Denarius: Steelyard Weight with Bust of Byzantine Empress

I found this piece at the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC) in January. I went to buy coins and maybe a VNCIA coin weight. This piece jumped across the table and said: "Buy me!"

Bronze steelyard weight

I am not an expert on cast bronze statues, but I find several similar examples when I search the internet for: Bronze Byzantine Empress Steelyard Weight. A list of similar weights is given below¹. I am also not an expert on Women’s fashion during the late Roman and early Byzantine period. I did find a web site that describes women’s fashons².

With the two qualifiers above, my description of the statue:

Steelyard scale in the form of a late Roman or early Byzantine empress. Most of the attributions call the empress anonymous. Byzantine empresses were used for weights to encourage the public's belief the state ensured fair and prosperous trade. She is wearing a tunic (a bit like a T-shirt) that is covered by a Stola (Shawl, Himation, Cloak, Toga or some sort of outer garment.). The tunic drapes from her left shoulder to her right hip and from her right shoulder under her right arm. Her right hand is open in the center of her chest. In her left hand she holds a mappa, an official symbol of imperial authority, or a scroll, reflecting the state's emphasis on learning. Her jewelry is:
·         A beaded necklace
·         A second necklace (this might be jewels at the top of her toga).
·         A crown with strings of jewels cascading down the right and left side of her face.

Her hair is braided in two strands and rolled to the top of her head, see pic below³. It is hard to tell what is hair and what is jewelry on this statue.

Dimensions:

· 8-1/8” tall (7-1/4” empress plus 1” hanging ring)

· 4.25” wide; Some of the base has been bent due to being dropped and is a bit wider.

· 3.0” thick

· Oval base. Some weights have a circular or irregular shape.

Weight:

· 1411 grams = 3.1 US pounds = 4.5 Roman pounds (As or Libra)

Materials:

· Cast bronze shell. Most catalogers say produced by lost wax method, followed by cold working.

· Some, but not this one, are filled with lead to increase their weight.

Notes:

1. Similar examples I have found on line.