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10 Nummi - Anastasius I Dicorus CONCORD, Constantinopolis, Large Module
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 498-518 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Anastasius I facing right, rendered in the late Roman imperial tradition. The emperor wears a pearl diadem, with drapery visible over the left shoulder and segmented cuirass over the chest. The effigy occupies the central field, surrounded by the imperial titulature legend. The portrait exhibits the characteristic flat, stylized treatment typical of early Byzantine coinage transitioning from late Roman prototypes. |
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| Mint | CON Constantinople, modern-day Istanbul, Turkey (476-1923) |
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| Additional information |
Anastasius I's currency reform of 498 AD is one of the most consequential monetary decisions in Byzantine history. The previous coinage had collapsed into a chaotic mess of tiny, uninscribed nummi so debased in value that market transactions had become nearly unworkable. The reform reintroduced clearly denominated large-module bronze coins — including the 10-nummi piece — with explicit value marks, the first time Roman or Byzantine bronze coinage had been marked this way in centuries.
Constantinople's mint received the reform first, making early Constantinopolitan issues the prototype against which all provincial output was measured.