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Byzantine Nomisma Gold Coin

Type Object Region Byzantine Empire Time 300–1100

The nomisma was the standard gold coin issued by the Byzantine Empire since Constantine's reforms of the 4th century, serving as hard currency across…

Timeline

  1. c. 312–400Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireConstantine the Great carried out a gold coin reform; the nomisma, struck in high-purity gold of about 4.5 grams, replaced the old solidus and became the standard gold coin for unified imperial payment and tax settlement.
  2. c. 1021–1030Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireIn the early 11th century the nomisma remained the principal means of paying the imperial army and conducting foreign trade, but years of war and fiscal pressure gradually reduced its gold content, laying the groundwork for later currency reforms.
  3. 1092–1100Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireAlexios I replaced the traditional nomisma with the lower-grade hyperpyron, marking a new phase in the Byzantine gold coin system and ending the nomisma's historic role as the standard gold coin.

Sources