During the Byzantine era, weights and measures
were under the strict control of a centralized
administration. The weight system was based on
the Byzantine litra, derived from the late Roman
pound. This unit of measure was equal to the
weight of seventy-two solidi, the standard gold
coin of the Byzantine Empire introduced by
Constantine the Great in 309 A.D. Three
materials were traditionally employed in the
manufacture of Byzantine commodity and
currency weights: bronze, glass, and lead. Only
in rare instances were gold or silver used. The
three common shapes employed were: flattened
spheres with truncated sides, squares and discs.
It is believed that the square was the
predominant shape from the 4th to the late 6th
century AD.
The use of standardized weights was designed to
ensure consistency and prevent corruption but
this did not always work out in practice. Legal
records reveal that certain tax collectors used
heavier weights than those prescribed, and that
shop vendors reduced their weight. In both cases
profits would have been illegally increased. The
earliest weights were struck like coins and
usually featured the image of the reigning
emperor- the majority of these seem to have
been produced in Constantinople itself. By the
sixth century there was a much wider variety in
design and production centres had sprung up
across the provinces.
This small lead weight was used for weighing
coins rather than commodities. The ‘NE’ has
been engraved beneath a small Greek cross. The
practice of decorating weights with Christian
symbols is a fascinating phenomenon. In the
Byzantine era religious piety was omnipresent-
even in the business world.
References:
S. Bendall, ‘Byzantine Weights: An Introduction,’
(London, 1996)
