Kinzer Coins

Anastasius I Ancient Byzantine Bronze Coin — Monetary Reform (+ Bonus Coin) (AD 491–518)

Name: Anastasius I Ancient Byzantine Bronze Coin — Monetary Reform (+ Bonus Coin) (AD 491–518)
Brand: Kinzer Coins
Price: 50.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Anastasius I Ancient Byzantine Bronze Coin — Monetary Reform (+ Bonus Coin) (AD 491–518)

$50.00 USD

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Anastasius I Bronze Follis — Monetary Reform of the Eastern Roman Empire

Own a Coin from One of Late Antiquity’s Most Important Monetary Reforms

The exact bronze follis of Anastasius I shown, issued during the reign of the emperor whose AD 498 bronze reform created the large, denomination-marked copper system that became characteristic of early Byzantine coinage. Includes a second authentic Anastasius coin in lesser condition at no additional cost.

✓ Guaranteed Authentic
✓ Includes a Bonus Ancient Coin
✓ Exact Main Coin Shown
✓ 30-Day Returns

💰 Issued during the reign of the emperor who restructured Eastern Roman bronze currency
🏛 From the period modern historians often describe as the transition from Late Roman to early Byzantine history
🤲 Includes a second authentic Anastasius coin for comparison

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

Anastasius I ruled from AD 491 to 518 and is especially important to numismatists because of his reform of the bronze currency.

In AD 498, his government introduced a clearer system of larger bronze denominations marked with Greek numerals indicating value. The best-known denomination was the follis, marked with a large M for forty nummi. The system was later modified and expanded under subsequent emperors, including Justin I and Justinian I.

This reform did not mark a literal “birth” of the Byzantine Empire. Anastasius and his subjects were Romans, and the Eastern Roman state evolved gradually into what modern historians call the Byzantine Empire. His reign is nevertheless a useful numismatic dividing line because the reformed bronze system looks very different from much late Roman small change.

Anastasius also pursued careful fiscal administration and left the imperial government in a comparatively strong financial position by the end of his long reign. That helped provide later rulers with resources, but it would be too strong to say that one emperor alone secured Byzantium’s future.

This exact bronze follis therefore offers a direct connection to a real monetary turning point without forcing a single foundation date onto Byzantine history.

As an added bonus, this listing also includes a second authentic Anastasius bronze coin in lesser condition, offering an opportunity to compare two genuine pieces from the same reign.