The Anglo-Saxon pendant, which replicates a Roman gold solidus depicting the emperor Honorius.Image credit: Andrew Williams/Norfolk County Council
Posted on 12/01/2024 4:49:50 PM PST by SunkenCiv
The pendant imitates a Roman coin called a solidus, a type of gold coin introduced by the emperor Constantine in the fourth century A.D. It was discovered in January 2023 near the town of Attleborough in Norfolk, England, and dates to the late fifth to early sixth century. The piece of jewelry copies the imagery and inscriptions found on coins from the time of emperor Honorius, ruler of the Western Roman Empire from A.D. 393 to 423.
The obverse shows a bust of Honorius wearing a pearl diadem and a cuirass, or chest armor, while the reverse depicts a draped standing figure holding a military ceremonial flag, known as a standard, and symbols of war. On both the real and Anglo-Saxon imitation solidi, the standard clearly displays a cross, and the figure holds a miniature Nike, a traditional Roman symbol of victory...
The pendant is unique, Marsden told Live Science in an email. In the fifth and sixth centuries, Anglo-Saxons were pagan, but the Roman Empire had converted to Christianity in A.D. 380 under the emperor Theodosius I. His son, Honorius, ruled as a Christian emperor. Yet the pagan Anglo-Saxons copied a clearly Christian coin.
The Anglo-Saxons did not have a fully developed writing system at this point in time, which likely contributed to the "very odd" lettering on the obverse, Marsden said. The reverse, which should read "RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE," which means "Restorer of the Republic," is rendered incorrectly, as "STITVTOR EIPVBLICAE," omitting some letters and jumbling others.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
The Anglo-Saxon pendant, which replicates a Roman gold solidus depicting the emperor Honorius.Image credit: Andrew Williams/Norfolk County Council
LOL
The Anglo Saxons obviously didn’t allow school unions! /sarc
Nike was a major sponsor of the arena games and certain skirmishes amongst the peoples. Of course only the nobles could afford the Air Ceasars at the time. The general populace made do with the open toed Birkenstocks.
The reverse, which should read “RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE,” which means “Restorer of the Republic,” is rendered incorrectly, as “STITVTOR EIPVBLICAE,” omitting some letters and jumbling others.
“Close enough for government work. - Some Anglo Saxon as he made the forgeries.
Wonder if Rome had a Treasury Dept investigating counterfeiting.
Thanks, SunkenCiv.
:^)
Really only missed two leading letters on the first and one leading letter on the second one, not bad, but makes it read “estorer of the epublic”.
My pleasure.
Some collectors specialize in ancient counterfeits. :^)
"The Anglo-Saxons did not have a fully developed writing system at this point in time"
The Three Two Rs.
£sd for librum, solidus, denarius, Roman coins that are the origin of the Pound, Shilling and Pence, respectively. So the solidus was the first British Shilling.
But. Is it really a fake counterfeit if you copy a bad counterfeit, but correct the spelling errors?
(Did Laz hit the counterfeit hammer?)
I’ve gotta have time to process that one. :^)
lol
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