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1 Solidus In the name of Constantine IV, Five steps
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 668-700 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 19 mm |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust of the emperor, rendered in a crude barbaric imitative style derived from Byzantine prototypes, depicted helmeted and cuirassed with elaborate scaled or beaded armor covering the chest. The facial features are stylized with large frontal eyes, a prominent beard, and a moustache. A globus cruciger or similar imperial attribute may be held or implied. Degenerate Latin legend flanks the bust on both sides in the field, reflecting the Germanic copyist's imperfect rendering of the original Byzantine inscription. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
These pseudoimperial solidi, struck by Germanic peoples — most likely Lombards or Franks — in the name of Constantine IV, were not mere forgeries but functional currency issued where no Byzantine supply reached. The "five steps" detail refers to the stepped throne formula, a die characteristic used to distinguish workshop traditions among scholars still debating precise attribution. No single tribal issuer has been conclusively assigned.
The MEC I gap in the reference is telling — this piece falls outside the standard corpus entirely.