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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;DonnaML, post: 8251327, member: 110350&quot;]This new arrival, a Valentinian I solidus from the Antioch mint, is my third solidus, and my fifth ancient gold coin overall. (I also have 26 modern gold coins dating from the 18th-21st centuries, mostly from the UK along with one from Prussia and three recent purchases from France -- despite having sold the majority of my British gold collection some years ago.)</p><p><br /></p><p>I know that I&#039;ve said elsewhere that I&#039;m reluctant to buy ancient gold without a documented provenance, given the presence of many forgeries -- including several well-known forgeries of Valentinian I solidi -- but decided to buy this one because (1) I think it&#039;s a beautiful coin, with an interesting combination of pagan and presumably Christian iconography; (2) I couldn&#039;t find anything matching it on any of the forgery websites; and (2) I purchased it from a reputable French dealer in Montpellier, Julien Cougnard, from whom I&#039;ve bought coins several times previously. He&#039;s on MA-Shops, and has published a number of articles in France both on ancient coins and on ancient seals and cameos, etc., which he also sells on his website. I do trust him, and don&#039;t believe that he made up the anonymous description of his source that he provided to me. (See below.) Of course I wish it were possible to research it further, but don&#039;t believe it&#039;s feasible for me given the present state of relevant databases.</p><p><br /></p><p>Valentinian I, AV Solidus, ca. 365 AD (reigned 364-375 AD), Antioch Mint, 3rd Officina. Obv. Diademed, draped, &amp; cuirassed bust right, D N VALENTINI-ANVS P F AVG [Dominus Noster Valentinianus Pius Felix Augustus] / Rev. Valentinian, in military attire, standing facing, head right, holding labarum or vexillum ornamented with “T” [or uneven cross?]* in right hand and, in outstretched left hand, Victory standing left on globe, holding up crowning wreath towards emperor, RESTITVTOR – REIPVBLICAE around; in exergue, ANTΓ [Antioch Mint, 3rd Officina**].&nbsp; RIC IX Antioch 2b (var. unlisted); Sear RCV V 19267 at p. 294 [<i>like this coin, No. 19267 is rosette-diademed, has no cross in the reverse left field, has no stars or dots in the reverse exergue, and is known from Officina 3, as well as Officina 10</i>]***; Depeyrot II 23/1 (p. 281) [Depeyrot, George., <i>Les Monnaies d&#039;Or de Constantin II à Zenon (337-491)</i> (Wetteren 1996)]. 21.2 mm., 4.44 g. <i>Purchased from Odysseus Numismatique [Julien Cougnard], Montpellier, France, Feb. 2022, “from an old Parisian collection, formed before 1960” (according to dealer).</i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1453782[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>*Technically, the term “labarum” refers only to “a type of Roman cavalry standard, a vexillum with a military ensign marked with the Christogram (Greek monogram of Christ)” (see <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Labarum" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Labarum" rel="nofollow">https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Labarum</a>), although it is also commonly used for a vexillum with an ensign marked with other Christian symbols such as a cross. Thus, if the “T” in the ensign on this coin is not a Christian symbol but is actually a “T” (with an unknown meaning) -- rather than simply an uneven cross without the top portion – then it should properly be referred to as a vexillum, not a labarum. If it is intended as a Christian symbol, note the combination of the Christian labarum in Valentinian’s right hand and the pagan Victory in his left hand.</p><p><br /></p><p>**The well-known forgeries of Valentinian I solidi from Antioch are from officinae H and I (8 and 10), and don&#039;t very much resemble this coin in other respects.</p><p><br /></p><p>***RIC IX Antioch at pp. 269-271 apparently lists 38 different variants of the Valentinian I “RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE” solidus for the Antioch mint alone (as well a similar number for his brother Valens), differing, among other things, in the officina numbers, on whether Valentinian&#039;s bust is rosette-diademed like this coin or pearl-diademed, on the presence or absence of a cross in the reverse left field, on the precise form of the device inside the ensign of the labarum or vexillum, and on the presence or absence of various stars and/or dots in the exergue (and/or above it) in addition to the officina number. I believe that this specific variant is unlisted in RIC. Sear RCV V 19267 appears to be very similar to this coin, as described in text, but Sear does not list the form of the device in the ensign. Cf. RIC IX Antioch variant xi at p. 269 (variant has “T” in ensign of labarum/vexillum, but has pearl-diademed bust and is from Officina A); see also rosette-diademed example from Officina H [8] sold by cgb.fr in 2019, at <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5728298" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5728298" rel="nofollow">https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5728298</a> (image at&nbsp; <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=5728298" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=5728298" rel="nofollow">https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=5728298</a>) (appears to have “T” in ensign of labarum/vexillum on reverse).</p><p><br /></p><p>If anyone has any thoughts on whether the device in the ensign of the labarum/vexillum on the reverse of my coin is a &quot;T&quot; or just an oddly-engraved cross, and, if it is a &quot;T,&quot; what that could possibly signify, please let me know.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are my five ancient gold coins (of Vespasian, Antoninus Pius, Valentinian I, Arcadius, and Honorius) together in their tray. (You should be able to enlarge both photos significantly by clicking on them.)</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1453786[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1453787[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>From left to right, these coins have provenances to 1910, 2015, [allegedly before 1960], 1960, and 1998. All are documented except the new coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post your solidi, your coins of Valentinian I and/or his family, or anything else you think is relevant.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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