Definition

Noun: 1. A gold coin of the Byzantine Empire: A specific type of historical currency, the bezant (also spelled bezzant), was a gold coin minted and used in the Byzantine Empire. It was highly valued and influential in medieval European and Mediterranean trade.

Usage and Examples

• The bezzant was the dominant international currency for centuries, much like the US dollar is today.
• Historians found a hoard of silver coins and a single gold bezzant at the archaeological site.
• Payment for the ransom was demanded in 10,000 bezzants.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• The term bezzant is primarily used in historical, numismatic (coin-collecting), and academic contexts. It is not used in modern financial discussions.
• The name is derived from , the ancient name for Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
• In heraldry (the study of coats of arms), a bezant refers to a gold roundel (a solid gold circle), representing the coin.

Variants and Related Words

• Bezant (noun): The more common alternate spelling of bezzant.
• Solidus (noun): The original Roman and early Byzantine name for this gold coin before it became widely known as the bezant in Western Europe.
• Nomisma (noun): Another term, Greek in origin, for the Byzantine gold coinage.

Synonyms

• Byzantine gold coin
• Solidus
• Historic currency

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To pay in bezants: An archaic or literary phrase meaning to pay a very high or valuable price.
  • Example (historical fiction): "The knight paid for his armor and steed in bezants, depleting his family's treasury."

Noun

1. a gold coin of the Byzantine Empire; widely circulated in Europe in the Middle Ages