Horváth Attila – H. Tóth Elvira szerk.: Cumania 4. Archeologia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1976)
Sey K.: Egy ritka Valens ezüst medalion
VOTIS (XV) MVLTIS/XX reverse inscription and SISCP S mark. Furthermore it ussued siliquae with URBS/ROMA inscription with the same mark for the above two emperors and Valentinian II. Thus the minting of the Valens medailon can be put between 375 and 378 A.D. No further multiplum is known from the Siscian mint but the mint at Rome issues such coins for Valentinian II with RP mark, weighing 12 g. This according to the mint marks can be dated between 378 and 383 A.D. The silver multipli with RT mark of Theodosius I and RE mark of Arcadius were also minted here between 383 and 387 A.D. The series however continues further. The latest are the medailons of Arcadius and Honorius. These were minted in the mint of Rome with RMPS mark for both emperors. As regards to the material of the medailons we can speak of impressions of precious metal and of common metal. We shall disregard the bronze medailons and shall only discuss precious metals especially silver which are much rarer than gold. As a matter of fact the first medailons are produced in Asia Minor in the first century A.D., the silver cistophori. These weigh three denarii. It can be added that these precious metal medailons weigh the multiples of the current precious metal coins. This is why they were called multipli. Thus the above mentioned cistophori are treble denarii. It is true that they have been struck as multiple weights of the currency, nevertheless it is not likely that they have been used as money. Or rather yet, these were such commemorative rarities that their pretium affectationis were much greater than their metal value. Generally speaking the silver medailons are much rarer between the first and third century A.D. than the bronzes. They completely disappear during the second half of the third century A.D. The minting of silver coins cease almost completely even, since the billon antoniniani are used for silver which were made almost fully of bronze. Silver reappears in currency only after the monetary reform of Diocletian, namely the denarius argenteus. After the Constantine dynasty gaining power the minting of silver medailons becomes quite frequent again. The medailons were produced in the mints just as the currency. The commissioner is always the emperor. Proof for the production of medailons in the official mints is the fact that there are such bronze impressions whose obverse is that of a sestertius, only the reverse shows a special medailon subject. The issueing of medailons always occurred at special occasions generally. The emperors granted these to the troops or the people. The silver multipli become frequent again in the fourth century A.D. During the second half of the century they are made in 10—13 g weight which is equivalent to the weight of 4,5—5,5 siliqua, or 2— 2,5—3 miliarense. From a technical point of view the medailons are rather flat and not so plastic, and not roughly worked at all. Their representational subjects are rather boring, especially in contrast to the gold medailons. They bear Vota. .. etc. inscription in a wreath, or they represent the emperor in military dress on the reverse. The obverse portraits are realistic, similarly to the coins used in currency. The individual features, however, are not so emphasized as we have seen during the first and second century A.D. emperor representations. The decline in technique and art is due to mass minting. It is no accident that the emperor's representation on the reverse of medailons is so frequent. The emperor was the center of all interest. It is not rare that the obverse bears a representation of a family member of the emperor; the reverse bears the .emperor's representation personifying some quality or feature. The Valens medailon of the Collection of the Hungarian National Museum marks the emperor's victory over barbarians. It is true though that this is only propaganda, because if we examined the date of the first medailon of such type, the period of Valentinian I, then the latest ones, the medailons of Honorius and Arcadius, few victories and many defeats could be listed, just to mention the very unglorious battle of Hadrianopolis as far as the Roman troops were concerned. In reality there is no such emperor who could personify Virtus, the victor over barbarians, the undefeatable representative of the empire. Nevertheless the traditions and the multipli made for special occasions to be given away had to reflect the current propaganda. The medailons were produced in the eastern Roman empire even as late as the 6th century A.D. 40
