"Early Medieval Bronze Trade Weights (2) – Marked for Nomisma / Solidus Culture / Period: Early Medieval Date / Period: 6th–9th century A.D. Material: Bronze Dimensions: Approx. 14–20 mm Condition: Good condition No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid. Provenance information: Object Registration ID: 771 The current owner purchased this object from a reputable Dutch numismatic auction house in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Due to privacy regulations, the name of the previous owner could not be disclosed. No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner. Background Information: This lot consists of two square bronze trade weights dating to the Early Medieval period. Both weights bear engraved control marks, one displaying the Greek letter A (Alpha), while the larger example carries a more heavily worn control mark that is no longer fully legible. Such symbols were commonly used to indicate official verification, denominations, or administrative control within Byzantine and neighbouring trading systems. Bronze trade weights played an essential role in commerce throughout the Early Medieval world. Merchants, goldsmiths, tax officials, and money changers relied on standardized weights to verify precious metals, coins, spices, textiles, and other valuable commodities. Their use helped maintain confidence in commercial transactions across both local markets and long-distance trade routes. Square bronze weights of this type are closely associated with the Byzantine economic sphere, where carefully regulated systems of measurement supported the circulation of the gold solidus (nomisma) and other denominations. Officially inspected weights often carried letters, punches, or simple engraved marks identifying their intended standard or confirming their acceptance by local authorities. Manufactured by casting bronze into carefully prepared moulds and subsequently finished by hand, these weights demonstrate the high degree of standardisation that characterised Byzantine administration. Comparable examples have been recovered from settlements, marketplaces, workshops, and ports across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and regions connected to Byzantine trade. Dating to the 6th–9th century A.D., these objects belong to a period when the Byzantine Empire remained the principal economic power of the eastern Mediterranean, preserving Roman systems of administration while facilitating extensive international trade."