Solidus - Theodosius II VIRT EX ERC ROM, Constantinopolis

Theodosius II struck this solidus in 441, the same year Attila the Hun — having violated a standing peace treaty — launched a coordinated assault across the Danube frontier, sacking Viminacium, Singidunum, and Sirmium in rapid succession. The Eastern court, caught underprepared with its best troops diverted to a campaign against the Vandals in Sicily, was forced into humiliating tribute negotiations. The VIRT EX ERC ROM type, invoking the virtue of the Roman army, carries a particular irony given that precise military context.