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40 Nummi - Anastasius I Dicorus Constantinopolis, Type ✶M✶, Small Module
| Issuer | Byzantine Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 507-512 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Anastasius I facing right, rendered in the late antique imperial style typical of early Byzantine coinage. The emperor wears a pearl diadem and a paludamentum fastened at the right shoulder, with the cuirass visible beneath. The bust is set against a plain field, with the encircling Latin legend running along the coin's periphery. The portrait exhibits the characteristic stylized treatment of Byzantine imperial effigies, with elongated features and a frontal rigidity emerging in this transitional period. The flan is irregular and slightly off-center, consistent with hammered coinage of this era. |
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| Reverse description | Large Greek numeral M (mark of value for 40 nummi) prominently displayed at center, surmounted by a cross above the apex of the letter, with a star to the left and a star to the right flanking the M. The officina letter A appears to the left of the M, denoting the first workshop. The mint abbreviation CON (for Constantinopolis) is inscribed in the exergue below a horizontal baseline. The overall design is bold and hieratic, characteristic of Anastasius I's reformed follis coinage introduced in 498 AD, here in the later small-module variant of 507–512. |
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| Additional information |
Anastasius I's currency reform of 498 AD was among the most consequential monetary reorganizations in late antique history, reintroducing large-denomination bronze coins after decades of tiny, almost valueless nummi had dominated everyday exchange. The 40-nummi follis was the flagship denomination of that reform. This small-module variety, however, represents a transitional or supplementary emission — the weight reduction from the earlier, heavier folles reflects ongoing adjustments in the years following the initial reform as the mint at Constantinople calibrated output to metal supply and economic demand.