Solidus In the name of Valentinian III

The Visigoths struck imitative solidi in the name of Roman emperors as a deliberate political act — projecting legitimacy by borrowing imperial authority they did not formally hold. Issues in the name of Valentinian III date to the period when Visigothic power in southwestern Gaul was consolidating under Theoderic I, who had settled his people in Aquitaine under the treaty of 418. Roman coinage types were copied closely enough to circulate alongside genuine imperial issues, which complicates attribution to this day.

RIC X 3711 is distinguished from its genuine counterparts primarily by subtle die work inconsistencies accumulated through the copying process.