late Roman AE4s

Here is a cute AE4 of Arcadius (383-408). It is only 14 mm and 1.62 grams.


DN ARCADIVS PF AVG
pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
SALVS REI-PVBLICAE
Victory advancing left, head turned back, dragging captive. cross-rho in left field
SMKΓ
RIC IX Cyzicus 26c "28 August 388 - 15 May 392"

RIC lists this type as "12-13 mm." Often the legend is crowded and the mintmark is not fully on the flan, but this one at 14 mm has room for it all.

At Cyzicus this issue is shared with Valentinian II and Theodosius.

Show us some late Roman AE4s!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Some folks would rather have a part legend mint state or an unworn coin with rough surface. Fortunately for us all, there are both kinds and coins like the Arcadius that combine the best of both worlds.


The three then current emperors included two tall ones and one child.
Arcadius AE4 Antioch



As we get later, it seems harder to find coins with everything on flan. This coin is missing 95% of its CON mintmark but I was willing to overlook that considering all the legends that were present.
Marcian AE4, Constantinople.

 

Some rare ones:

Galla Placidia, Western Roman Empire
AE nummus
Obv: D N GALLA PLA-CIDIA P F AVG, female, pearl-diademed bust right, wearing necklace and earrings
Rev: SALVS REI-PVBLICE around cross, T in left field
Mint: Rome
Mintmark: RM
Date: 425-437 AD
Ref: RIC X 2111



Majorian, Western Roman Empire
AE nummus
Obv: D N IVL MAIORIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: VICTORI-A AVGGG, Victory advancing right, holding palm branch and trophy
Mint: Milan
Mintmark: MD
Date: 457-461 AD
Ref: RIC X 2642



Libius Severus, Western Roman Empire
AE nummus
Obv: D N LIBIVS SEVERVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: Monogram of Ricimer within wreath
Mint: Rome
Date: 461-467 AD (Libius Severus reigned 461-465 AD)
Ref: RIC X 2715



He technically isn’t “Roman” but the coin is in RIC so I figure this AE4 can be included as well.

Odoacer, Kingdom of Italy
AE nummus
Obv: OD[O-VAC], bare-headed, draped bust right
Rev: Odoacer's monogram (letters ODOVA: “Odovacar”) within wreath
Mint: Ravenna
Date: 476-493 AD
Ref: RIC X 3502

 

Thanks for the post, @Valentinian . I always learn a lot from your succinct but detailed info... And, it is always great that you have a website to chase further into!

Great looking Arcadius.

Although, I do not focus in LRB's, I have a few AE4's.

Late Roman Empire

Flavius Victor 384-388 CE
AE4 14mm 1.8g
Aquileia Camp Gate Star SMAQS
RIC IX 55b-2 LRBC1104



Johannes
423-425 CE
AE4 Nummus
Victory
R



Marcian
450-457 CE
AE4 11mm
monogram



Theodosius II
402-450 CE
AE4 11mm
Cross in Wreath



Valentinian I
364-375 CE
AE4 Nummus
Victory

 

How does RIC handle 9-10mm coins? Would that still be an AE4, or is this another denomination?


Zeno
476-491 CE
2nd reign
AE 10mm
Monogram



Valentinian III
425-455 CE
AE 9mm
Rome mint


Oops, and found another AE4


Constantius II
337-361 CE
AE 4
Emperor stndg holding globe

 

Valentinian II

Theodosius

Arcadius

 

Lovely Arcadius. These bifocal-defying little coins aren't usually so well struck or well-preserved.

Here, for example, is my nicest Arcadius AE-4:


Arcadius, AD 383-408
Roman Æ half-centenionalis; 1.15 g, 14.2 mm
Cyzicus, AD 388-392
Obv: D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust, right
Rev: SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory advancing left, with right hand carrying trophy over shoulder and dragging captive with left; ⳨ in left field, SMKΓ in exergue
Refs: RIC 26(c); LRBC 2578; RCV 20851.

 

I believe Leo and Salus were cartoons!


RI Leo I 457-474 CE AE 4 10mm Salus Emp stdg hldg Globe and Standard

 

A couple of my AE4 coins.

This one does not even weigh 1 gram.
Theodosius I
379-395 AD.
AE 4, Cyzicus.
Obv: DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG,
pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed
bust right.
Rev: VOT/X/MVLT/XX within wreath
Mintmark SMKB .92 grams
Cohen 68. RIC IX Cyzicus 21c


Magnus Maximus
Aug 25 383-Aug 28 388 AD
Fifth period.
Obv: Bust right pearl diademed, draped,
Cuirassed. D N MAG MAXI MUS P F AVG
Rev:SPES RO MA NORVM,
Campgate with four rows, two turrets,
No doors, star above, top and bottom rows
Empty blocks con in exurge
AE4 1.16 grams
RIC IX 29a

 

Here is another one


Have not attributed this one yet.

Theodosius I
379-395 AD. AE4

 

Here's my best Arcadius AE4, I quite love it


Arcadius, AE4 - Heraclea mint, 1st officina, c. AD 383
DN ARCADIVS PF AVG. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
VOT / V within wreath, SMHA at exergue
1.27g, 14mm, 12h
Ref : RIC IX # 18b, LRBC II # 1964

Q

 

Arcadius AE 4s. Arcadius AE2 (5.7 grams) at bottom

 

Here is an AE4 of Theodosius (379-395) of the same issue as the OP coin:


13 mm. 1.24 grams.
RIC Cyzicus 26b (if the mint mark is SMKΓ--too bad it is weak)
Esty Type 39 on this site:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/

 

A few of my coins. I have a lot of coins from the V / V century so I chose only a few.

The first coin is AE2! Valentinian III. Why do they have beards?
RIC X, 461 (R4) c.437, Constantinople ??? (but maybe Chersonesus?)

 

As usual, the best AE4 is an AE2 and the best AE2 is two AE2s.


Theodosius II from Crimea 22x18mm 4.22g





Valentinian III from Crimea 22x19mm 4.90g


In RIC, Kent dates this coinage tentatively to 437, Grierson in "Catalogue of late Roman coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection: from Arcadius and Honorius to the accession of Anastasius, Dumbarton Oaks, 1992" dates it, also tentatively, in 426. Without hoard studies and knowledge about the circulation of the type along other coins of the 5th century, these dates are rather hard to either confirm or disprove.

I'm almost certain this is a local coinage of Crimea.

 

well this one is also an AE2 that I have also recently posted, but it is currently one of my favorites, so everyone gets to see it again...sorry.



Valens, Eastern Roman Empire (AD 364-378). AE2 (22mm, 4.43 gm, 5h). NGC XF★ 5/5 - 3/5. Trier, AD 367-375. D N VALEN-S P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Valens right, seen from front / GLORI-A ROMA-NORVM, campgate with six rows, two turrets, no doors; S above, SMTR in exergue. RIC IX 29b.

here's an AE3 that is not in RIC



Aelia Eudoxia
A.D. 395- 404
15x16mm 2.0gm
AEL EVDO-XIA AVG; pearl-diademed and draped bust right being crowned by manus Dei.
GLORIA RO-MANORVM; Eudoxia seated facing, hands on breast, being crowned by manus Dei ; cross in right field.
In ex. SMHΔ
RIC X Heraclea –

 

I have a few small bags of these tiny late coins, but here are the ones I have imaged for my "official" collection

Flavius Victor


Arcadius / CONCORDIA AVGG cross


Johannes


Theodosius II cross in a particularly cute style


Marcian - not 100% complete but rarely seen this nice


Leo / monogram


Leo / lion (bearded portrait?)


Leo / "poor man's Verina"


Zeno / monogram


Anastasius - the last "Roman" coin

 

The small module copper did continue to be struck even after Rome ceased to exist in the west

Ostrogoths, Athalaric


Vandals, anonymous? Chi rho in circle


Vandals, Hilderic


Maybe Hilderic?


Justinian made a small assortment after his conquest of Carthage

Chi rho


CN = Carthage nummus


The last Vota - Vot XIII

 

It's not as late in the game as some of the other coins posted here, but this AE4 of Magnus Maximus is one of my favorite coins.

MAGNUS MAXIMUS
AE4. 0.9g, 14mm. Arles (Arelate) mint, AD 383-388. RIC IX Arelate 29a1. O: D N MAG MAXI-MVS P F AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: SPES RO-MA-NORVM, campgate with star between two turrets; SCON in exergue.

 

Galla Placidia

(died 450 AD).AE 12.5 mm. Rome mint.Obv. [DN GALLA PLACIDIA PF AVG]. Pearl-diademed and draped bust right.Rev. SALVS REIPVBLICE. Cross; in right field, P; in exergue [RM].RIC 2112 (R4).AE.g. 1.08 mm. 12.50