I purchased this today: It is an AV Solidus of Honorius who "ruled" Rome from AD 395 when he was 10, until his death (of natural causes) at age 38 in AD 423. His reign saw the city of Rome sacked for the first time in 800 years, the Roman abandonment of the Province of Brittania and the removal of the capital of the Western Empire from Rome to Milan. Roman Empire Honorius AD 395-423 AV Solidus Milan Mint Issued AD 402-403 SR-20916 RIC X 1206
Beautiful Solidus @Aethelred. My first and only gold: VALENS AV Solidus OBVERSE: DN VALENS PER F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right REVERSE: RESTITVTOR REIPUBLICAE, Valens standing right, holding labarum in right hand & Victory on globe in left, cross to left. Mintmark star ANTE star Struck at Antioch, 364 AD 3.6g, 19mm Antioch RIC 2d,xxxvii-5
I hear tell some feller struck gold in these here parts!? That is a totally sweet solidus @Aethelred !!
Congratulations on your first ancient gold. It's a beautiful coin. I'm hoping to add some ancient or medieval gold to my collection in 2019.
Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! Bright and yellow, hard and cold Molten, graven, hammered and rolled, Heavy to get and light to hold, Hoarded, bartered, bought and sold, Stolen, borrowed, squandered, doled, Spurned by young, but hung by old To the verge of a church yard mold; Price of many a crime untold. Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! -Thomas Hood Congrats Michael!! That is an awesome way to close out the year.
Indeed I do kind sir, but alas, my example is a lowly Tremissis : Theodosius II (402-450), AV Tremissis. Constantinople mint , AD 408-419. Obv: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG - Pearl diademed draped and cuirassed bust right Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM - Victory walking right, head left, holding wreath and globus cruciger, star in right field, conob in exergue 14.32mm, 1.50g Reference: RIC X 213; Sear 21167
My one and so far only Roman gold coin: Theodosius II, Eastern Roman Empire AV solidus Obv: D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG, diademed, helmeted, cuirassed bust facing, holding spear and shield Rev: IMP XXXX II COS XVII P P, Constantinopolis seated left, with foot on prow, holding cross on globe and sceptre, star in left field Mint: Constantinople Mintmark: COMOB Date: 442 AD Ref: RIC X 286 And here's a tremissis from the tribe that had sacked Rome in 410, but this was struck two centuries later during their rule over Hispania: Sisebut, Visigothic Kingdom AV tremissis Obv: + SISEBVTVS REX, bust facing Rev: + TOLETO PIVS, bust facing Mint: Toledo Date: 612-621 AD Ref: Miles 183a
Conga-rats! Indeed I rejoice for thee. I've only had three pieces of ancient gold (and one of them is technically electrum). Excluding the Greek electrum piece below, I've only had Byzantine gold, not Roman yet. Two of these are in my present collection. Greece (Ionia, Phokaia): electrum hekte; Athena and quadripartite punch, ca. 478-387 BC NGC VF; Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5. Byzantine Empire: gold tremissis of Justinian I; Victory with wreath and cross, ca. 527-565 AD NGC MS; Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, "wrinkled". The other was on my old trademark Holey Gold Hat. It got holed in antiquity, but it came with a nice pedigree.
Congratulations! That's a beautiful, clean, and well struck example. Be careful, though: once bit, the gold bug produces a strong addiction.
Congratulations Aethelred - of course we rejoice with thee! First ancient gold is a major occasion. A very nice example, too. I well remember how excited I was when I got this one.
Beautiful coin @Aethelred - I've been hovering on buying my first gold coin for about six months, either late empire or Byzantine. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but the fact is I've spent more on rare sestertii this year then I would have if I had purchased gold, so likely I will succumb in the early part of 2019.