Valens A.D. 364- 367 D N VALENS P F AVG; pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE; Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm. In ex. TESA RIC IX Thessalonica 18b/27b
A pair of anecdotes about Valens that show him as being less than forgiving... at least when it came to his rivals -- like Procopius. Valens not only had Procopius killed, but he did so in a most ghastly manner: Tied to two trees that were each bent down with great force. When the trees were released Procopius was... well... I'll just say he felt torn (and not with precise symmetry). Valens then dealt in similarly grisly fashion with 2 of Procopius' generals, Agilonius and Gomoarius. Valens ordered that they be literally "sawn asunder" (as the old saying goes). To state the obvious, it wasn't done quickly with a high-powered chain saw. :-o I have just one coin of his, a siliqua: And yet he looks like such a nice guy!
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
