Featured April 18th: The Emperor GRATIAN is born

The history
Born April 18th 359 AD, Gratian was the oldest son of Valentinian I, he went along with his father during several campaigns along the borders of the Rhine and the Danube and was elevated to the rank of Augustus in 367 AD at the age of 8 years old. On the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratien took the government of the west while his half - brother Valentinian II was also acclaimed Emperor in the province of Pannonia. Gratien ruled the western provinces of the empire, while his uncle Valens was already the Emperor in the East.



He published in 380 AD the edict of Thessalonica, which ordered all subjects of the Roman Empire to profess the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria, making Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. He also declared that all of the pagan temples and shrines were to be confiscated by the government and that their revenues were to be joined to the property of the state treasury. Gratian was also the first Emperor to refuse the office of Pontifex Maximus. Finally in 383 AD his army deserted him, he fled to Lyons, and was later killed: he was 24 and leaving no children...

The coinage
It is under Gratian's reign that the small bronzes became for the first time the principal form of coinage for the common people of the Empire. From this period we can note the passage from the Ae3 to the smallest denomination Ae4. It was the beginning of a new stage which will go on for a century where the coinage is becoming smaller and rougher in design and fabrication. This evolution is to be put in relation with the growing place occupied by silver coinage in the second half of the 4th century.


Siliqua, Aquileia, Roma seated.

At the beginning of the 380s, a new reform created two new bronze denominations: an Ae2 at 1/60 pound and an Ae4 which was probably struck at 1/192 of a pound in the West and at 1/252 of a pound in the East. The Ae3, now an intermediate denomination, is becoming scarce. The new heavy denomination (Ae2), for its part, is rapidly disappearing.


Ae2, Aquileia, Emperor raising kneeling female.

The question: why having Gratian's coins in my collection ? Personally I don't know anybody who specialize in this Emperor's coinage; but his siliquae are among the cheapest of all, ditto for the solidi and if like me you were one day fantasizing about gathering one coin of each Emperor, well you got to grab at least one specimen... Anyway, on the day he's born, please show me your Gratian´s coins !

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Happy Birthday to Emperor Gratian!

Not too many Gratian's (2) in the FF collection. Here is the one with the best picture though:

Gratian AE 17
Obverse: D N GRATIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: GLORIA RO-MANORVM, Gratian standing right, holding labarum inscribed with Chi-rho and holding captive by hair; Q left, K P right
Mintmark ΔSISCR in ex.

 

Gratian, AD 367-383.
Roman Æ maiorina, 5.90 g, 21.4 mm, 11 h.
Constantinople, AD 383.
Obv: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust, right, holding spear and shield.
Rev: GLORIA RO-MANORVM, Emperor standing facing, head right, on ship, raising right hand. Victory seated at helm. No wreath in field; in exergue, CONΓ.
Refs: RIC 52a (unlisted officina).

 

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 IX Antioch 50b

 

Here are my two best Gratys:

An unusual 19mm AE3 "Gloria Novi Saeculi."
Despite the "TCON" mintmark, for some reason it's not Constantinople, but rather Arles.


And a neat AE4, lettering that I really like for some reason.
LVG is more straightforward being Lyons, or Lugdunum.

 

Yep, Arles was renamed Constantina for a period due to it being the birthplace of Constantine II.

 

whooaaa

 

Here is an AE type set for Gratian:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/Gratian.html

Not the rarest, but the most interesting AE type for Gratian is:

AE3. GLORIA NOVI SAECVLI
Emperor standing right, head left, holding labarum and left resting on shield
Unusual obverse legend: DN GRATIANVS AVGG AVG
AVGG AVG may abbreviate "avgustorum avgustvs" (RIC page 36).
[Augustus in a line of Augusti]

Gratian. 367-375
19 mm (a bit larger than other AE3s), 1.76 grams
RIC Arelate 15

This type, neither common nor rare, was struck only for Gratian and only at Arelate.

 

Two from Thessalonica:

 

Congratulations, Gratian! (Or as I would say; «Gratulerer, Gratian»)
I realized that I barely have him in my collection. Quite similar to Mats coin, only 4 mm smaller:

Gratian, 367-383 AD. AE centenionalis

Obverse: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse: VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma seated facing, head left, holding globe and spear,Θ and Φ to left and right. Mint mark: ANTA in ex.

Reference: RCV 20137

Weight: 2.42g Diameter: 17mm Condition: Very Fine

 

Reverse is similar to @Mat's and @svessien's, but with a different legend:

(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.

 

Congrats for being born, Gratian, a most daring venture


(Marc Walter on VCoins had some of the most wonderful coins back in the day)

 

I have 1 Gratian coin from a lot.


AE3. DN GRATIANVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / GLORIA ROMANORVM, emperor in military dress walking right, head left, holding labarum, dragging a kneeling captive by the hair, F to left, R above hooked A (symbol 4) to right. Mintmark ΔSISCVE.

Siscia
RIC IX Siscia 14c
type xxxvii var

 

Hello CC, i have a "strange" one for Gratian (bust left - 1,98 g - 17 mm)
https://servimg.com/view/19275978/1817

 

Thanks for the writeup and your coins, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix .


RI Gratian 367-383 CE AE 17mm Reduced Folles Emp Stdg w Shield and XP banner labarum



RI Gratian 367-383 CE AE 17mm Reduced Folles Concordia



RI Gratian 367-383 CE AE 17mm Reduced Folles Leading captive XP banner labarum

 

A most unusual and interesting coin. Better pictures possible?

 

Gratian, AE 1 or AE 2, 24 mm 6.3 grams, Siscia mint

Obverse, diademed and cuirassed bust

Reverse, REPARATIO REIPVB, emperor crowned by Victory and holding globus raises turreted woman

 

I try to do my by best Seth

Original picture from seller https://servimg.com/view/19275978/702
A new one https://servimg.com/view/19275978/733

& (unfortunatly in french) a long post with the very rare examples (particulary in the east) known with Gratian bust left from our well known site nummus-bible ii https://www.nummus-bibleii.com/t8692-id-gratien-buste-a-gauche?highlight=ID+gratien