Sentence examples for bezant from inspiring English sources

While the bezant and dinar maintained gold currency along the Mediterranean, northern Europe from the 8th century suffered a shortage of gold and turned its almost exclusive attention to silver, inherently more convenient as a unit of exchange.

It was based on the gold solidus (1/72 of a pound) of Constantine the bezant of 4.5 grams (about 70 grains) maximum, which dominated so much of European trade to the 13th century.