Long Table 142. The Power of Influence and the Influence of Power
Channel: American Numismatic Society
Date: 2023-06-21

Late Roman solidi reached Barbaricum in huge quantities. More than 1,200 from Scandinavia and around 900 from Poland have been documented. Gold in the hands of Barbarians led to the diversification of the society and the emergence of social elites. Researchers have also found locally-produced jewelry, Germanic bracteates, and imitations of medallions and solidi that were most likely made from Roman gold coins. Anna Zapolska (Institute of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw) will provide insight into these imitations of Late Roman solidi—rarities typically only found in Eastern Scandinavia and Pomerania—and the people who made them.