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Roman Empire. Valentinian III. Solidus ca 437, AV 4.46g.

Currency:CHF Category:Coins & Paper Money / Coins: Ancient Start Price:14,400.00 CHF Estimated At:18,000.00 CHF
Roman Empire. Valentinian III. Solidus ca 437, AV 4.46g.
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The Roman Empire. Valentinian III, 425–455. Solidus, Thessalonica ca. 437, AV 4.46g. D N PLA VALENTINIANVS P F AVG Draped, cuirassed and rosette diademed bust r. Rev. VICTORI–A AVGGG Helmeted Emperor on horse l., cloak flowing behind him, raising r. hand. In exergue, CONOB. C –. RIC –. Depeyrot –. LRC –. Apparently unique and unrecorded. Extremely fine / good extremely fine. Ex NAC 23, 2003, 1718 and NAC 31, 2005, 174 sales. The unique solidus we here offer, unrecorded for its reverse, poses a ridlle for its mint and dating. Valentinian III, born in 419 from Flavius Constantius (who was emperor for a few months with the name of Constantius III) and Galla Placidia daughter of Theodosius the Great and step sister of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius, was in succession to become Augustus. After a misunderstanding between his mother and Honorius, the young Valentinian followed her to Constantinople (423), where Theodosius II, son of Arcadius, reigned. On Honorius’ death, was first made Caesar at Thessalonica (424) and the following year was crowned Augustus in Rome. Now, because of his status, that the solidus was struck at the Greek mint in 424 must be ruled out, so one has to look for a later date. We know that on 29 October 437 he married in Constantinople Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of Theodosius II (see RIC 267, for the solidus struck in this occurrence) and that the couple spent the winter at Thessalonica before reaching the imperial court at Ravenna the following year. The presence of Valentinian III at Thessalonica thus ascertained, 437 remains the only possible date of issue of this solidus. It is likely that the piece was struck to emphasise his arrival and / or stay here, even if for such an event a reverse with the normal VICTORIA AVGGG legend seems at odds with the circumstances: the type of the reverse with the emperor on the horseback (cf. Honorius, RIC X 1202, Marcianus, MIRB 1), would suggest something other than a sojourn. Finally, it is worth pointing out that the peculiar make of the coin sets it apart from the usual style of Thessalonica, in that is more reminiscent of one of the empire’s western mint.