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Valentinian I AE Centenionalis


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In 367, Emperors Valentinian I and Valens decided to scrap the Billon coinage for lower value coins. Instead, all lower denominations would be coined from base metal, while the saved silver would be used to increase the purity of the principal silver coin of the period, the siliqua. 
As Kenneth Harl notes in his book “Coinage of the Roman Empire 300 B.C to 700 A.D, it is ironic that the bronze coinage of the 3rd century was driven out by billion coinage, and that by the 4th century bronze coinage had driven out billon coinage.

The mint mark on my coin is mostly off the flan but I believe the coin is from Aquileia judging by the style of the portrait. 
Please post your AE-3/centenionalii coins! 
36DE6668-8CFD-4EB0-9178-D5A5F2791D0C.jpeg.3e2f7d712bdb2984b9e5c76e0020ab96.jpeg
28E43C52-C848-4C8D-8ED4-1B5B3B07BA30.jpeg.df55eca154dffbcb95d5ca7d8ed95f0a.jpeg
The coin in hand. 
 

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The dealers photo.

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valen.jpg.262cdb4b898eddffb41f3fde9373d9cc.jpg

Valentinian I (364 - 375 A.D.)

Æ3
O:DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right.
R: RESTITVTOR REIP, Valentinian standing front, head right, holding Victory and standard with X on banner. Mintmark SMKB
20mm
3.38g
Cyzicus
RIC 10a, B

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Here is a Valens AE3 from Rome with the officina number spelled out

image.jpeg.e02371bd653ea48e3de8ac67642e08f8.jpeg

DN VALENS PF VG
SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE
R PRIMA   (Rome, first)
Large at 20-19 mm and 4.70 grams.
RIC IX Rome 17b = 24b "364-375"

The GLORIA ROMANORVM type also comes with officina numbers 1 through 4 spelled out on coins of Valentinian, Valens, and Gratian. 

Here is my website on them:  http://augustuscoins.com/ed/RomeOfficina/Officina.html

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Nice Valentinians in this thread - I hope I'm not off-topic with this post, but I am curious about one that just came in from a lot of unidentified eBay uglies  It is a tiny LRB that I think might be Valentinian III.  In researching it, I found @Valentinian's website to be very helpful (again - thanks, @Valentinian).  Since the obverse legend is missing, I am guessing Valentinian III because that seems to be the most common for this type.  How I came to this conclusion is in the notes below:

394633859_ValentinianIII-AEVictorialotJan2023(0).jpg.34f443021ae775c045c945b517133a67.jpg

Valentinian III?  Æ 10 (425-435 A.D.)  Rome Mint? [D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG?], pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right / [V]ICTOR-[IA AVGG], Victory advancing left holding wreath and palm, Ɛ in left field, [RM in exergue?]. RIC X Valentinian III 2121?. (1.36 grams / 10 mm) eBay Jan. 2023 Lot @ $4.38

Attribution Notes: "Primarily at Rome. Struck for Honorius, Theodosius II, Johannes, and Valentinian III." (augustuscoins)

Types with Ɛ in left field: 

RIC X Valentinian III 2118 (PLA)

RIC X Valentinian III 2121 (no PLA)

RIC X Honorius 1357 (408 - 423 A.D.)

RIC X Johannes 1909 (Theo. II)

RIC X Johannes 1910 (423 - 425 A.D.)

It is very small - and awful as it is, compared to most I saw online, this is one of the better ones.  Hard to believe such lumps were used for currency:

1469724062_ValentinianIII-AEVictorialotJan2023(0size).jpg.5389788064dd74e4b10ba1a5b992ca8d.jpg

Assuming I am correct in IDing this, it is the latest of the late Roman bronzes in my collection.  Any corrections welcome!  

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Nice tread. My favorite Valens, one of many.

V1_1280x615.jpg.79e47bec8e36373d5490f6b912957cfe.jpg

D N VALEN SP F AVG :  pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed, r

GLORIA RO MANORVM branch in r. field, // SMAQP : Emperor advancing r., dragging captive with r. hand and holding labarum in l.

AES 3, RIC IX 7b p.95, 91-92 viiia, Aquileia

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364 is a very interesting year numismatically:

1. Sirmium mints the earliest coinage for Valentinian as sole emperor in early 364, following the AE3 large module introduced by Julian in 362:

valentin.jpg.1e6cb301544ab77a90d996393ae5b502.jpg

 

2. It's the last year that the large AE1 introduced by Julian is minted, starting likely very early in the reign of Valentinian and discontinued shortly after Valens is elevated on March 28 364:

1760255_1615409389.jpg.0412865f04ac4c06e25813f4a82a5b8f.jpg

 

3. Sirmium is closed in the later part of 364, which means at least 2 things: a. the twin types SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE and GLORIA ROMANORVM marking Valentinian's monetary reform were already being minted by the summer of 364 and b. Valens is rare on the new coinage at Sirmium, which could indicate an even earlier introduction of the new types to around March 364:

valens2.jpg.faadb0776c631dc27080163ad157b777.jpg

The twin types are scarce to rare from Sirmium for both emperors (more so for Valens) but the small module AE3s REPARATIO REIPVB are commoner. Probably the mint closed soon after the introduction of Valentinian's monetary reform.

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- Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at BSISC = Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 375 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r. Rev. GLORIA.RO-MANORVM. VALENTINIAN advancing r., F in l field, with r. hand dragging captive & holding labarum in l. A R in r. field.  RCS #4102. RICIX #14a pg.147. DVM #42. Full legends, round flan.

image.png.5d9e39a5cc6cc35305d7731cfa92f44b.pngimage.png.cc8e9c0509060d98838cde498ca9e89a.png

- Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 375 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r. Rev. GLORIA.ROMANORVM. VALENTINIAN advancing r., with r. hand dragging captive & holding labarum in l. RCS #4102. RICIX #14a pg.147. DVM #42. Full legends

image.png.bfa63efe805cf7b381ae5667e32b4178.png

image.png.a54b533d4e261e4c5336e2d60a43dfbd.png

Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 370 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r. Rev. SECVRITAS.REIPVBLICAE. Victory advancing left, holding wreath & palm. with r. RCS #4103 pg.346. RICIX #15a pg.147. DVM #46.

image.png.5dc665e047d9c57bb778021c98b65bb7.png

image.png.159d3529984ebed6cee182e3c4c7d90e.png

- Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 375 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r.  Rev. GLORIA.ROMANORVM. VALENTINIAN advancing r., with r. hand dragging captive & holding labarum in l. RCS #4102 pg.346. RICIX #14a pg.147. DVM #42.

image.png.25fe63f0cefebc1443f07e45cfce5fdc.pngimage.png.636a88542157e406a7623d311dbf6742.png

Bronze coin (AE 3) minted at Siscia during the reign of VALENTINIAN I between 367 - 370 A.D. Obv. D.N.VALENTINI-ANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. r.  Rev. SECVRITAS.REIPVBLICAE. Victory advancing left, holding wreath & palm. with r. RCS #4103. RICIX #15a pg.147. DVM #46.

image.png.2835f89ca260698d84179a96ba5d8ad5.pngimage.png.2f59898eee604242c64639d963c9cb71.png

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