Here's a coin that I've owned for over 20 years. It is struck under Valentinian 2, with a camp gate on the reverse from the Thessalonica mint. obv: DN VALENTINIANUS PF AVG, rev: GLORIAREI-PUBLICAE; mint: TES . 0.87 gr, 12.98 mm While looking through the book Coinage and history of the Roman empire from David L.Vagi, I saw that these specs can match the denomination of an AR light half Siliqua. I have a similar piece (same tower shape) in copper that weighs twice as much 1.64 gr, for about the same diameter : 13.88 mm This one is from the a//TES mint. The key question is, is the first coin a light half Siliqua ? Anyone have an idea ? Feel free to schow your Valentinianus 2 campgate coins.
That color certainly looks like it could be AR. I know nothing about Late Roman silver to give you any constructive reply though. Would it be possible to identify the metal content with one of those analyzers that jewelers use? Just a thought. Here is my only Valentianian II Camp Gate:
Some numismatists think that the silver siliqua's value in the marketplace was so variable at that time that it was treated as bullion. Its value was determined by weighing those coins. Thus these late siliqua could weigh almost anything.
This afternoon I went to a jeweler/goldsmith, who tested the coin (the old way). It is indeed high quality silver. Beautiful Valentinian coin! Thank you for showing..
This should be a regular AE4 issue ca. 388 (RIC IX p. 186-7). There is no recorded siliqua with this design and legend from Thessalonica (the siliquae are votive) and there is no half siliqua at all recorded for this period. So if indeed silver, this is quite a mystery: an offstrike in silver with AE4 dies.
That's why I'm asking the question to this forum, I can't find an example anywhere. My collection includes about 85 of these ae4 campgate coins, from all known rulers, this silver coin has kept me busy for many years. Here is a similar ae4 coin from the Augustuscoins web site Valentinian II, 13 mm., 1.23 grams., GLORIA REIPVBLICE, campgate, TES is exergue RIC Thessalonica 62a Your suggestion regarding silver offstrike may be correct. Thanks for the input.
