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1 Solidus In the name of Marcian
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 450-457 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Solidus (circa 301-750) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Winged Victory seated facing on a cuirass, holding a long staff or sceptre topped with a Chi-Rho christogram in her right hand and resting her left hand on her knee. A star appears in the right field. The reverse exhibits the simplified, flat style typical of Germanic barbaric imitations, with less precise rendering of drapery and anatomical detail compared to official Byzantine issues. The exergue bears the mint mark CONOB in debased form, referencing the Constantinople mint and the standard gold fineness. The surrounding legend reads VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM in degraded lettering. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Struck by Germanic authorities imitating the Eastern Roman solidus of Marcian, these pieces circulated among tribes for whom Roman gold carried more transactional weight than any native currency could. The imitations vary considerably in execution — some are near-indistinguishable from Constantinople product, others betray provincial hands immediately — and attribution to a specific tribal issuer remains genuinely contested among specialists.
Marcian's reign ended in 457, giving this type a hard terminus, though the dies may have continued in use well after his death.