The follis (plural folles; Italian: follaro, Arabic: فلس, Fels) was a type of coin in the Roman and Byzantine traditions.
In the past, the term follis was used to describe a large bronze Roman coin introduced in about 294 (the actual name of this coin is not known) at the time of the coinage reform of Diocletian. It weighed about 10 grams and was about 4% silver, mostly as a thin layer on the surface. However, later studies have shown that this is wrong, and that this coin may have been known as a "nummus". The word follis means bag (usually made of leather) in Latin, and there is evidence that this term was used in antiquity for a sealed bag containing a specific amount of coinage. It has also been suggested that the coin was named Follis because of the ancient Greek word "φολίς" meaning a thin layer of metal (cf. Latin folium, "leaf") which covers the surface of various objects, since originally, this coin had a thin layer of silver on top. The 'follis' of Diocletian, despite efforts to enforce prices with the Edict on Maximum Prices (301), was revalued and reduced as time passed. By the time of Constantine the Great, it was smaller and barely contained any silver. A series of Constantinian bronzes was introduced in the mid-4th century, although the specific denominations are unclear and debated by historians and numismatists. They are referred to as AE1, AE2, AE3 and AE4, with the first being the largest (near 27 mm) and the last the smallest (averaging 15 mm) in diameter. Namely:
AE1 | AE2 | AE3 | AE4 |
---|---|---|---|
over 25 mm | 21 – 25 mm | 17 – 21 mm | under 17 mm |
In Seaton Down, Devon, England, near the site of a second- to third-century Roman villa and fortifications, 22,888 folles were found in 2013. Fourth century folles represent the largest category of coin finds in the United Kingdom. Between 30,000 and 50,000 exceptionally well-preserved folles from the first half of the fourth century were discovered in the sea near the north-east shore of Sardinia in 2023.
The follis was reintroduced as a large bronze coin (40 nummi) in 498, with the coinage reform of Anastasius, which included a series of bronze denominations with their values marked in Greek numerals. A 40 nummi coin of Anastasius is depicted on the obverse of the 50 Macedonian denar banknote, issued in 1996.
The fals (a corruption of follis) was a bronze coin issued by the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates beginning in the late 8th century, initially as imitations of the Byzantine follis.
Coinage of Ancient Rome | |
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Proto-currency | Bronze Aes rude Aes signatum |
Republican era | Gold Aureus Silver Denarius Sestertius Victoriatus Quadrigatus Bronze and copper Dupondius (2 asses) As (1) Dodrans (3⁄4) Bes (2⁄3) Semis (1⁄2) Quincunx (5⁄12) Triens (1⁄3) Quadrans (1⁄4) Sextans (1⁄6) Uncia (1⁄12) Semuncia (1⁄24) |
Early Empire | Gold Aureus Dacicus Silver Antoninianus (32 asses) Denarius (16) Quinarius (8) Copper Double sestertius (8) Sestertius (2+1⁄2; later 4) Dupondius (2) As (1) Semis (1⁄2) Quadrans (1⁄4) |
Diocletian era | Gold Solidus Silver Argenteus Nummus Copper Radiate Laureate Denarius |
Late Empire | Gold Solidus Tremissis Silver Miliarense Siliqua Copper and bronze Follis Nummus Constantinian bronzes Centenionalis |
Notable series | Coinage of the Social War Denarius of L. Censorinus Ides of March coinage Fleet coinage Antony's Legionary denarii Roman Judaea Tribute penny Judaea Capta coinage |
Currencies of the Byzantine Empire | |
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First period (498 – ca. 700) | Gold Solidus Semissis Tremissis Silver Hexagram (from 615) Copper Follis Half-follis Decanummium Pentanummium Nummus |
Second period (ca. 700 – 1092) | Gold Solidus or Nomisma (later Histamenon) Tetarteron (from 960s) Silver Miliaresion (from 720) Copper Follis |
Third period (1092 – ca. 1300) | Gold Hyperpyron Electrum Nomisma trachy aspron (Trikephalon/Manouelaton) Billon aspron trachy (Stamenon) Copper Tetarteron Half-tetarteron |
Fourth period (ca. 1300 – 1350s) | Gold Hyperpyron Silver Basilikon Billon Tournesion (Politikon) Copper Trachy Assarion |
Fifth period (1367 – 1453) | Silver Stavraton Half-stavraton Doukatopoulon (Aspron) Copper Tournesion Follaro |
Related topics | |