Anastasius I (AD 491–518) Byzantine Empire AE4 Nummus NGC F

Anastasius I — Reforming the Currency of the Eastern Empire

This small bronze AE4 nummus represents Anastasius I, the emperor whose fiscal administration and bronze coinage reform helped shape the early Byzantine state.

Coin Details

• Ruler: Anastasius I
• Reign and issue period: AD 491–518
• Empire/region: Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire
• Denomination: Nummus; AE4 is a modern size classification
• Composition: AE (bronze or copper alloy)
• NGC grade: F — Fine
• Sheldon-scale equivalent: 12
• Quantity supplied: One encapsulated coin

The Sheldon-scale number is an equivalent associated with the stated ancient-coin grade; it is not a separate numerical grade assigned to the coin.

Anastasius I — Administration, Finance, and Reform

Anastasius was a senior palace official when Empress Ariadne selected him to succeed Zeno in AD 491. His reign confronted the Isaurian War, frontier conflict and intense religious division, but it also became known for careful administration.

He reformed taxation and strengthened imperial finances, leaving a substantial treasury to his successors. In AD 498 his government reorganized the bronze currency with clearly marked multiples of the nummus, a major step in the development of Byzantine coinage.

What the Coin Tells Us

The nummus was the basic small bronze unit of the late Roman and early Byzantine monetary system. AE4 is a modern size classification used by collectors; it is not an ancient denomination written on the coin.

Anastasius’s reign is a landmark for bronze currency because larger, value-marked denominations made everyday money easier to identify. A small nummus belongs to the monetary environment from which that reform emerged.

What You Will Receive

You will receive one bronze nummus of Anastasius I in an NGC Ancients holder, graded F (Fine). A specific mint, issue year, reverse design, inscription, weight or diameter is not promised unless expressly stated above.

Stock-photo notice: The photographs are representative of the product offering. The coin supplied may differ from the pictured example in portrait style, reverse design, inscriptions, centering, toning, surface appearance and other individual characteristics while remaining within the stated coin type and any expressly stated grade.