Roman numerals for "5"

[Valentinian]

Early Byzantine copper coins often have both Greek and Roman numerals on the same coin. This one has "K" for 20 (nummia) in Greek and the regnal year date "5" in surprising Roman numerals: 

24 mm. 6.78 grams.
Justin II and Sophia, 565-578, Sear 318, struck at Antioch in year 5 = 569/70, with "5" written
II
III
instead of the "V" we are used to. 

For more about the uses of numerals on Byzantine coins, look at this educational page about Byzantine legends:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Byz/legends.html#numbers

Show us some interesting numerals on coins!
 

Edited October 9, 2024 by Valentinian

[mcwyler]

Time of Maximinus II, 310-313, Antioch. Bronze, 15mm, 1.5g. Genius of Antioch, turreted, veiled, seated facing, the river god Orontes swimming below; GENIO ANTIOCHENI. Apollo standing left, holding patera and lyre; APOLLONI SANCTO; officina ΕΔ in right field; mintmark SMA (Van Heesch 3).

Τhe officina, the ninth, would normally be written θ, theta, but since that could be construed as an abbreviation for thanatos, or death, the epsilon delta variant was preferred.

[maridvnvm]

This one is odd and a bit of a cheat. It shows IV but is an engraving error of VI. IV was generally bot used to represent 4, which was generally IIII. 

Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– CONCORD MILIT, Emperor standing right, clasping hand of Concordia.
Minted in Siscia (IV (sic)/XXI in exe) Emission 7 Officina 6. A.D. 280
Reference:– Alfoldi type 26, unlisted. RIC 651 Bust type C var. This error (IV instead of VI is not listed in RIC or Alfoldi)

[GinoLR]

When we write "King Charles III was born in 1948" we mix Roman and Arabic numerals in the same sentence. On the Byzantine AE coins the Greek numeral M, K, I, IB, Є were reverse types, but the obv. and rev. legends were in Latin. On your coin we read "ANNO / IIIII", that's Latin.

On this solidus of Theodosius II, the exergue on reverse has the inscription CONOB : CON(stantinopolis) and OB. Some think it's for OB(ryza), meaning it's pure gold, some others think it's OB', Greek numerals for 72 : a solidus was 1/72th of a pound of gold. 

[Valentinian]

Our usual Roman numeral for "5" is "V". It is on some Byzantine 5-nummia coins:


12 mm. Small. 1.17 grams.
Justin II (565-578) struck at Rome.
Sear 405.

Byzantine pentanummia (5-nummia) are common--most common with Є as a Greek "5".

Justin II, 565-578
14 mm. 1.12 grams. 
Monogram/ Є with cross to right
Sear 386.

But sometimes the pentanummium has a "U" (an epigraphic form of "V") for"5":

Tiberius II, 578-582
19-177 mm. 1.94 grams.
Sear 438. Mint of Constantinople.

When a Byzantine date is "5" and in Roman numerals, the epigraphic from is often "ɥ".
Here is a huge 37 mm and 1.30 grams example from the first year of the coin reform of Tiberius II (578-582). Sear 430. (He was co-ruler under Justin II and when he became sole emperor he started his own coins at year 4.)



"M" in Greek for "40".  "U" in an epigraphic form of Roman numeral "V" for "5", and "Γ" in Greek for 3 (third workshop).     

Lots of fun numerals! 

Edited October 10, 2024 by Valentinian

[GinoLR]

There are also some reverses with the mark of value in Latin numerals

Tiberius II Constantine (578-582), three-quarters of follis, Constantinople.

 

Maurice Tiberius (582-602), half follis from Antioch