Numismatic Metrology

It is useful to break the question, concerning the origin of English Troy weight system, into four parts: What, Who, When and Why.  I judge we already have solutions to the first three parts, I outline them at length in this general account:  https://www.academia.edu/6882687

Briefly recapping, regarding What?, I judge this was solved in 1721 by George Hooper, and endorsed by John Arbuthnot in 1727.  They identify English troy as the Islamic (Kayl) system. 

Regarding Who?, in 1967 Skinner at the London Science Museum lodged strong and clear evidence in favour of an adoption of Islamic standards by Offa 757-96.

Regarding When?, numismatists have generally ignored Hooper, Arbuthnot and Skinner, but nevertheless offer us 792/3 for Offa’s crucial pennyweight (= half dirhem) reform.

Which brings us to the subject of this paper, and the final unanswered question:  Why would England, in 792/3, adopt an Oriental weight standard?  It is that problem I claim to solve in here. 

This paper represents a extension of my main 2019 coin metrology text, cited and linked above, and was published in Numismatics International January 2020 entitled Brexit, and Troy Weight (Pt. 1)

This paper is based upon the complete metrology chapter from my book "Early World Coins" published in 2009.  It is however a third revised version -  with just a new preface added to the version of May 2020.  It remains a holistic set of best guesses, concerning how important early metrological systems were linked through time.  Copies of the complete 2009 work on paper are still available.  Please write to info@earlyworldcoins.com for further details if interested.

L’edizione del brebion della Metropoli di Reggio, curata da
A. Guillou, nel quale tutte le cifre sono conteggiate in
tarì aurei, ha portato storici e numismatici a considerare
come dato acquisito la circolazione di moneta araba
aurea nella Calabria bizantina. Analizzando tutti i dati a
nostra disposizione, cercheremo di dimostrare come la
supposta circolazione di moneta araba trova come unico
sostegno proprio la menzione di tarì nel brebion, mentre
mancano esemplari rinvenuti nella regione con coordinate
di ritrovamento certe.

"An overview of the physical coinages issued world wide in the ancient and medieval period, focusing upon 1000 + commoner or more representative types.  Special attention is paid to associated weight standards.  Hypotheses are advanced and defended:

1)  The first and greatest enlightenment, occurring almost simultaneously in Greece, N India and China, (mid 1st millennium BC) was primarily the consequence of the introduction of coin use in these three zones immediately beforehand

2)  the denomination structure of coinage gives us a objective measure of class advantage through time and place

3)  Concerning weight standards, that the association between weight standards and seigniorage charges is widely and wrongly being written out of the historical record at the present time.

Copies of the complete work are still available. Please write to ewc@onetel.net for further details if interested

Clarification of the Anglo-Saxon metrological facts in the recent Naismith book has prompted me to shift position on
the chronology of the English Troy/Tower system. I still believe this derives from Islam, probably via the agency of Jewish traders travelling west. However - the crucial event I have now moved back in time - in line with Skinner -
to the specific reform of the coinage by Offa in 792/3. Once that mental adjustment is made, it immediately becomes
apparent that Offa’s major reform closely coincided with that of Charlemagne’s major reform of 793/4. And that
both of them follow closely on from Charlemagne’s general statement of intent in his Admonito Generalis of 789.
Thus we have not two events, but really just one, albeit a rather complex one. I still support Grierson’s interpretation
of Charlemagne’s standard, but I have added further chronological material to strengthen it, and to extended its
probable links to both Russian and Ottoman traditions.

Gli antichi stati e dinasti si sono spesso cimentati in guerre per le quali sin dall’inizio non disponevano di mezzi finanziari sufficienti. La soluzione al loro bisogno di denaro per pagare truppe e mercenari non fu trovata solo nel ricorso a bottini o assegnazioni di terre, ma anche in riduzioni e svalutazioni dell’unità di misura monetaria che non furono solo un fenomeno romano dell’epoca delle guerre puniche, ma anche una pratica spesso rilevabile in Sicilia – sin dal monometallismo bronzeo stabilito per gradi da Dionisio I, qui ricostruito, o dalle coniazioni di Agatocle – e in Italia – durante la guerra pirrica -. Ma le riduzioni dello standard alimentarono inflazione e ulteriori svalutazioni.--
Ancient states and dynasts were often engaged in wars for which they had no sufficient financiary means to finance since their beginning. The solution of their need of money to pay mercenaries and troops was not only in booties or land assignations, but also in reductions and devaluations of their coin standards, which were not only a Roman phenomenon of the Punic wars, but also a practice often noticeble in Sicily - since the gradually established bronze monometallism of Dionysius I, here reconstructed, and from the coinages of Agathocles – and in Italy – during the Pyrric war -. But standard reductions nourished inflation and further devaluations

Запрошуємо Вас взяти участь у V Міжнародній науковій конференції
«Актуальні проблеми нумізматики у системі спеціальних галузей історичної науки», яка відбудеться 21-22 червня 2018 р. на базі
Державного історико-культурного заповідника «Меджибіж».
Адреса: Україна, Хмельницька обл., м. Меджибіж, вул. Замкова 1.

До участі у конференції запрошуються фахівці в галузі історії Стародавнього Світу, Середніх віків та раннього Модерного часу, економічної історії та історії економічної думки, археології, нумізматики, епіграфіки, сфрагістики, геральдики, фалеристики, боністики та музеєзнавства.

Заявку та тези просимо надсилати до 10 травня 2018 р.
Участь у конференції потрібно обов’язково підтвердити до 01 червня 2018 р.

Запрошення авторові надсилатиметься електронною поштою після отримання оргкомітетом тез доповіді.
Робочі мови конференції – українська, польська, англійська, російська (для нерезидентів України).

Видання збірника тез планується до початку роботи конференції.
Розширені матеріали конференції можуть бути рекомендовані до друку у збірникові наукових праць «Український нумізматичний щорічник».

Il sistema monetario dei Vandali si basa su coniazioni in argento ed in
rame. L’uso della moneta aurea, attestato da documenti scritti oltre che dai
rinvenimenti monetali, non prevedeva la sua coniazione da parte delle zecche
regie. Come le coniazioni degli Ostrogoti in Italia, la monetazione dei
Vandali è in parte “regale” ed in parte “municipale”, con un’imponente
emissione di piccole monete di rame locali e non ufficiali.

This paper deals with an assemblage of 29 measure weights, found in the region of Pernik (Southwest Bulgaria). They all originate from Roman and Byzantine sites (hill-forts, fortified villages, plain settlements, etc.) along the Upper Strymon river lands. Most of them represent ordinary measure weights for the daily needs of the local population and authorities.
In 2002/3 new excavations at the ‘Krakra’ hillfort in Pernik has yielded 6 new coin weights (all in bronze – cat.nos. 10, 17-19, 20-21), thus the entire collection from the site enumerates 11 pieces. Nevertheless, none of the weights from Krakra reveals features of an official standard wight-mark (exagia). Most of the new weights were found located along the west city-wall, concentrated on a limited space (sector 13, around building 72). Topographic analysis reveals this place might be identified as one of those special buildings called ‘ponderaria’. Two of weights are square pieces marked with Greek letter ‘N’ (= 1 solidus/nomisma), one is disc-shaped (N Е), equal to 5 solidi; two small pieces are semis (½ solidus = 12 siliquae) and the last – light-weight semis (or tremis). Those equal to ‘N’ (1 nomisma) are weighing – 4.328, 4.274 and 4.167 g. Judging fom their archaeological background, shapes and inscriptions, all coin weights from the ‘Krakra’ hillfort must be dated to the early Byzantine period, more specifically to the 6th c. AD.
The majority of weights consist of 18 ordinary pieces cast in lead or bronze. A group of nine lead weights of simple design are discovered in a plain settlement at ‘Trunski mogili’ locality near the town of Trun (cat. nos. 4, 6, 9, 13, 15, 24-27). They are equal to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 18 solidi, or multiplications of gold coins weighing from 4.68; 4.58; 4.54; 4.49, 4.21 and 3.96 g respectively. Indeed, this is a full set of wights from an money-exchange bureau in this rural settlement/trading post. Such discrepancies between the theoretical weight of the solidus (4.55 g) and its lower level on the coin weights are wide spread in the early Byzantine period. They are traditionally interpreted as an indication of imperial inflation policy or underhand deals of the local money-changers.
Four commercial weights are also published here. The first is a spheroid shape inscibed VN - II (=2 unciae), weight 49.009 g. (cat. No. 5). It was found in the ‘Zemun’ fort near Yarlovtsi village, Trun municipality. The second one is from the Roman villa rustica nearby the Zabel village, Trun. It has pyramid shape and weight 26.903 g (cat. No. 8), a standard trade unit for 1 uncia. Same site has provided another square weight cast in lead marked with 2 incised dots, valued for 2 unciae (54.20 g, cat. No. 28).
This article also offers a detailed account and overview of the Roman and Byznatine weighting system (pound/libra – uncia - solidus), the origin and development of exagia and their denomination.
In conclusion, this modest collection of weights from Pernik region contributes to the study of local economic relations in the Balkan provinces of the Byzantine empire.

Metrological analysis becomes an essential tool for understanding and dating the coin issues of the Acarnanian League. By constructing frequency-tables and taking into account certain literary sources and inscriptions, as well as analogous numismatic examples, it was proven that for the early coin series (late 5th c. BC) it was used a Reduced Corinthian weight standard for striking the three denominations (drachms, triobols, obol) bearing the letters F, T, E, which actually denote numerals corresponding to the nominal value of each issue (6 - 3 - 1 obols).
After adopting the proper Corinthian standard for a short while (late 4th c. BC) the Acarnanians enabled again a reduced version for minting Corinthian type staters in correspondance with numismatic changes in South Italy (early 3rd century BC). Moreover, the well-known Aetolo-Acarnanian Treaty (IG IX 12 1, 3A; ca. 260 BC), in which a rather clear reference is made to the use of the (Reduced) Corinthian standard by the Acarnanians, provides the terminus post quem for their next metrological innovation.
The introduction of new denominations (weighing approx. 10 g, 5 g and 2.5 g) in Acarnania during the late 3rd - early 2nd century BC is examined within a broader scope, in connection to other areas (Epirus, Aetolia, etc.), and some light is shed regarding the interpretation of the weight standard being the so-called ‘Korkyrean’ instead of the Reduced Aeginetan. Additionally, interesting remarks can be extracted from metrological data that highlight coin production patterns of the Acarnanian federal mint both in times of stability and unrest.

Fractional archaic silver staters of Siris in Thraco-Macedonia have been called 1/8-staters, 1/12-staters, or a mixture of both denominations. An evaluation of both full and fractional stater coin weights indicates a simpler solution, that the fractions may be 1/9-staters also known as diobols. A relatively sudden but minor change in coin-weight standard or control method could be responsible for observed gaps in coin denomination weight distributions.

We publish a lot of 49 small silver fractions acquired in 1973 by Mr. Terseleer (Brussels). Most of these fractions (43 obols and 4 hemiobols) were issued by the mint of Selge (Pisidia) while one is given to Side (Pamphylia) and a last one seems to be unpublished. We may divide these obols from Selge in 3 groups with a difference of weights between groups 1-2 and 3. The same difference may be observed for the die-axis which are loose for groups 1-2 and fixed (12h) for group 3.

We publish a lot of 49 small silver fractions acquired in 1973 by Mr. Terseleer (Brussels). Most of these fractions (43 obols and 4 hemiobols) were issued by the mint of Selge (Pisidia) while one is given to Side (Pamphylia) and a last one seems to be unpublished. We may divide these obols from Selge in 3 groups with a difference of weights between groups 1-2 and 3. The same difference may be observed for the die-axis which are loose for groups 1-2 and fixed (12h) for group 3.

L'edizione del brebion della Metropoli di Reggio, curata da A. Guillou, nel quale tutte le cifre sono conteggiate in tarì aurei, ha portato storici e numismatici a considerare come dato acquisito la circolazione di moneta araba aurea nella Calabria bizantina. Analizzando tutti i dati a ...

Primarily a reply to a recent paper lodged by Michael Bates, but with hints about the roots of the failure of scholarship regarding historical metrology in general over recent decades.

Apologies for the repost - perhaps scribed will convert it this time!