Folia archeologica 27.

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

122 К. BÍRÓ-SEY the head of the emperor, is scarcely discernible. The rosette of the diadem over the forehead and the ribbon at the neck are only to be guessed. To the low level of the representation the fact is added that the medal is not only worn but seems as if some parts of it were hammered out; to this the letter "P" of the legend on the obverse had fallen victim, being before the abbreviation "AVG", hardly traceable. Anastasius and other emperors used, however, the abbreviations PERP or PP on the obverse of their coins and never the letter "P", as on the present medal. The fact that the medal was hammered out, is especially striking on the reverse, where the wreath almost disappears at a place and we cannot assume a wearing off in sections. The undulating surface of the medal also points to a hammering, resp. it can be ascribed to a primitive method of minting. The mint-mark CONNOS (the double "N" is a "misprint") in the section proves that the medal was minted in the Constantinople mint It is very difficult to understand, how a medal of a bad workmanship and barbarian style could be produced in a minting office, where siliquae and miliarenses of a much higher level both from technical and artistic point of view were issued. This observation is strengthened by the literals in the legend of the reverse. Our knowledge on the technique of Byzantine mint, as for this early period, is, though, rather scanty. The mint mark CONNOS mentioned already is faulty as well. The mark CONOS on silver coins warrants the quality.

2 It occurs already on the half siliquae of Zeno alongside with the marks COB and CONS, used oftener at this time; its use was, though widespread only from the reign of Anastasius I on.

3 In the third line of the reverse inscription the letter "L" of the word MVLT is faulty, resp. moved from its normal position; it is not regular, otherwise, either, as the legs of the "L" are not rectangular, but meet in a larger angle of about 120-130°. The text of the reverse is, in this form, strange as well, for the inscription VOT/XXXX/MVLT/XXXX designs the same time span; not to speak of the fact that the reign of Anastasius did not last even for 30 years. The representation on the reverse, resp. a legend of the same type, is frequent in the 4th century. Legends like VOT/X, XX etc (MVLT)XV, XX etc. occur on the mints of Constantine the Great, his sons, and on those of later emperors continuously,

4 in the first line on bronzes, but on silver coins as well, though not nearly so often. In the 5th century we find them latest on siliquae of Theodosius 11, where the legends VOT/MVLT/XXXX, resp. VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX, surrounded by a wreath, occur. We find the above legend also on siliquae of 2 Ibid. 15. 3 Ibid. 32. This mark is used also on the silver coins minted in the Carthago mint. W. Wroth still thought it possible that the letter „S" in the mark CONOS was a mistake: Catalogue of the imperial Byzantine coins in the British Museum. I. (London 1908) XCIX, CI. - The coins finds treated since the issuing of his work proved it that this mark was used in stamping the silver coins. 4 Cohen

, H., Description historique des monnaies médailles impériales. (Paris 1892) Julian Cohen 153, VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX, Jovian Cohen 38, VOT/X/MVLT/XX, I. Valentinian Cohen 74, VOT/XV/MVLT/XX, Valens Cohen 98, VOT/XV/ MVLT/XX, we find this type last among the coins of Julius Nepos of the Western emperors, Julius Nepos Cohen 12, VOT/V/MVLT/X.