Roman solidus–nomisma accounting — imperial and regional evidence

1. 375

   CTh 7.13.7.2, issued at Antioch on 2 June 375, assesses a recruit obligation at…

   CTh 7.13.7.2, issued at Antioch on 2 June 375, assesses a recruit obligation at 36 solidi, including six for clothing and expenses. This is an Eastern imperial account observation.⁴

2. 397

   CTh 7.13.13, Padua, 24 September 397, allows senators to discharge recruitment…

   CTh 7.13.13, Padua, 24 September 397, allows senators to discharge recruitment obligations by paying 25 solidi per recruit to the treasury. This is a Western imperial account observation.⁵

3. 400

   PSI IX 1074 orders payment of 4½⅓ solidi

   PSI IX 1074 orders payment of 4½⅓ solidi. Its corrected date is 15 October 400 AD; the fractional amount supplies account-unit evidence.⁶

4. 410

   CTh 7.13.20, Ravenna, 8 February 410, assesses recruits from African and island…

   CTh 7.13.20, Ravenna, 8 February 410, assesses recruits from African and island administrations at 30 solidi. Different recruitment assessments do not imply different account units.⁷

5. 481

   BGU III 726 dates a loan to 19 October 481

   BGU III 726 dates a loan to 19 October 481. Its principal is one gold solidus less four keratia; repayment is flax of the equivalent value at repayment, with wheat interest. This demonstrates an account valuation beyond simply counting an unchanged coin.⁸

6. 613

   P.Lond.V 1737 records a debt of 3⅓ gold nomismata/solidi by the local Syene…

   P.Lond.V 1737 records a debt of 3⅓ gold nomismata/solidi by the local Syene standard, with interest stated in gold carats per solidus. It is dated 9 February 613.⁹

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Successor connections

• Frankish denier–livre reckoning · Qualified · Connection evidence
• Visigothic solidus accounting · Qualified · Connection evidence

Admit a qualified gold-account branch through Roman monetary reforms: the aureus was a denomination of denarius/sestertius reckoning; gold valuation separated, and the solidus replaced the aureus and became an independent accounting basis. This is our synthesis of documented monetary transformation, not a quoted genealogical conclusion. The274–375 research envelope compresses reform and account emergence, not a founding date, fixed conversion or end of denarius reckoning.¹

Frankish reckoning continues the late-Roman solidus account tradition: solidus reckoning survived the change from gold tremisses to silver deniers. Admit regional ancestry; the exact differentiation date and intermediate local stages remain unresolved.²

Visigothic law and finance retained Roman solidus accounting after local solidus coin production ceased. Admit a regional continuation, with its differentiation chronology unresolved.³

CTh 7.13.7.2, issued at Antioch on 2 June 375, assesses a recruit obligation at 36 solidi, including six for clothing and expenses. This is an Eastern imperial account observation.⁴

CTh 7.13.13, Padua, 24 September 397, allows senators to discharge recruitment obligations by paying 25 solidi per recruit to the treasury. This is a Western imperial account observation.⁵

PSI IX 1074 orders payment of 4½⅓ solidi. Its corrected date is 15 October 400 AD; the fractional amount supplies account-unit evidence.⁶

CTh 7.13.20, Ravenna, 8 February 410, assesses recruits from African and island administrations at 30 solidi. Different recruitment assessments do not imply different account units.⁷

BGU III 726 dates a loan to 19 October 481. Its principal is one gold solidus less four keratia; repayment is flax of the equivalent value at repayment, with wheat interest. This demonstrates an account valuation beyond simply counting an unchanged coin.⁸

P.Lond.V 1737 records a debt of 3⅓ gold nomismata/solidi by the local Syene standard, with interest stated in gold carats per solidus. It is dated 9 February 613.⁹

The gold-account tradition branches from the earlier Roman monetary system through a qualified reform history. Frankish and Visigothic accounting preserve western continuations. These connections do not require the old denarius account to have disappeared when solidus reckoning developed.¹²³

Source notes

1. T. V. Buttrey · Dio, Zonaras and the Value of the Roman Aureus, JRS 51 (1961), 40–45; Gilles Bransbourg · Inflation and monetary reforms in the fourth century: Diocletian’s twin Edicts of AD 301 (2020), 165–194; Alessia Rovelli, in Rory Naismith (ed.), Money and Coinage in the Middle Ages (2018), pp. 63–92 · From the Fall of Rome to Charlemagne (c.400–800)

   p.40 publisher extract: aureus equals 25 denarii or 100 sesterces; pp.168–171: integrated denominations, independent gold valuation, argenteus tariff; p.176: later denarius semantics; pp.64–66: Constantinian reform, aureus replacement and silver-siliqua naming problem

2. Peter Spufford (1988) · Money and its Use in Medieval Europe, Cambridge University Press; Horst Lößlein · Solidus (2021), Formulae–Litterae–Chartae

   pp. 19, 33–34; Main text and notes 8–12

3. Andrew Kurt · Visigothic Currency in its Making and Movement (2019)

   pp. 168,178–180, notes 24–31

4. Codex Theodosianus; Latin edition hosted by Grenoble Droit romain · Book VII, military obligations

   7.13.7.2 (375), 7.13.13 (397), 7.13.20 (410)

5. Codex Theodosianus; Latin edition hosted by Grenoble Droit romain · Book VII, military obligations

   7.13.7.2 (375), 7.13.13 (397), 7.13.20 (410)

6. Roger S. Bagnall · Currency and Inflation in Fourth Century Egypt (BASP Supplements 5, 1985); PSIonline scholarly papyrus database · PSI IX 1074, BML inv. 18848

   Bagnall p. 10, Carat; PSIonline Data, Contenuto and Note

7. Codex Theodosianus; Latin edition hosted by Grenoble Droit romain · Book VII, military obligations

   7.13.7.2 (375), 7.13.13 (397), 7.13.20 (410)

8. Marius Gerhardt, Berlin Papyrus Database · Clever Business? BGU III726 (P.7788)

   BGU III726 joined-fragment discussion

9. ERC Elephantine project; Ruth Duttenhöfer; translation J.J.Farber in Porten 1996 D52 · Loan contract P.Lond.V 1737 / Pap.London 1789

   recto x+3–12 and date table

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Cite this currency

“Roman solidus–nomisma accounting — imperial and regional evidence.” The Family Tree of Money. Field Technologies, Inc. Data v49; accessed 14 October 2026.