Catalog
5 Nummi
| Issuer | Rome, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 493-526 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Nummi |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Large Numeral V (five) centered in the field, representing the denomination of five nummi, enclosed within a wreath of laurel branches tied at the base. A small pellet or crescent ornament appears at the apex of the wreath. The design is simple and boldly executed, consistent with the civic bronze coinage of Rome during the Ostrogothic period. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | V (Translation: 5) |
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| Additional information |
The 5 Nummi was among the smallest fractional bronzes produced under Ostrogothic administration following Odoacer's defeat in 493. Theoderic governed Italy as king while nominally acknowledging Byzantine imperial authority — a careful legal fiction that shaped how coinage was issued. The mint at Rome continued operating, producing pieces that carefully avoided overt assertion of independent sovereignty, a balancing act that held for roughly three decades.
At this denomination, actual purchasing power was minimal. These circulated among the poorest transactions in a monetary system already degraded from its late imperial peak.