A Provincial Weight from after the Monetary Reform of 538 CE

Abstract

Arectangular shaped copper object in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem has been identified
as a Byzantine one-ounce scale weight, or exagium, deriving from some city in the Syria-
Palestine area. It has not been possible, however, to establish whether it was used in the
retail trade or for checking coins. The bust of Justinian I depicted on the obverse of this
albeit rather crude exagium provides its definite terminus post quem of 538 CE.