Emperors of Rome - A (Chronological) Portrait Gallery

[lrbguy]

19 minutes ago, Severus Alexander said:

Are you sure this coin is silver, @mc9? Could it just appear so due to some unusual patination? (The flan crack at 9 o’clock on the rev. will be useful for checking this.)

The attribution is actually RIC IX 26c for Cyzicus.

[DonnaML]

These two coins of Honorius will be my final contribution to this thread. Congratulations to all of you for keeping it going for so long! I'll certainly continue to follow the thread, even though the only later emperor's coinage I'm ever likely to buy myself is something issued by Theodosius II, Arcadius's son. After that, I have no great interest.

The first coin is a recent purchase that I'm posting for the first time. Despite the visible corrosion between 9:00 and 12:00 on the obverse and the very light weight -- not unusual for the period -- it looks quite nice in hand.

Western Roman Empire, Honorius (son of Theodosius I and younger brother of Arcadius), AR reduced Siliqua, Mediolanum [Milan] Mint, AD 397-402 [Sear]. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, DN HONORI-VS P F AVG / Rev. Roma seated left on cuirass, holding in right hand Victory with wreath standing on globe, and in left hand a reversed spear, VIRTVS RO-MANORVM; in exergue, MDPS [MD = Mediolanum Mint; PS = pusulatum (struck from pure silver); see Sear RCV V, Introduction p. 70]. 15.8 mm., 1.15 g. “[P]artly bluish patina . . . . Traces of corrosion on the obverse” at left. RIC X Honorius 1228, RSC V 59b (ill. p. 184), Sear RCV V 20968 (ill. p. 469). Purchased from Dr. Busso Peus Nachf., Frankfurt a.M., Germany, Auction 434, 28 Apr. 2023, Lot 742, ex “Collection of Dr. E.”

Western Roman Empire, Honorius (son of Theodosius I and younger brother of Arcadius, Emperor AD 393-423), AV Solidus, ca. AD 402-408, Ravenna Mint. [Note that the capital was moved from Milan to Ravenna in 402 AD.] Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right [“slender bust” type; see Sear RCV V 20919 at p. 453], D N HONORI-VS P F AVG / Rev. Honorius in military attire, standing right, holding a plain military standard (a signum in the form of a vexillum, i.e., a banner draped vertically from a horizontal cross-bar attached to a pole) in right hand, and Victory on globe in left hand, his left foot set upon (RIC: “spurning”) a bound barbarian captive seated left on ground with both legs visible and sharply bent at knees (bent right leg is raised upright; bent left leg lies flat on ground with left knee extending below exergue line and left foot resting against right leg*), VICTORI-A AVGGG, R-V [Ravenna] across fields and COMOB [Comitatus Obryziacum **] in exergue. RIC X 1287 at p. 328 (1994), Sear RCV V 20919 (2014), Depeyrot II Ravenna 7/1 Honorius (7th emission) at p. 188 (763 examples from mint) [Depeyrot, George., Les Monnaies d'Or de Constantin II à Zenon (337-491) (Wetteren 1996)]; Dumberton Oaks Catalogue, Late Roman 735-736 & Plate 28 [P. Griessen. & M. Mays, Catalogue of Late Roman Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection, etc. (1992); see https://archive.org/details/docoins-late-roman/page/432/mode/1up and https://archive.org/details/docoins-late-roman/page/430/mode/1up ], Cohen 44. 21 mm., 4.45 g. Ex Collection of Egon Gerson [b. 1921; d. 2021]; David R. Sear A.C.C.S. Certificate of Authenticity dated Dec. 16, 1998, issued to Egon Gerson, No. 50AB/RI/CO/CN (“almost EF, flan slightly bent”). 

*Captive type does not seem to be included in list of captive types (a)-(d) associated with RIC X 1287 (list is under RIC X 1205 at p. 318), or in expanded list of captive types (a)-(g) for RIC X 1287 at Wildwinds; see http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/honorius/solidi_table.html:

“a = captive: one leg crossed over the other [from RIC]
b = captive: two parallel legs [from RIC]
c = captive: one leg visible, more or less straight [from RIC]
d = captive: one leg visible, sharply bent at the knee [from RIC]
e (added) = captive: kneeling
f (added) = captive: sitting
g (added) = captive: one leg straight, one leg sharply bent at the knee”

The captive type on this coin -- with both legs visible and sharply bent at knee, one of them with the knee upright and the other with the knee flat on ground -- simply does not fit in any of these categories.

I have made no attempt to review the 400+ examples of RIC X 1287 at ACSearch to determine if there are any with the same captive type as mine. 

** Signifying “pure gold of the Imperial Court (COMOB)” (see https://finds.org.uk/romancoins/articles/page/slug/officina), used on Late Roman gold coins produced at a number of Western mints including Ravenna. See also https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=comob (“COMOB is a late Roman - Byzantine mintmark abbreviating the Latin, Comitatus Obryziacum. COMOB was originally a mintmark for the comitatensian mint, the imperial court mint that followed the emperor, opened under Gratian. When that mint settled down in Rome and other Western mints were opened, other mint marks were added in the field: RM for Rome, MD for Milan, RV for Ravenna, and AR for Arles. In the east they changed the mark in the exergue to indicate the mint: CONOB for CONstantinople and THESOB for THESalonica”); https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=CONOB (further explicating “Obryziacum” as follows” “The solidus weighed 1/72 of the Roman pound. "OB" was both an abbreviation for the word obryzum, which means refined or pure gold, and is the Greek numeral 72. Thus the . . . OB . . . may be read ‘1/72 pound pure gold’”). 

A different interpretation of the COM in COMOB can be found in Jones, John Melville, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (Seaby, London 1990). See the entry for COMOB and CONOB at p. 65, asserting that COMOB stands instead for Comes Obryzi: “The probable explanation is that it is the abbreviated title of the official who is known to have supervised the imperial gold supplies in the western part of the Empire, the ‘Count of Gold’ or Comes Auri . . ., in the alternative form, Comes Obryzi.” The only other authority I have found who states that COMOB means something other than Comitatus Obryziacum is David Sear: see Sear RCV V at p. 15, suggesting that the COM in COMOB “possibly indicat[es] the office of Comes Auri (‘Count of Gold’), the official charged with the responsibility of supervising the Imperial gold supplies in the western provinces of the Empire.” (Presumably, given the similar wording, either Jones took his interpretation from an earlier edition of Sear, or Sear took it from Jones.)
 

[expat]

Only Honorius i have. Obviously suffered greatly in the ground. I post it because like @DonnaML this is the final curtain for me in this great and informational thread. I will continue to watch with interest as the story unfolds further. Thank you everyone for some great entertainment.

Tentative attribution

Honorius, AE3. Constantinople. AD 408-423. DN HONORI-VS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right, star behind head / GLORI-A ROMA-NORVM, two emperors standing facing, looking at each other, holding a globe between them. Mintmark CONS and officina letter A, B, Gamma or Δ RIC X Constantinople 409; Sear 2102. 15mm, 1.47gr

 

 

[mc9]

@Irbguy

Sorry, slip of the keyboard pen.

Has been corrected.

Thanks.

[John Conduitt]

My only Honorius and last siliqua.

Honorius Siliqua, 407-408
Rome. Silver, 1.06g. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; D N HONORIVS P F AVG. Roma seated left on cuirass holding Victory on globe and resting on spear; VIRTVS ROMANORVM; mintmark RM PS in exergue (RIC X, 1267). Found in Cambridgeshire.

Only Theodosius II to go after this, and my coins of him are truly terrible. But he's another week away, despite ruling at the same time as Honorius for over 20 years.

[O-Towner]

The Big-Eyed ..

Constantine III (407 - 411 AD) AR Siliqua, Arelate mint (15mm, 1.8gms) 

Obv: D N CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; Draped and cuirassed bust right

Rev: VICTORIA AAVGGG; Roma seated left holding Victory on globe and spear; SMAR in exergue

Ref: RIC 1538

Edited May 18, 2023 by O-Towner

[DonnaML]

48 minutes ago, John Conduitt said:

Only Theodosius II to go after this, and my coins of him are truly terrible. But he's another week away, despite ruling at the same time as Honorius for over 20 years.

The powers-that-be adopted my suggestion that Honorius should come directly after Arcadius given that the two were brothers, but the view that East and West should be separated thereafter prevailed. I admit that it's probably less confusing to finish the West first before turning back to the East.

Edited May 18, 2023 by DonnaML

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

I forgot to mention that with Honorius, that's basically it for me until we arrive in Byzantine times. After that curtain call, it is perhaps fitting that the last emperor most of us have (though I may have a Theodosius II in the uncleaned mayo jar of coins I still haven't finished looking through) is the pusillanimous Honorius who presided over the many poor decisions which led to the rapid decline of the West, including the execution of his former guardian and protector the general Stilicho. Furthermore, Honorius moved the capitol to Ravenna, which was protected by marshes to ameliorate the threat of it being sacked, but left Italy undefended to the depredations of all comers. The most interesting thing that survives from this troubled period is the NOTITIA DIGNITATVM which provides an inordinate amount of information about the latter Roman Army as well as administrative offices including such titles as the worshipful count of the sacred bedchamber, for example. 

 

[lrbguy]

After seeing the "three emperors" GLORIA ROMANORVM type for Honorius shown by mc9 above, I decided to go ahead and show a wrecked up example of the same type for Arcadius, which I had not realized existed for him.  It too shows the star on obverse to the left of the head.  

Arcadius AE4 - 13x14mm Alexandria mint; 383-408
DN ARCADI - VS PF AVG  diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; star behind head
GLORI - A ROMANANORVM    Three emperors standing, two face front, middle facing r.
In exergue: ALEA

Now on to the emperors of the day, of which I am only able to show one:

HONORIUS

I will show one example in the AE2 module, two in the AE3 module, and two in the AE4 module:

Honorius AE2 - 21x23mm    Antioch mint; 383-408
DN HONORIVS PF AVG  rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed facing r.
GLORIA RO - MANORVM ; emperor standing with labarum (L) and orb (R)
In exergue: ANT<gamma>

 

Honorius AE3 - 18x19mm  Cyzicus mint; 383-408
DN HONORI - VS PF AVG   pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
VIRTVS - EXERCITI   emperor standing (left) w/ labarum (L) and shield (R); Victory placing wreath           In exergue: SMKB

 

Honorius AE3 - 17x18mm   Cyzicus mint; 383-408
DN HONORI - VS PF AVG   pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
CONCORDI - A AVG   Concord enthroned holds staff in R hand and Victory on orb in L
In exergue: SMKA

 

Honorius AE4 - 13mm    Antioch mint; 383-408
DN HONORIVS PF AVG   pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
SALVS REI - PVBLICAE; Victory bearing trophy in r hand/shoulder leads captive to L
Left field: dot   In exergue: SMN[] (A or delta)

The large ball at top right, just before the "P" of PVBLICAE, appears to be the top of the trophy.  The function of the dot in left field is uncertain.

 

Honorius AE4 - 13mm    Antioch mint; 393-395
DN HO[NORIVS PF AV]G   pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
GLORIA - ROMANORVM  Emperor on steed prancing r. raising R. hand
In exergue: ANT<gamma>

 

 

[Qcumbor]

My only one Honorius is a siliqua, and not the best ever. I've been wanting an AE2 of his for quite a long time now, but they're very difficult to come by, let alone quality ones.

Honorius, Siliqua - Mediolanum mint, 2nd officina
DN HONORIVS PF AVG, diademed draped and cuirassed bust right
VIRTVS RO - MANORVM, Roma seated left, holding victory and sceptre, MDPS at exergue
2.09 gr
Ref : Cohen # 59, Roman coins # 4250

Q

 

[Octavius]

 My collection of Roman coins ends here with Honorius. My two recollections of Honorius are...

1. He committed a very dumb mistake by executing his greatest general, Stilicho, and

2. he had a pet chicken named Roma, which he cared more for than the city with the same name.

C. 402 AD

Milan Mint

Reverse: VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma seated left holding globe and spear, MDPS in ex.

Grey tone with super detail.

Ref: RIC 1228c

Weight: 1.47g

Size: 16mm

[Romancollector]

Like others, my collection ends with Honorius. Here’s my only coin of the emperor: a solidus from Mediolanum (Milan). Despite the odd flan, I thought the strike and style were superior for the issue. The reverse depicts the emperor trampling on a seated Barbarian captive - an ironic statement given the emperor’s incompetence in military affairs.

[Prieure de Sion]

Honorius, i have only one example - so thats also my "best portrait" I can present...

 

 

Flavius Honorius 

Solidus of Theodosius II 408/420 AD; Material: Gold; Diameter: 22mm; Weight: 4.48g; Mint: Constantinopolis; Reference: RIC X Theodosius II (East) 201; Obverse: Bust of Honorius, helmeted, pearl-diademed, cuirassed, facing front, holding spear in right hand behind head and shield decorated with horseman on left arm. The Inscription reads: D N HONORI-VS P F AVG for Dominus Noster Honorius Pius Felix Augustus; Reverse: Constantinopolis, helmeted, draped, enthroned, facing front, head right, holding sceptre in right hand and Victory on globe in left hand, right foot on prow. The Inscription reads: CONCORDI-A AVGGG for Concordia augustorum (Harmony of the Augusts).

 

[O-Towner]

Jovinus (Usurper 411 - 413 AD) AR Siliqua, Lugdunum (Lyon) mint (14.7mm, 1.2gms) 

Obv: D N IOVINVS P F AVG; Diademed and cuirassed bust right

Rev: VICTORIA AVGG; Roma seated left holding Victory on globe and spear; SMLDV in exergue

Ref: RIC 1717

 

[wittwolff]

Beeing a bit late again I put the two brothers together in one post:

[DonnaML]

5 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

Honorius, i have only one example - so thats also my "best portrait" I can present...

 

 

Flavius Honorius 

Solidus of Theodosius II 408/420 AD; Material: Gold; Diameter: 22mm; Weight: 4.48g; Mint: Constantinopolis; Reference: RIC X Theodosius II (East) 201; Obverse: Bust of Honorius, helmeted, pearl-diademed, cuirassed, facing front, holding spear in right hand behind head and shield decorated with horseman on left arm. The Inscription reads: D N HONORI-VS P F AVG for Dominus Noster Honorius Pius Felix Augustus; Reverse: Constantinopolis, helmeted, draped, enthroned, facing front, head right, holding sceptre in right hand and Victory on globe in left hand, right foot on prow. The Inscription reads: CONCORDI-A AVGGG for Concordia augustorum (Harmony of the Augusts).

 

Just out of curiosity, why is a solidus of Honorius classified under Theodosius II?

[Prieure de Sion]

18 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

Just out of curiosity, why is a solidus of Honorius classified under Theodosius II?

Today I confuse you Donna. First the Victory Nemesis and now an Honorius by Theodosius. You have a hard time with me today 😂 The solidus was minted in Constantinople under Theodosius II in honour of Honorius. The two had an uncle/nephew relationship.

[Severus Alexander]

On 5/18/2023 at 12:25 PM, lrbguy said:

The attribution is actually RIC IX 26c for Cyzicus.

Yup.  Here's the relevant bit:

That's for an AE4, of course.  @mc9 suspects his coin is actually silver, though. (It looks AE to me in the photo, though.)

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

After tomorrow, I will also be done - unless there's a Byzantine section.  None of of my few other relevant coins are photographed.

[mc9]

@Severus Alexander

Monday i will be back from a trip to Germany, then i can answer your question.

Edited May 20, 2023 by mc9

[DonnaML]

17 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

After tomorrow, I will also be done - unless there's a Byzantine section.  None of of my few other relevant coins are photographed.

There's definitely supposed to be a continuation through Byzantine coinage. So, still 1,000 years to go!

[Severus Alexander]

Nice AE portraits of Honorius aren't that easy to come by, especially for the dwindling number of western mints.  Here are my current best.

Antioch:

Rome:

^ Hard to find a better VRBS ROMA FELIX than this one.

Lifelike portraits are a will'o'the wisp at this point, but this Antioch 3 emperors type has glimmers:

Congrats to @O-Towner for having both Constantine III and Jovinus! (I'd love to have a Constantine III, he's actually fairly important. Yours is a really nice example!)

@Nerosmyfavorite68, yep, we'll be continuing all the way to 1453 (or even 1461 with Trebizond?) in the Byzantine subforum.  Sometime soon I'll put together a schedule.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Severus Alexander

[mc9]

Johannes and Valentinianus III, in minor quality :

D N JOHANN-ES P F AVG : Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Johannes right
SALVS REI-PVBLICE // RM : Victory advancing left, holding trophy over her right shoulder and dragging captive; in field   to left, Chi-Rho
AE4, Rome, A.D.423-425, RIC 1913

D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG : pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right
VOT PVB // RM : camp-gate with no doors, two turrets and 4 layers
Æ3, Rome, AD. 425-435, RIC X 2135

 

[akeady]

I hadn't looked at this thread for a while - I do have a siliqua of Honorius.

RIC 12a (Milan)

ATB,
Aidan.

Edited May 20, 2023 by akeady
Formatting

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

There's my crappy photo and the last contribution I have for the rest of the Roman project, as far as I know.  The remainder are unphotographed, and with the quality of my tries, not worth the bother. I do have a lovely Theodosius II nummus that I bought from Allen Berman many years ago. I pretty much had to take the dealer's word on my Libius Severus - it's pretty crappy. I have one or two Marcians, Leo, and Zeno, but nothing of note.

I have many fond memories of the trips my grandfather and I used to take to Chicago. This coin, purchased in the same year that Men in Black came out (1999)?, was from the last or next to last trip.