Research Information System
Turkish Journal of History, no.85, pp.25-43, 2025 (ESCI)
The main subject of this paper is one of the glass coin weights of the Early Byzantine period, which was minted by the governor of Constantinople and the authorities of other major cities of the Empire from the 6th to the mid-7th century to control their gold coins. The glass coin weight found in Ahat Village (Akmonia) reveals the commercial network of the period and the important role of the city. Glass weights, or exagia, were widespread in the Early Byzantine Period, during which the Byzantine Empire underwent various financial reforms, including a new monetary system. Glass coin weights, a novelty for the Early Byzantine period, were preferred because of their practical use and because they were less prone to irrization than metal. The glass weight found in Akmonia, which is the subject of this study, is very important in terms of presenting the commercial and political history of the period with its monogram and depiction. At the same time, the Akmonia glass weight is the only example of the same typology with a known findspot so far.