of the changing pattern of production. The initial domination of the tremissis is linked to economic relations with the Frankish world. New types of Ravennate semisses and tremisses for the reign of Heraclius are introduced to complement the standard catalogues, leading to modifications in the chronology of the various emissions. During the reign of Constans II, several marks of mysterious meaning were introduced on the coinage, a fact tentatively explained by the involvement of private goldsmiths and craftsmen in the coin production. A new attribution of the famous earrings of Senise to a Ravennate workshop lends support to the hypothesis. The article then addresses the problem of the drastic weight reduction of the silver coinage during the 6th and 7th centuries. The problem is tackled from the point of view of the relative value of gold, silver and bronze and exchange rates with the metropolitan coinage. This approach leads to propose the following system at the end of the 6th century: one solidus for 864 folleis , 6 folleis for a silver coin of 240 nummi , 24 pounds of bronze for one solidus . Furthermore, the weight reduction of the silver is explained as a side effect of the debasement of the bronze coinage. Finally, the metrology of the bronze coinage is analysed in relation to its Ostrogothic predecessor, leading towards the reattribution to a North Adriatic mint of a light-weight Justinian follis hitherto catalogued under the mint of Catania and to a reassessment of the importance of the half follis in connexion with the metrology of the Constantinopolitan coinage.