This one comes from @John Anthony 's auction of last week and arrived in the mail yesterday with two other coins I won. For the price, it can't be beat and it is an excellent example of a larger Arcadius bronze piece, weighing in at 5.7 grams, comparing to about 1.2 grams for the little tiny common Arcadius coins. Arcadius ruled the Eastern empire from 395-408 A.D., inheriting this role from his father Theodosius who was the last sole ruler of a united Roman Empire. AE 21, 5.7 grams, 11h; Antioch mint Obverse: D N ARCADI-VS P F AVG; Rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right Reverse: GLORIA ROMANORVM; Emperor standing facing, head right, holding standard and globe. Exergue: ANT Reference: RIC IX Antioch 68c, p. 294 One can imagine that his subjects, when beholding this coin, could indeed imagine Arcadius as the Glory of the Romans, at a time when the western empire was running into serious trouble...
cool. roman coins were often used as propaganda to influence the subjects of the empire when the telephone and the internet did not exist. thats a pretty cool coin there.
That's very true. Without newspapers, they were used to circulate the "news" throughout the reaches of the empire. And emperors/empresses did not often appear in an unfavorable light.
Hard to imagine ordinary people thinking about the glory of Rome while holding a coin depicting the image of a weak, disinterested 17-year-old emperor. Past glory, maybe . . . Beautiful coin, though.
BTW, he does have a nice AE3, too: AE III Cyzikus mint, A.D. 392-395 Obv: D N ARCADI-VS P F AVG Rev: GLORIA ROMANORVM - Emperor on horseback, riding right, right hand raised SMKΓ in exergue RIC 29(b) 17mm, 2.0g.
Nice score, even though the picture is a bit dark Not a Gloria Romanorum, but here's my sole AE2 of his Arcadius, AE 2 struck in Alexandria, 3rd officina D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, Diademed bust of Arcadius right VIRTS EXERCITI (sic !), Arcadius, standing right, a captive at right foot, holding globe and standard. ALE gamma at exergue 6.28 gr Ref : RIC # 18, RC #4230, LRBC #2896 var Q
Great coins everyone! I have Arcadius... RI Arcadius AE2 383-408 CE Emp stdg Standard and Globe With his Brother: RI Honorius 393-343 AE3 15mm Arcadius and Honorius Stdg And his Wife: RI Aelia Eudoxia wife of Arcadius 395-401 CE AE3 2-83g 17mm crowned by hand of God Enthroned Constan mint RIC 79