Ostrogoths Pseudo-Autonomous INVICTA ROMA

[Victor]

another recent pickup-


Ostrogoths, Pseudo-Autonomous AE Nummus. Struck during the reigns of Theodoric and Athalaric in Rome, circa AD 493-553. INVICTA ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma right / Eagle with raised wings standing left, head right; XL upwards to left; (?) in exergue. Metlich 76b; MEC 101; BMC Vandals 14. 10.42g, 23mm, 2h.

[Joshmaggosh]

That's a cool coin! These post western empire fall coins are really interesting. They seem pretty scarce though. Since they are base-metal coins and I suspect were minted in the millions... it's surprising there aren't more around and in sharp condition.

[Victor]

I don't think that there were that many coins of the Ostrogoths minted. Even hoard evidence for bronze issues is scanty, indicating that not many were struck. Eraric, didn't even mint coins...at least no examples have been found yet. Metlich (The Coinage of Ostrogothic Italy) estimates that the total value of copper coins known is less in value than three solidi (one solidus = 20 lbs of copper). The amount of copper coins struck from a pound of copper varied according to the unit and the ruler, but let's start with a 10 nummi at 1/100 of a pound, so one hundred coins were struck from one pound of bronze.  This value varied though, according to the ruler- for instance Theodoric struck on 1/60 and 1/100 while Athalaric had some 1/70 and Theodahad had 1/80. So, accordingly, around 6,000 bronze coins (at 1/100 ratio, though many were struck at less, like the 40 nummi) of the Ostrogoths are in collections now.

The coin pictured above is a 40 nummi and struck at 1/25 to as pound