Miliarense

Miliarense is the name given by numismatists to a type of late antique bronze or billon coin produced in the late Roman and early Byzantine periods. It represents a low-denomination, circulating unit within the broader bronze coinage of the empire, rather than a single, formally defined issue with a fixed value across all issues and years.

Origin and period: The miliarense appears in the monetary system during a time of continuing debasement and reform of coinage. Its exact dating and minting centers varied, with examples recorded at several provincial and imperial mints. The term itself is a scholarly label used to group loosely related issues that do not neatly fit the earlier follis or later, more standardized bronze coins.

Composition and denomination: As a bronze/billon coin, the miliarense would have been of relatively modest weight and metal content compared with higher-value coins such as the gold solidus or the large bronze follis. Because late antique coinage often changed in weight and alloy, the precise value of a miliarense could differ over time and by mint, reflecting the broader monetary pressures of the era.

Design and inscriptions: Typical issues feature imperial portraits on the obverse and various reverse designs, including religious symbols, numerals, or depictions associated with mint marks. The inscriptions usually name the emperor and sometimes the mint, though specific legends vary by issue and time period.

Circulation and significance: The miliarense circulated across the empire, in both the eastern provinces and western territories, and is commonly found in archaeological contexts and coin hoards from the late antique world. It helps illuminate the scale and texture of everyday commerce in a period of transition from classical to medieval coinage.

See also: Roman currency, Byzantine coinage, Follis, Nummus, Bronze coinage.