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42 Nummi Countermark, As of Galba, 68-69, eagle
| Issuer | Ostrogothic Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 501-553 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 8.98 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A spread eagle displayed with wings raised stands centrally between two military trophies, with the senatorial authority mark divided on either side of the eagle in the field. The design is that of the original Galba As reverse, struck at Rome, now repurposed as a host flan for the Ostrogothic countermark coinage. The surfaces are heavily worn, consistent with extended circulation through two monetary systems. The letters flanking the eagle are bold and well-spaced within the broad flan. |
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| Additional information |
The Ostrogoths struck no large bronze of their own for much of their Italian administration, instead countermarking existing Roman imperial bronzes still circulating in the peninsula. This piece — a first-century As pressed back into official use some four to five centuries after its original minting — reflects the pragmatic monetary policy of Theoderic and his successors, who were careful to maintain the fiction of continuity with Rome rather than displace it.
The eagle countermark authenticating 42 nummi value appears on a fairly narrow range of host coins, and finding it applied to a Galba As is unusual given the relative scarcity of Galban bronzes to begin with.