What Is a Miliaresion? The Byzantine Empire's Silver Coin
What Is a Miliaresion?
The major silver coin of Middle Byzantium, introduced around AD 720 under Leo III and Constantine V.
The miliaresion was a major Byzantine silver denomination that became one of the defining coins of the Middle Byzantine monetary system.
What Is a Miliaresion?
The miliaresion was a Byzantine silver coin introduced in the eighth century. The earliest issues name Emperor Leo III and his son and co-emperor Constantine V and are generally dated to about AD 720.
It circulated alongside Byzantine gold and copper coinage and remained an important silver denomination for centuries, with its weight, fineness, and design changing over time.
Did the Miliaresion Bring Silver Back to Byzantium?
Not after centuries. That wording overlooks the Byzantine hexagram, a substantial silver coin first issued under Heraclius in the seventh century and continued by several successors.
By the time the miliaresion appeared, regular production of the hexagram had faded. The miliaresion therefore represents a new phase of Byzantine silver coinage, not the first silver issue in many centuries.
Where Does the Name Miliaresion Come From?
The Byzantine Greek name miliaresion is historically related to the late Roman silver denomination called the miliarense.
They should not be treated as the same coin continued unchanged. The Byzantine miliaresion had its own weight standards, designs, and monetary history.
How Heavy Was a Miliaresion?
There was no single standard that remained unchanged throughout the denomination's long history.
- Early issues: often around 2.2–2.3 grams
- Many later issues: often closer to roughly 2.7–3 grams
- Metal: silver, with fineness varying by period
Collectors should attribute a coin to its specific emperor and issue before judging whether its weight is normal.
What Appears on a Miliaresion?
Early miliaresia are famous for their largely inscriptional designs. A cross, often on steps, dominates one side while imperial and religious inscriptions fill the fields.
Unlike many Byzantine gold coins, the earliest miliaresia do not depend on an imperial portrait. Later issues became more varied, and some eventually incorporated portraits or busts.
What Was the Miliaresion Used For?
The denomination's precise role changed over time. The earliest issues may have had an important ceremonial or donative function, while later miliaresia clearly formed part of the circulating silver currency used in payments and exchange.
Because the coin remained in production for generations, it should not be assigned one narrow purpose for its entire history.
Byzantine silver traveled far. Viking-age hoards mixed coins like the miliaresion with dirhams and pennies, and this album collects the silver of that same world.
Who Issued Miliaresia?
Miliaresia were struck by many Middle Byzantine rulers, including Leo III, Constantine V, Nikephoros I, Michael II, Theophilos, Basil I, Leo VI, Constantine VII, Romanos I, Basil II, Constantine VIII, Constantine IX, Romanos IV, and Michael VII.
The series evolved substantially across those reigns, which is part of what makes it attractive to collectors.
What Replaced the Miliaresion?
The traditional miliaresion disappeared as the eleventh-century monetary system deteriorated and was superseded during the major reforms of Alexios I Komnenos in AD 1092, when Byzantium reorganized its gold, silver, and copper coinage.
Silver struck in Anatolia after Manzikert, in the very generations when the old miliaresion was fading from Byzantine purses.
Why Collect a Miliaresion?
- It represents the major silver tradition of Middle Byzantium.
- Its cross-and-inscription designs are immediately recognizable.
- Examples exist for many important emperors.
- It provides a more affordable path into Byzantine precious-metal coinage than many gold issues.
- The series shows centuries of changing Byzantine monetary policy and religious imagery.
Quick Answers
What is a miliaresion?
A Byzantine silver denomination introduced under Leo III and Constantine V around AD 720.
Was it the first Byzantine silver coin in centuries?
No. Byzantine silver hexagrams had been issued in the seventh century. The miliaresion began a new Middle Byzantine silver series after the hexagram had largely disappeared.
Is a miliaresion the same as a Roman miliarense?
No. The names are historically related, but the Byzantine miliaresion was a distinct medieval denomination.
How much did a miliaresion weigh?
Early examples are often around 2.2–2.3 grams, while many later issues are closer to roughly 3 grams. The standard varied over time.
When did miliaresia stop being issued?
The traditional denomination disappeared around the monetary restructuring associated with Alexios I Komnenos's reforms of AD 1092.
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