New Gratian AE2

Gratian was emperor from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian accompanied, during his youth, his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers.

Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers. In 378, Gratian's generals won a decisive victory over the Lentienses, a branch of the Alamanni, at the Battle of Argentovaria.

Gratian subsequently led a campaign across the Rhine, the last emperor to do so, and attacked the Lentienses, forcing the tribe to surrender. That same year, his uncle Valens was killed in the famous Battle of Adrianople against the Goths. He favoured Christianity over traditional Roman religion, refusing the office of Pontifex Maximus and removing the Altar of Victory from the Roman Senate.

This coin was procured in the recent @Bing auction. Feel free to post your coins of Gratian or his unfortunate uncle Valens.

Gratianus AE 2, 379-383

Obverse: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG - Diademed bust right, draped and cuirassed

Reverse: REPARATIO REIPVB - Gratian standing front, head left, raising kneeling, turreted female holding Victory on a globe.

Reference: RIC IX 26a

Mint: Siscia

 

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Dumb



and Dumber



Together they wrecked the Roman empire, and made it possible for barbarian armies to start making their way deep into the empire's territories.

Strangely though, lately I've started to think that the Roman Empire did not have to collapse because of what happened at Adrianople. Instead I've started to see Honorius as the final nail in the coffin. After Honorius there truly was no way to flog that dead horse any longer. Without Honorius the empire might have lasted on life support into the 6th century and Adrianople would seem a lot less significant than the way we see it. Who knows, without Honorius maybe the western empire barely limps along until Justinian reunifies both empires without the costly Western campaigns, and that would have really changed the course of history.

 

A nice addition ACH.


Gratian (367- 383 A.D.)
Æ 21
O: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma seated facing, head left, holding globe and spear,Θ and Φ at sides, anta in ex.
theta and phi officina
Antioch Mint
2.5g
RIC 50b(2)

 

OK, 2x Gratian and 2x uncle Valens:

 

It's always nice to know where a coin you were bidding on ends up when you lose.

Here's a couple from Gratian and both being ex. Bing:


Gratian, Rome, The Late Empire, AD 359 - 383
AE2, 5.7g, 23 mm; Arles, AD 379 - 383
Obv.: DN GRATIA-NVS PF AVG; pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev.: REPARATIO REIPVB; Gratian standing front, head left, holding Victory on globe and raising kneeling female on left.
In Ex.: SCON


Gratian, Rome, The Late Empire, AD 359 - 383
AE3, 2.1g, 18mm; Siscia, AD 367 - 375
Obv.: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG; pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: GLORIA RO-MANORVM; Gratian standing right, holding labarum inscribed with Chi-rho and holding captive by hair; F left, R over A right, in ex.
In Ex.: DSISCR

 

Thanks for the excellent write up and congrats on the new Gratian!
He looks like a real stands up... I mean, drag em kinda guy:

Gratian
367-383 CE Æ (17mm, 2.82 g, 7h). Siscia mint, 3rd officina. Struck AD 367-375. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Emperor advancing right, head left, dragging bound captive and holding labarum; M-*/P//ΓSISC. RIC IX 14c.xvii; LRBC -. Good VF, brown patina.

 

Very nice coins. I don’t have a Gratian yet, but I can contribute one of his father Valentinian I, the last one in that family with any brains.




Valentinian I, 364-375. AE Follis (19 mm, 3.37 g,), Sirmium, 364. D N VALENTINI-ANVS P F AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right. Rev. VOT / V / MVLT / X in four lines within laurel wreath; in exergue, BSIRM. RIC 8.
Ex. Leu Numismatik

 

Nice post @Sallent - alternative theories about why the western empire fell are interesting to contemplate. If you listen to the History Channel it was lead pipes, leading to a certain kind of stupor over the centuries. (I don't think that theory holds up). Some other History Channel favorites are Attila the Hun, or the Goths sacking Rome in the year 410. Gibbon blames Christianity for extinguishing the martial spirit of the Romans.

But I think the dumb, dumber, and dumbest (Honorius) theory has some merit.
Given a couple of strong emperors the west may have survived unconquered. But if you think about, the western barbarian rulers mostly paid homage to Constantinople and the emperor of the east, and ruled in his name. So in a sense the empire never really "fell" .

 

The problem with the lead theory is that lead forms a coat exposed to moisture. I have some .22lr bullets I haven't fired, sitting in a closet, and over 4 years they've formed a nice patina over the lead projectiles. A lead water pipe would be coated by a patina layer over a few weeks, and minerals in the water would quickly form an additional layer around the interior of the pipes. Lead pipes were common in the western world well into the 19th century. From the colonial era of the US to the 20th century (when most lead pipes were replaced), I assure you a huge portion of the US population (including business men, politicians, scientists, and regular laborers) drank water from lead pipes. And the US settlements survived quite well from the 1600s through early 20th century despite a huge portion drinking from lead pipes, including most people you find in our history books. There was no widespread madness or collapse despite them drinking from lead pipes for a period of time as long as the time from Augustus to Constantine I.

Heck, populations in many European cities drank from lead pipes for periods larger than 400 years. Last I heard, London and Paris are still standing, and there was no chapter of widespread madness in the histories of both cities.

That's not to say lead poisoning didn't kill a lot of Romans. Some used lead as a wine sweetener (though I doubt the practice was widespread as the customary wine sweetener was honey). And some women used arsenic as makeup...so probably some rich matrons died from Parkinson-like illnesses and dementia...provided they didn't die first of the billion other things that would kill you in a pre-industrial society (cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, sweating sickness, childbirth, infections, food poisoning, etc.) Those things probably did in most wealthy Romans in before they ever had chances to develop any symptoms of heavy metals poisoning.

 

Here's a Gratian very similar to @ancient coin hunter 's example.


Gratian, AD 379-383
Roman Æ maiorina (Æ2); 22.6 mm, 5.87 gm, 8:00
Siscia, AD 378-383
Obv: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust, right
Rev: REPARATIO REIPVB, Gratian standing front, head left, raising kneeling female on left, and holding Victory on a globe; in exergue, BSISC•
Refs: RIC 26a4; LRBC 1519; Cohen 30; RCV 20008.

 

Haven't seen this one yet:

Gratian
(Bronze) AE III
Cyzicus mint, A.D. 378-383
Obv: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG
Rev: CONCOR-DIA AVGGG - Roma, seated, head turned left, raising right hand (with spear?) and holding globe in left; right leg bare.
SMKA in exergue; cross in right field.
17mm, 2.4g.

 

Thanks for sharing some really nice coins everyone. I had a couple of miserable AE4's of Gratian so I'm glad for the upgrade.

 

Here are both Gratian and Valens. The first has a leaf in exergue, whereas the second has a Christogram on reverse.

 

Nice AE2 of Gratian ancient coin hunter. I'm looking for a helmeted Gratian, but for now I'm happy with a few of his common bronze coins, I select for this thread these three:
one AE2 from Thessalonica

two AE3 from Siscia

 

As it has yet to be posted here is my Gratian.
Reverse - Securitas Reipublicae
18mm, 2.93g, Rome mint SMleafR?

Not sure what happened to the MM which makes proper I.D tough, overall the legends are weakly struck but a nice bust.

 

I didn't know Gratian struck any helmeted types - must be rare.

 

I was thinking of this type:

This is not mine coin, from acsearch. I do not think they are extremely rare. Diameter about 24 mm, weight about 5 g.

 

That may be the most detailed of it's type that I've seen.

 

I was thinking of a Constantine type helmet but this one looks like those of Theodosius, who of course came after Gratian.

 

I think you should be able to find one with a little patience and persistence. That type is known for most Eastern mints.

I have one of Theodosius I from Constantinople, (http://feltemp.com/Emperors/TheodosiusI.html) but not one for Gratian.