The ''hyperpyron'' ( ''nómisma hypérpyron'') was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

coin in use during the late

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, replacing the '' solidus'' as the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

's gold coinage.

History

The traditional gold currency of the Byzantine Empire had been the '' solidus'' or '' nomisma'', whose gold content had remained steady at 24 carats for seven centuries and was consequently highly prized. From the 1030s, however, the coin was increasingly debased, until in the 1080s, following the military disasters and civil wars of the previous decade, its gold content was reduced to almost zero. Consequently, in 1092, Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

( 1081–1118) undertook a drastic overhaul of the Byzantine coinage system and introduced a new gold coin, the ''hyperpyron'' (meaning "super-refined"). This was of the same standard weight (4.45 grams) as the ''solidus'', but only 20.5 carat purity instead of 24, resulting in a reduced gold content of only 4.1 grams instead of 4.8 grams. The lower purity was due to melting down and inclusion of earlier debased coins. The ''hyperpyron'' remained the standard gold coin until gold coins ceased to be minted by the Byzantines in the mid-14th century. It too, however, was subject to gradual debasement: under the Empire of Nicaea (1204–1261), its gold content fell gradually to 18 carats, under Michael VIII Palaiologos ( 1259–1282) to 15 and under his son and successor Andronikos II Palaiologos ( 1282–1328) to 12 carats. At the same time, the quality of the coins declined as well, and in the 14th century, their weight was far from uniform. The last ''hyperpyra'', and thus the last Byzantine gold coins, were struck by Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos ( 1347–1352). The name remained in use thereafter solely as a money of account, divided into 24 . The name was adopted in various forms by Western Europeans ( la, perperum, it, perpero) and the Slavic countries of the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

(''perper'', ''iperpero'', etc.) designating various coins, usually

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

, as well as moneys of account. More often in the West the ''hyperpyron'' was called the '' bezant'', especially among Italian merchants. In the early Komnenian period, the ''hyperpyron'' was the equivalent of three electrum ''

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air- breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from t ...

'', 48 billon ''trachea'' or 864

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

, although with the debasement of the ''trachea'' it eventually came to rate 12 electrum ''trachea'' and 288 to 384 billon ''trachea''. In the 14th century, the ''hyperpyron'' equalled 12 of the new silver ''

basilika The ''Basilika'' was a collection of laws completed c. 892 AD in Constantinople by order of the Eastern Roman emperor Leo VI the Wise during the Macedonian dynasty. This was a continuation of the efforts of his father, Basil I, to simplify and ...

'', 96 , 384 copper ''trachea'' and 768 copper '' assaria''..

Citations

General and cited sources

* *

External links

* {{Byzantine coinage Alexios I Komnenos Coins of the Byzantine Empire Gold coins

History

See also

Citations

General and cited sources

Further reading

External links