PB Asia Minor. Byzantine Nomisma Weight (AD 9th–10th centuries)
Round in form; stamped on face with circular border enclosing bird to right; plain base.
Weight: 4.23 g.
Diameter: 12.68 mm.
Bird-figured weights are rarely seen in collections and publications, and they are difficult to date as there are no inscriptions or markings on them. However, both their weights and the depictions on them confirm that they are Byzantine weights. The weight of thousands of surviving Byzantine nomisma varies between 4.00 and 4.50 g. This can be explained by the fact that they are worn out or that their sensitivity has not been taken care of. In addition, nomisma had different names such as histamenon nomisma, tetarteron nomisma, hyperpyron nomisma between the 10th and 12th centuries, and their weight has now decreased to less than 4.50 g. (O. Tekin, ‘Kuş Figürlü Kurşun Bizans Nomisma Ağırlıkları’, TEBE Haberler 37 (2014), 17–18).