Valentinian I came to power in 364 AD through a soldier's acclamation at Nicaea, then immediately split the empire with his brother Valens — a division that would prove permanent in all but name. The Siscia mint, one of the most productive in the western Balkans, operated under Valentinian's direct administrative sphere and struck this type across multiple officinae simultaneously, which accounts for the considerable variation in die quality collectors encounter within RIC IX#5a.
Valentinian I came to power in 364 AD through a soldier's acclamation at Nicaea, then immediately split the empire with his brother Valens — a division that would prove permanent in all but name. The Siscia mint, one of the most productive in the western Balkans, operated under Valentinian's direct administrative sphere and struck this type across multiple officinae simultaneously, which accounts for the considerable variation in die quality collectors encounter within RIC IX#5a.