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<p>[QUOTE="larssten, post: 4977595, member: 78319"]Hello, </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a recent addition - a solidus of Theodosius I (379-395 AD).</p><p><br /></p><p><font size="3">Solidus (Gold, 21 mm, 4.46 g, 12 h), uncertain military mint, 393-395. D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius I to right. Rev. VICTORI-A AVGGG A / S - M / COMOB Theodosius I standing front, head to right, holding labarum in his right hand and Victory on globe in his left and placing his left foot on captive below. Depeyrot 34/5 corr. ('Sirmium', but misattributed to Theodosius II). RIC 15a.1 ('Sirmium').</font></p><p><br /></p><p>The auction description says "uncertain military mint". That raises a few questions for me:</p><p>1. The reverse has S - M on Theodosius' sides. I first thought it was a mint mark for "Sirmium" as it was mentioned in the auction description. <b>Sirmium</b> was a city in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire" rel="nofollow">Roman</a> province of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonia_(Roman_province)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonia_(Roman_province)" rel="nofollow">Pannonia</a>, located on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sava" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sava" rel="nofollow">Sava</a> river, on the site of modern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sremska_Mitrovica" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sremska_Mitrovica" rel="nofollow">Sremska Mitrovica</a> in northern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia" rel="nofollow">Serbia</a> [Source: Wikipedia]. I have come to understood that S - M actually means "Sacra Moneta" - i.e. <i>sacred money</i> and thus not a mark for place of mintage.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Like other late Roman solidi the mint mark COMOB is in exergue abbreviating <i>Comitatus Obryziacum </i>or Constantinople solidus that has been struck at a weight of 72 to a pound. I am sure there is a longer history to this, but have understood that COMOB was also an earlier mintmark in itself.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. What potential military mints could this coin have been minted at? I know Theodosius fought several campaigns agains the Goths and it has been indicated to have been minted at the very end of his reign and life, 393-395. He also died in Milan in 395.</p><p><br /></p><p>I would appreciate any comments or supplements to my somewhat confusion about the mintmark and any comments on the coin in general.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1196014[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="larssten, post: 4977595, member: 78319"]Hello, Here is a recent addition - a solidus of Theodosius I (379-395 AD). [SIZE=3]Solidus (Gold, 21 mm, 4.46 g, 12 h), uncertain military mint, 393-395. D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Theodosius I to right. Rev. VICTORI-A AVGGG A / S - M / COMOB Theodosius I standing front, head to right, holding labarum in his right hand and Victory on globe in his left and placing his left foot on captive below. Depeyrot 34/5 corr. ('Sirmium', but misattributed to Theodosius II). RIC 15a.1 ('Sirmium').[/SIZE] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT] The auction description says "uncertain military mint". That raises a few questions for me: 1. The reverse has S - M on Theodosius' sides. I first thought it was a mint mark for "Sirmium" as it was mentioned in the auction description. [B]Sirmium[/B] was a city in the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire']Roman[/URL] province of [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonia_(Roman_province)']Pannonia[/URL], located on the [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sava']Sava[/URL] river, on the site of modern [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sremska_Mitrovica']Sremska Mitrovica[/URL] in northern [URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia']Serbia[/URL] [Source: Wikipedia]. I have come to understood that S - M actually means "Sacra Moneta" - i.e. [I]sacred money[/I] and thus not a mark for place of mintage. 2. Like other late Roman solidi the mint mark COMOB is in exergue abbreviating [I]Comitatus Obryziacum [/I]or Constantinople solidus that has been struck at a weight of 72 to a pound. I am sure there is a longer history to this, but have understood that COMOB was also an earlier mintmark in itself. 3. What potential military mints could this coin have been minted at? I know Theodosius fought several campaigns agains the Goths and it has been indicated to have been minted at the very end of his reign and life, 393-395. He also died in Milan in 395. I would appreciate any comments or supplements to my somewhat confusion about the mintmark and any comments on the coin in general. Thanks! [ATTACH=full]1196014[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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