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Argenteus - Constantius I VIRTVS MILITVM, Serdica
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 305-306 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantius I facing right, depicted with pronounced facial features and paludamentum visible at the shoulder. The effigy is rendered in the bold, high-relief style characteristic of the Tetrarchic period, with the laurel wreath clearly articulated across the brow. The encircling Latin legend reads CONSTANTIVS AVG, distributed around the periphery of the flan. The overall composition reflects the standardized imperial portraiture introduced under Diocletian's monetary reforms, emphasizing authority and military gravitas. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | CONSTANTIVS AVG |
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| Additional information |
Serdica — modern Sofia — was elevated as a mint city under Diocletian's tetrarchic reorganization, and this argenteus belongs to the very last months of Constantius I's reign before his death at Eboracum (York) in July 306. The VIRTVS MILITVM reverse type was shared across multiple tetrarchic mints simultaneously, a deliberate expression of collegiate unity among the four rulers — the same design appearing at Serdica, Thessalonica, and elsewhere within months of each other.
RIC VI 11a is specifically the Serdica emission for Constantius as Caesar transitioning to Augustus, a brief window that tightly constrains the striking date.