Ein Vortrag von Dr. Benjamin Fourlas (Mainz) / A lecture by Dr Benjamin Fourlas (Mainz).
Roman emperors had special coins minted to commemorate significant events. These coins—especially the rare, oversized specimens known as multipla—were primarily distributed to civil and military officials as part of the imperial largitio (largesse). From the 3rd to the early 7th century, numerous pieces of jewellery featuring mounted gold coins, including many multipla, have been preserved.
This paper examines several well-known examples of such coin-set jewellery and the extremely rare examples of mounted multipla from the late sixth century. Placing them within the broader context of Late Roman imperial tradition, it argues that these adornments were connected to the largesse of emperor Maurice and served to legitimize his dynasty.
Lecture Series on John of Ephesus
