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Nummus - Valentinianus II VIRTVS EXERCITI, ☧; Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 375-392 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The emperor stands facing right in military attire, holding a legionary standard (vexillum) in his right hand and a globe in his left, with his left foot planted upon a seated captive, symbolizing Roman military supremacy. A Chi-Rho monogram (☧) appears in the left field, reflecting the Christianized imperial iconography of the period. The reverse legend VIRTVS E-XERCITI, divided by the standard, proclaims the valor of the army. The mintmark and officina letter, indicating the Constantinople mint second officina (CONSB), are placed in the exergue. |
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| Additional information |
Valentinian II was eleven years old when his half-brother Gratian elevated him to co-emperor following their father's sudden death in 375 — a purely political arrangement designed to neutralize rival factions in the western army. Real power sat with generals and court officials throughout most of his reign. His death in 392, officially ruled a suicide, was almost universally disbelieved in antiquity; the Frank commander Arbogast, who had effectively controlled the western court for years, was the obvious suspect, though nothing was ever proven.
The Constantinopolis mint attribution places this piece in the eastern production stream, struck under arrangements that outlasted Valentinian's actual political authority in the west.