diff --git a/include/xrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.h b/include/xrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.h
index 060ad3d828..41ade77e62 100644
--- a/include/xrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.h
+++ b/include/xrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.h
@@ -40,6 +40,20 @@ private:
     void
     normalize();
 
+    /**
+     * Constrains the exponent to IOUAmount's range, which is narrower than
+     * the one Number normalization enforces.
+     *
+     * The two ends are deliberately asymmetric, matching the class contract:
+     * an exponent above the range is unrepresentable and throws, while one
+     * below it is a silent underflow that truncates the amount to zero.
+     *
+     * @throws std::overflow_error if the exponent exceeds the largest
+     *         representable IOU exponent.
+     */
+    void
+    enforceExponentBounds();
+
     static IOUAmount
     fromNumber(Number const& number);
 
diff --git a/src/libxrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.cpp b/src/libxrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.cpp
index 1b3e5b3737..3c7ce14e76 100644
--- a/src/libxrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.cpp
+++ b/src/libxrpl/protocol/IOUAmount.cpp
@@ -43,19 +43,8 @@ IOUAmount::minPositiveAmount()
 }
 
 void
-IOUAmount::normalize()
+IOUAmount::enforceExponentBounds()
 {
-    if (mantissa_ == 0)
-    {
-        *this = beast::kZero;
-        return;
-    }
-    std::tie(mantissa_, exponent_) =
-        Number::normalizeToRange<kMinMantissa, kMaxMantissa>(mantissa_, exponent_);
-
-    // normalizeToRange only enforces Number's much wider exponent bounds.
-    // Re-apply IOUAmount's narrower range here, matching the check
-    // IOUAmount(Number const&) applies on its own construction path.
     if (exponent_ > kMaxExponent)
     {
         Throw<std::overflow_error>("value overflow");
@@ -66,16 +55,25 @@ IOUAmount::normalize()
     }
 }
 
-IOUAmount::IOUAmount(Number const& other) : IOUAmount(fromNumber(other))
+void
+IOUAmount::normalize()
 {
-    if (exponent_ > kMaxExponent)
-    {
-        Throw<std::overflow_error>("value overflow");
-    }
-    if (exponent_ < kMinExponent)
+    if (mantissa_ == 0)
     {
         *this = beast::kZero;
+        return;
     }
+    std::tie(mantissa_, exponent_) =
+        Number::normalizeToRange<kMinMantissa, kMaxMantissa>(mantissa_, exponent_);
+
+    // normalizeToRange only enforces Number's much wider exponent bounds, so
+    // IOUAmount's narrower range still has to be applied on top.
+    enforceExponentBounds();
+}
+
+IOUAmount::IOUAmount(Number const& other) : IOUAmount(fromNumber(other))
+{
+    enforceExponentBounds();
 }
 
 IOUAmount&