Folia archeologica 27.

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

126 К. BÍRÓ-SEY that the same legend was meant also for this, the characters having been changed in course of the production of the die. The fourth X of VOT XXXX would have been changed for the character "V" of the abbreviation MVLT, which would result the following legend: VOT XXX V MXLT XXXX. To prove this hypothesis we should know, though, mor about the technology of Byzantine dies. It is possible that the characters and numbers were formed on the die with the aid of punches, which could be easily mixed up giving a source for error. This hypothesis is quite likely, but as to the present not to be proved with certainty. In this case we can regard the six medals as a sequel, made from Leo to Justin. Returning to the archetypes of the medals, we can identify them with the siliquae of Theodosius II, with the legend VOT/MVLT/XXXX, resp. VOT/ XXX/MVLT/XXXX in the wreath. The solidi referring to the tricennalia could have been minted for Theodosius II in the year 430 or maybe about the end of 429.

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4 This date has, in the case of Theodosius II, a reality his reign having had a tricennalia. At the same time solidi with an identical legend were made also for Valentinian III, who reigned in the western part of the Empire; the copying of the mints of Theodosius II shows the prestige of the emperor of the East. These mints have, consequently, no chronological validity for Valentinian III.

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5 The solidus of Pulcheria with the same VOTA-number is to be linked to the minting of his brother and not of his husband; it has no reality, either.

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6 The solidus of Leo with the same legend on the reverse is a hybrid, minted with the reverse of the coin of Theodosius II.

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7 These phenomena point to the fact that the VOTA numbers on the mints of vertain emperors lost their authenticity. This is observable also on medals, where VOTA numbers referring to the reign of the emperors lack any reality: neither Leo I, nor Anastasius I or Justin I had quinquennalia. The meaning of these medal reverses can be explained only with the symbolism of an everlasting reign of the Emperor. 1

4 Boyce, A. A., Festal and dated coins of the Roman Empire four papers. Num. Notes and Monographs 153. (New York 1965) 71. 1

5 Cohen H., op. cit .No. 42. (III. Valentinian) 1

6 Tolstoj, I. I., op. cit. Pulcheria 38. 1

7 Fagerlie

, J. M., Late Roman and Byzantine solidi found in Sweden and Denmark. Num. Notes and Monographs 157. (New York 1967) 51. No. 532.