Post your solidi here!

Hey all,
I am interested in seeing what solidi everyone has! I currently have solidi of Constantius II, Theodosius II, Anastasius, Justinian I, Justin II, Tiberius Constantine, Phocas, Heraclius, and Constans II. I would love to see and learn about some of yours!

 

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Visigothic, (?)Burgundian, and Merovingian solidi.

Solidi of Anastasius

Lombardic solidi


Anepigraphic solidus

Theodosian solidi

Heraclian solidi

Carthaginian solidi

 

Wow! Amazing coins!

 

Thank you. It helps that I bought my first coin over 50 years ago. They add up over time.

 

Here's my only, NOT so solid, solidi

 

I only have one Solidus, seemingly countermarked with XIII on the reverse.


Justinian I solidus, 21mm, 4.36 grams, SB 139.

 

Honorius solidus, struck in Ravenna. On reverse, Emperor standing facing, crowned from above by Manus Dei, holding long staff surmounted by Christogram and placing left hand on hilt of sword, right foot resting on recumbent serpent-tailed lion.

 

Is Honorius sporting a beard?

Here’s mine from Ravenna. I’ve shared this a lot, one of my favorites types.

 

All of a sudden we have all these threads about solidi and other gold coins -- four different threads on the front page of the ancients forum alone. Perhaps it's a sign of something in the air. Be that as it may, here are my only two solidi (and my only two ancient gold coins of any type), from the brothers Arcadius and Honorius, minted respectively in Constantinople and Ravenna. Since I've described them both recently, I'll omit those descriptions here. The first has a provenance back to 1960; the second to 1998.

 

Yes he does have a beard and moustache. Strange isn't it?

 

A spelling tip. A single coin is a “solidus”. Multiple coins, that is, the plural of solidus, is “solidi”.

Spellcheck programs do not know Latin and will usually do more harm than good when you venture beyond standard English, so even if one is a Latin scholar (which I do not pretend to be) errors tend to creep into one’s posts.

 

Campbell, You posted an interesting group of solidi . I'd like to see what your solidus of Heraclius looks like along with the coin's dimensions . Thanks.

 

I appreciate you saying so! I've only been collecting for a couple of years! Here is a pic of the Heraclius solidus. Not in the best condition, but I really like it. The weight is 4.30 grams and the diameter is 20 mm.

 

Campbell, Thanks for posting ! Your coin is a good strike with clear inscriptions, but I can't make out the officina letter. The coin is light so it must have been clipped like so many Byzantine coins have . As a type it looks like Sear 738. I have a "soft spot" for coins of Heraclius . Pictured below are 3 solidi of Heraclius from my collection.

 

Constantius II Av Solidus Antioch 355-361 AD. Obv Helmeted cuirassed bust facing holding spear over shoulder and carrying shield. Rv. Roma and Constantinopolis enthroned supporting a shield between them. RIC 168 4.38 grms 21 mm Photo by W. Hansen This very intricate design first appeared on a regular basis on this issue minted by Constantius II. This image was not unique to the mint of Antioch and was employed by many of the other mints within the Empire. Though an image that is facing is quite difficult to create, the artist that created this image did so with some panache. About fifty years later this image became the standard for solidii minted at the eastern mints of the Empire. Ps At the time no one loved this coin. It was remaindered and I purchased it about 8 months after the close of the auction.

 

Whenever I see Heraclius on a solidus, all I can think of is a schnauzer.

 

Byzantine coins are certainly interesting. I feel like the celators in the Byzantine Empire had less skill than those of the Roman Empire, but I find that Byzantine coins have their own style. It's unfortunate that the price of Byzantine coins has begun to skyrocket recently.

 

Yep. It was like the Byzantine coinage was the underappreciated stepson of Roman Imperial. But the gold coinage is remarkably uniform in weight, size, and fineness over the centuries. Truly an international currency.

 

When they put forth their best efforts the Byzantine celators could rise to the heights. The facing portrait of young Tiberius to the left of his father Justinian II is one I find rather astonishing. So often in the ancient world children are depicted as miniature adults but here, and on some coins of Heraclius with his son Heraclius Constantine as pictured above, there is no doubt that a child with a child’s proportions is displayed. The portraits of Justinian II while somewhat stylized are also excellent, in my opinion.

And it is not as if stylized portraits did not abound during the Tetrachy. I myself have trouble differentiating Maxentius Galerius Maximus from Flavius Lucinius Constantine, and I bet I am not the only one.