42 Nummi Countermark, As of Domitian, 81-96

The Ostrogoths, lacking both the infrastructure and — arguably — the political will to establish a fully independent mint, instead countermarked existing Roman imperial bronzes to inject them into circulation under Theoderic's administration. This particular host coin, an As of Domitian, had already been out of official circulation for four centuries before someone punched a new value into its face. The 42 Nummi denomination itself reflects the Byzantine accounting system the Ostrogoths deliberately mirrored, a calculated gesture toward legitimacy under Constantinopolitan oversight rather than any break from it.

The RIC cf. 1053 reference signals the host coin attribution is approximate — Domitianic Asses of this period share obverse dies across several issues, making precise identification contingent on surviving legend fragments beneath the countermark.