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Nummus - Theodosius I VIRTVS AVGGG, Thessalonica
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 383-388 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Nummus (1⁄7200) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The emperor stands left aboard a ship, his head turned to the right, holding a Phoenix mounted on a globe in his right hand and a military standard in his left, with his right foot placed upon a prostrate captive. Victory stands at the helm guiding the vessel, a composition emblematic of imperial triumph over adversity. An officina letter appears in the left field, and the mintmark is placed in the exergue. The reverse legend VIRTVS-AVGGG, divided across the field, proclaims the martial virtue of the three co-reigning Augusti. The design reflects the propagandistic imagery of the Theodosian dynasty asserting Roman dominance. |
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| Additional information |
The VIRTVS AVGGG reverse type — with its three G's signifying three reigning Augusti simultaneously — places this coin precisely within the college of Theodosius I, Gratian, and Valentinian II, the arrangement that held the empire together across East and West between 383 and 388. Gratian's murder at Lugdunum in August 383 at the hands of Magnus Maximus's forces effectively collapsed that arrangement, though the mint at Thessalonica continued producing types referencing the three-emperor formula for some time after only two legitimate Augusti remained.
Thessalonica was the preferred imperial residence for eastern operations in this period, making its output politically significant beyond its volume.