← Explore on the interactive map

Byzantine Nomisma Gold Coin

Type Object Region Byzantine Empire Time c. 900–1000

The Byzantine nomisma was the standard gold coin of the 10th-century Byzantine Empire continuing the Roman solidus tradition, also known as the Byzan…

Timeline

  1. c. 900–920Constantinople Mint · IstanbulThe nomisma inherited the Roman solidus standard of a high-purity gold coin of about 4.5 grams; during the reign of Leo VI it continued to be struck at the imperial central mint, maintaining Mediterranean trade's trust in Byzantine gold coinage.
  2. c. 920–960Constantinople · IstanbulDuring the reigns of the Macedonian dynasty emperors, the nomisma's craft and iconography grew ever more refined; the emperor's bust on the obverse was paired with the image of Christ, reflecting the imperial ideology of the unity of religion and imperial power.
  3. c. 960–980Kyiv · KyivThe nomisma flowed via Black Sea trade routes into Kievan Rus, Bulgaria, and elsewhere; archaeological hoards show its wide use for payment, savings, and tribute settlement, and it also influenced the form of local imitations.
  4. c. 980–1000Mediterranean · MediterraneanBy 1000 CE the nomisma ranked alongside the Islamic dinar as a principal Mediterranean gold coin, maintaining high credibility and stable exchange relations in commercial city-states such as Venice and Amalfi and in Byzantine frontier trade.

Sources