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Solidus - Marcian VICTORIA AVGGG, Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Eastern Roman Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 450-457 |
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| Value | Solidus (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust of Emperor Marcian, helmeted and pearl-diademed, clad in cuirass, the emperor depicted in the imperial military tradition of the late Roman period. The right hand is raised behind the head bearing a spear, while the left arm supports a large shield decorated with a horseman motif. The obverse legend D N MARCIA-NVS P F AVG (Dominus Noster Marcianus Pius Felix Augustus) is disposed around the bust in Latin capitals. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Marcian's reign began under circumstances that would have embarrassed a more self-conscious emperor: he was the choice of the powerful general Aspar, a barbarian-born Alan who could not take the purple himself. The arrangement was cemented almost immediately by Marcian's marriage to Pulcheria, Theodosius II's sister, securing dynastic legitimacy through a union that was, by all accounts, entirely political. His first decisive act was to stop tribute payments to Attila — a gamble that paid off only because Attila turned west toward Gaul in 451.
The Constantinople mint was the sole producer of this type throughout the reign.