Folia archeologica 27.

Katalin Bíró-Sey: I. Anastasius ezüst medalionja a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum éremgyűjteményében

Folia Archaeologica XXVII. 1976 Budapest SILVER MEDAL OF ANASTASIUS I IN THE NUMISMATIC COLLECTION OF THE HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM Katalin BÍR 0S E Y The Numismatic Section of the Hungarian National Museum has recently added a valuable specimen to its collection, acquiring, by means of purchase, a silver medal of Anastasius I from the estate of a deceased collector. It is to be regretted, though, that we have no closer data about this rare and interesting piece; its find place is unknown and it cannot be stated, either, how it came into the possession of the late collector. The data of the medal are as follows: Ob.) DN ANASTA-SIVS P AVG the draped and cuirassed bust of the emperor, wearing a diadem looking to the right. Rv.) VOT/XX X/MV<T/XXXX (between the second and fourth „X" there are traces of a further „X"; cf. Fig 1:2) in the section CONNOS The legend of four lines is placed in a wreath, the two arcs of the wreath are held together on the upper part by a rosette-like circular decoration, on the lower part it is closed by an angular bow. Silver, Medal, 13,04 g, 38-40 mm, tl Hungarian National Museum, Numismatic Collection, Inv. no.: 146. 1972; it is perforated - the hole is over the head of the bust on the averse, on the reverse it deforms the second letter "O" of the mint mark CONNOS, placed in the section (Fig. 1:2). The medal was issued in the Constantinople mint, its weight coresponds to 12 scrupula.

1 Scrutinizing the obverse and reverse, it is to be stated that the medal is; both as for its technique and workmanship, far below the level of the contempo-, raneous Constantinopolitan solidi, siliquae and miliarenses. In the times of Anastasius the representation of the emperors in profile on coins still prevails, we can even state that while on solidi the representation of the emperors en face is more frequent, on silver and bronze coins this sort of representation is not used at all. Due to the bad state of the medal the diadem, encircling 1 Hahn

, IF., Moneta Imperii Byzantini. I. Ost. Akad. d. Wiss. Phil.-hist. Klasse Denkschriften 109. (Wien 1973) 33., Pl. I. N 15.