Folia archeologica 27.
Katalin Bíró-Sey: I. Anastasius ezüst medalionja a Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum éremgyűjteményében
124 К. BÍRÓ-SEY Emperor Marcian. 5 Solidi with figurai representations of Theodosius II show also the legend VOTA . . ., as e. g. on a type representing Victoria holding a long-armed cross. 6 Another solidus type displays a sitting Constantinopolis, reposing her feet on a prora. 7 Notwithstanding we do not find, in the 5th century, after the siliquae of Marcian till the reign of Anastasius I the inscription VOT/XXX/MVLT/ XXXX in a wreath, on any kind of coins in either half of the Empire. During the reign of Anastasius silver coins were stuck for the emperor, only in the Constantinople mint. Among the siliquae minted here is a type, similar to the reverse of our medal as for its representation, only with a different legend. On this siliqua type the inscription VOT/MVLT/MTI is surrounded by a wreath, which closes, on its upper part in a rosette, on the lower part in a square bow. In the section again, the mark CONOS can be found. 8 We have to remark here that Hahn (Pl. I, 18a) mentions a Constantinopolitan siliqua with the abbreviation "MVLT", where the letter "L" is similarly faulty as on our medal. If we examined the antecendents of the Anastasius medal, resp. the minting of the Anastasian period, we can assert that we cannot find similar reverse legends on coins. Its last antecedent was the reverse VOT/MVLT/XXXX of Marcian, to be deducted from a reverse of a mint, stuck by Theodosius II. Going through the occurrence of similar silver medals in other collections, resp. catalogues, we cannot find many analogous pieces. Leo I has a specimen of a similar weight (12,41 g) and type in the Paris collection' J (Fig. 1:1), on the reverse of which the garland is, however, of a different type, standing out in relief more distinctly than on our piece. The legend of the reverse is: VOT/XXXV/MXLT/XXXX (sic), in the section: .. .NS. In the collection of the American Numismatic Society two silver medals of the Emperor Justin I are kept; 1 0 one of them weighs 12,13 g (Fig. 1:3), the other one 11,96 g (Fig. 1:4). Both of them are of a rather poor condition, especially that on fig. 1:4 is fragmentary, resp. its surface is wholly porous. On the one piece we can discern it quite distinctly (Fig. 1:3) that the wreath is of the same type as that of the Anastasius medal; as for the other one (Fig. 1:4) we can but assume this. Both of the medals have reverses with misprinted inscriptions. The letter "L" of the abbreviation "MVLT" is problematical here, too, as it is substituted by an "S". This is on fig. 1:3 quite well discernible, on fig. 1:4, though, merely to be guessed. The mint, originating from Asia Minor, published by Pick and attributed earlier to Justinian, was also identified as a Justin medal 1 1 (Fig. 1:5). This is also a silver medal weighing 12 scrupula (11,85 gr). Pick's error might be due to 5 Tolstoj, I. I., Vizantijskija moneti. (S. Peterburg 1912) II. Theodosius Tolstoi 74, 75. Marcian Tolstoj 25. 6 Sabotier, J., Description générale des monnaies byzantines. (Paris-London 1862) II. Theodosius Sabotier 13. 7 II. Theodosius Sabotier 14, Pulcheria Sabotier 5. s Hahn, W., op. cit. Pl. I. 18a, 18b, 18c, N 18. 9 Sabotier Pl. VII. 1.; Pick, В., Ein neues Porträt des Kaisers Justinian. NZ 20(1927) 21. 1( 1 Fagerlie, J. AI., Roman and Byzantine medallions in the collection of the American Numismatic Society. Museum Notes 15. (New York 1969) 91., Pl. XVIII. 42-43. 1 1 Pick, В., op. cit. 21-26.; Hahn, W., op. cit. Prägetabelle III. N 7., Pl. V. N 7.
