February 26th: VALENTINIAN is Emperor

The (short) history

Valentinian became emperor February 26th 364 AD after the death of Jovian who only ruled for 8 months. He was a capable general and performed admirably on behalf of the empire considering the advanced state of decay he currently found himself in. To begin with, he appoints his brother Valens co-emperor and is entrusted with the eastern half of the empire. A few years later, he also appointed his young son Gratian co-ruler of the West in case anything happened while he campaigned against the ubiquitous barbarians. That something happened in 375 when he suffered a stroke while angrily yelling to a Quadi delegation that had offended him.

The coinage
The monetary system inherited by Valentinian I from his predecessor Jovian comprised a coinage in gold, unchanged since the time of Constantine, in silver, as reformed in 355 AD by Constantius II, and in bronze, as reformed in 361 by Julian.

When Valentinian was crowned Emperor in 364 AD, he proceeded (with his co-Emperor Valens) to significant emissions of solidi, favored by the use of less pure gold (around 95% on average) cut with silver. This did not prevent the emperor from demanding, in 366-367, that the taxes be paid in refined gold in the form of ingots! The rate of the gold coinage is also restored to around 99% from 368 AD, as evidenced by the appearance of the mark OB (obryziacum) on the reverse of the solidi.




The silver siliqua continues to be struck at 1/144 pound (2.25g). There is also a wide range of denominations, including heavy milliarense (1/60 pound, 5.4g) and light milliarense (1/72 pound, 4.5g). The heavy denomination is usually, but not exclusively, found with vota inscriptions; the light one usually have a reference to the Valour of the army. Like gold, silver coinage is purified from 368, which is indicated by the PS (pusulatum) mark. The silver rate will remain around 97% until the end of the 4th century.




When Valentinian came to the throne the Empire was threatened on every frontier by inroads of savage ennemis. We find the coinage adapted to the times in its almost unvarying message that in the hands of its army the state had a sure defense. The bronze was the chief medium employed for this message. It daily met the eye of every subject, high or low, of either empire. When he was elected, his Restitutor type appeared at every monetary mint in the East and the West. This was the normal picture of the coinage when there was a single ruler and no possible division of loyalty. For an interesting analysis of his bronze coinage, please see this article written by our member @Valentinian here : http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/ValentinianI.html


It is sometimes challenging to distinguish some issues between Val I and Val II. Here’s an old thread on how to do it : https://www.cointalk.com/threads/valentinian-s-identification.352362/

I personally don’t know any collector focusing on Val I coinage, but maybe you have some specimens in your collection. I’d be glad to see them. Please show us your Valentinian’s coins !

Ae3 17mm 2.18g
GLORIA ROMANORVM




Ae3 18mm 2.72g
SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE

 

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I like the coinage from this period, even though the emperors are all caricatures that look very similar. It's distinctive after Constantine I's. Having said that, I mostly have just one coin per emperor.

Valentinian I Siliqua 364-367

Rome, 4th officina. Silver, 17mm, 2g. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; D N VALENTINI ANVS P F AVG. Roma enthroned left, holding Victory on globe in right hand and inverted spear with left; VRBS ROMA; R Q (RIC IX, 11a.3). From the 1887 East Harptree Hoard.

 

Valentinian I (364 - 375 A.D.)
Æ3
O: DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right.
R: RESTITVTOR REIP, Valentinian standing front, head right, holding Victory and standard with X on banner. Mintmark SMKB
20mm
3.38g
Cyzicus
RIC 10a, B

 

I only have the common solidus from Nicodemia Mint....

 

While I don't focus on Valentinian's coinage, I do collect "captives" types on Roman coins (some nice examples of emperor-dragging-captives here!), and I guess I do have a small sub-set within those. I've got a bunch of the Valentinian's with the officina names "PRIMA," "SECVNDA," "TERTIA," and "QVARTIA" (can't remember, but my example of the QVARTIA ones might all be Victories not captives).

@Valentinian has a nice discussion/illustrations/table of these officina types around the middle of this page:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/RomeOfficina/Officina.html

Apparently this is the only one I've photographed, though (judging by the background, maybe 10 years ago, probably from an uncleaned lot, which I did rather clumsily):

 

Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at BSISC = Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 375 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r. Rev. GLORIA.RO-MANORVM. VALENTINIAN advancing r., F in l field, with r. hand dragging captive & holding labarum in l. A R in r. field. RCS #4102. RICIX #14a pg.147. DVM #42. Full legends, round flan.

 

Here is the humble bronze version of the type @panzerman has shown above:


Valentinian I, Roman Empire, AE4, 364–367 AD, Thessalonica mint. Obv: DN VALENTINIANVS P F AVG; bust of Valentinian I, draped, cuirassed, and pearl-diademed, r. Rev: RESTITVTOR REIP; emperor, head r., standing facing, holding labarum and Victory on globe; in exergue, TES(A/B?). 15mm, 1.80g. Ref: RIC IX Thessalonica 17A.

 

Sounds like either an interesting method of slightly raising taxes relative to expenditures or possibly embezzlement. Reminds me of the argument that one original incentive for cities/kingdoms to issue coinage was that they could levy a small fee on each coin struck. Also by coining in electrum, with an uncertain quantity of gold, they could more effectively control the money supply and market.

But it also reminds somewhat of those denarii struck under Nero with the small pellets of base metal inside that he was supposedly using to siphon cash! (If you ever see one that's been cut to reveal the core, they're very interesting.)

 

Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 370 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r. Rev. SECVRITAS.REIPVBLICAE. Victory advancing left, holding wreath & palm. with r. RCS #4103 pg.346. RICIX #15a pg.147. DVM #46.

 

- Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 370 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r. Rev. SECVRITAS.REIPVBLICAE. Victory advancing left, holding wreath & palm. with r. RCS #4103. RICIX #15a pg.147. DVM #46.

 

No write-up yet, but it's my only Valentinian I (and my third solidus overall), so here's a preview. RIC IX Antioch 2b (var. unlisted), Sear RCV V 19267 (3rd Officina), Depeyrot II 23/1 (p. 281). AD 365. 21.2 mm., 4.44 g.



There must be 30+ different variants of this type of Valentinian I solidus for the Antioch mint alone, depending not only on the officina number but on whether Valentinian's bust is rosette-diademed like this coin or pearl-diademed, on the presence or absence of a cross in the reverse left field, on the precise form of the device inside the labarum, and on the presence or absence of various stars and/or dots in the exergue (and/or above it) in addition to the officina number. So it's no wonder that this variant is apparently not specifically listed in RIC. The Sear RCV V 19267 catalog entry appears to be the closest description (citing Depeyrot II), since I don't have access to Depeyrot itself. (If anyone does, and could check p. 281 for me, I'd appreciate it.)

 

Here’s one of my favorite Valentinian coins. A humble bronze and off center but of great artistic quality… and from Alexandria!

 

By my username you might think I like coins of Valentinian, and you'd be right!

Here is a complete list of his AE, with most illustrated:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/ValentinianI.html

His best AE type is an AE1:

Valentinian I
RESTIVTOR REIPVBLICAE
AE1. 27 mm. 5:30. 9.78 grams.
RIC Heraclea 2. "R4"

This reverse type was struck for Valentinian I, Valens, and Gratian. It is rare or at least scarce for Valentinian, significantly rarer for Valens, and of extreme rarity for Gratian. (I have never seen one offered.)

 

Some great examples in this thread. Here’s my only Valentinian:


Valentinian I, circa 364 A.D., (19mm, 3.37g), Sirmium, AE Follis, Bust of Valentinian I to right. Rev.VOT / V / MVLT / X in four lines within laurel wreath; in exergue, BSIRM. RIC 8.

 

And yet it's one of the most common types for Valentinian I's solidi; see the one I posted above.