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Solidus - Valens VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Constantinopolis
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 364-367 |
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| Currency | Solidus, Reform of Constantine (AD 310/324 – 395) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Two emperors standing facing one another in the field, their heads turned slightly inward, each holding a spear in the outer hand while jointly supporting a globe surmounted by a winged Victory who crowns them both; the composition conveys the concordia and joint sovereignty of the Valentinianic dynasty. The figures are rendered in military dress with finely chased detail. The legend VIRTVS RO-MANORVM, split by the central group, encircles the design within a beaded border. In the exergue, the Constantinople mint mark CONS appears flanked by palm branches, identifying the place of issue. |
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| Additional information |
Valens came to the purple not through ambition but assignment — his brother Valentinian I, having secured the western throne in 364, needed a trusted man for the east and simply chose him. The division was decided at Mediolanum within weeks of Valentinian's own accession, making this solidus one of the earliest products of a reign begun entirely at someone else's initiative. Constantinople's mint ramped up gold production immediately to pay the eastern field armies, whose loyalty neither brother could take for granted.
RIC IX 5B.2 places this emission within the first consular period, before the Danubian campaigns reshaped Valens's military priorities.