Legal Definitions - argentarius miles

Argentarius miles is a historical legal term referring to an official or designated individual responsible for the secure transport of monetary funds within a governmental financial institution, such as a treasury or exchequer. This role specifically involved moving money from one department or level to another for purposes of examination, testing, or auditing.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of this term:

• Imagine the English Exchequer in the 13th century. After sheriffs from various counties delivered their collected taxes to the "lower Exchequer" for initial receipt, an argentarius miles would then be tasked with carefully carrying these large sacks of coins up to the "upper Exchequer." There, the coins would be meticulously weighed, counted, and tested for purity and authenticity by treasury officials, ensuring the Crown received its due.

  This example illustrates the term by showing the secure transport of money (sacks of coins) within a governmental financial institution (the Exchequer) from one level to another (lower to upper) for examination and testing (weighing, counting, and purity checks).

• During a period of significant coinage reform in a medieval kingdom, newly minted coins from the royal mint might first be delivered to a preliminary counting house. From there, an argentarius miles would transport a representative sample, or even an entire batch, to the royal treasury's assay office. At the assay office, experts would verify the metallic content and weight against royal standards before the coins were officially released for circulation or stored as state reserves.

  This demonstrates the term by depicting the secure movement of funds (newly minted coins) within a state financial system (royal mint to royal treasury's assay office) for the purpose of examination and testing (verifying metallic content and weight against royal standards).

• In a 14th-century royal treasury, various clerks might be responsible for receiving payments from different sources – customs duties, feudal dues, or fines. These daily receipts would be initially recorded and stored in a secure vault on a lower floor. At the end of each quarter, an argentarius miles would be assigned the critical task of moving these accumulated funds, often in heavy chests, to an upper chamber where the King's chief financial officers would conduct a comprehensive audit, reconciling the physical cash with the detailed account books before the funds were officially disbursed or stored long-term.

  This example clearly shows the secure transport of funds (accumulated daily receipts) within a governmental financial institution (royal treasury) from one level to another (lower vault to upper chamber) for examination and auditing (reconciling physical cash with account books).