Valentinian I AR Argenteus Circa AD 364

[Magnus Maximus]

The man known to us as Emperor Flavius Valentinian I was born in AD 321 in the Roman border province of Pannonia to Gratian the Elder and an unnamed wife. Valentinian's family was originally from the lower classes; however, they flourished during the reign of Constantine I, and by the time of Valentinian's birth, the family was firmly established in the upper echelons of the Roman military aristocracy.

Valentinian and his brother Valens followed their father on military tours of Africa and Britain in the 330s and 340s. By the time of the bloody civil war between Magnus Magnentius and Constantius II in 351, Valentinian I was in Pannonia. However, the extent of his service to either Magnentius or Constantius II is unknown.  Though that didn't stop the family's estates from being confiscated in the wake of reprisals after Magnentius's defeat and death in 353.

Despite these setbacks, Valentinian I seems to have managed quite well. He next appeared in Gaul in 355, where he and a subordinate were wrongly blamed for a military setback and cashiered from the army. After his military career ended in failure, Valentinian I set about starting a family on his estate near Sirmium with his wife: a son named Gratian was born in 359. Valentinian I was back in military service by the early part of Julian II's reign, though the two men did not get along well, with the most contentious issue being the religious differences between the two.

The tense relationship between Julian and Valentinian unexpectedly proved advantageous for the latter's career. Fortuitously, Valentinian was not present during the calamitous Persian campaign of 363, sparing him from the associated disaster. Conveniently positioned in nearby Ancyra when Emperor Jovian passed away in 364, Valentinian emerged as a likely successor. After much deliberation, Valentinian I was cloaked in a purple garb and held up on a shield by the soldiers. However, when he went to make a speech to the soldiers, they drowned him out by demanding he appoint a co-emperor to spare the Empire from more turmoil. Valentinian acquiesced and appointed his younger brother Valens as Emperor of the eastern dioceses.

While it is not often discussed by historians, Valentinian I and Valens were dealt a poor hand by the out-of-touch rule of Julian II and the brief rule of Jovian. The empire was essentially bankrupt due to the fiscal policies of Julian II, facing a resurgent Alamanni threat in the West—also due to Julian II—and cash strapped by the need to pay the donative for their reigns along with Jovian's. In addition, in 365 the Mediterranean would be subject to a massive earthquake that caused a tsunami that caused major damage to coastal cities in the Eastern Roman Empire.

Valentinian and Valens divided up the empire in mid-364 and would essentially rule separate empires for the remainder of their lives. Though Valentinian would be seen as the senior Augustus and would often order Valens to send field army units from the east to shore up his western frontier against the Alamanni. Despite their turbulent beginnings, both emperors managed to reign in their respective territories successfully, navigating through various military and political challenges to restore the stability and integrity of the Roman Empire during the remainder of the 360s and early 370s.

 

My latest coin comes from the early months of the reign of Emperor Valentinian I when he and Valens were likely trying to undo the damage the last two Emperors had caused. This coin was likely used to pay enormous donatives to the army that the fraternal Emperors owed to them, and was struck at the old pre-reform Constantinian standard of 144 coins to a Roman pound. 

ROMAN EMPIRE, Valentinian I, 364-378, AR Siliqua (364-367), Constantinople. Bust with rosette diadem right.

Reverse: VOT/V within a wreath. 2.96g.

Rare, very fine to extremely fine.

RIC 11g

A damaged bust of Valentinian I 

A map of the Roman world circa AD 364. Courtesy of OmniAtlas.

Edited May 31, 2023 by Magnus Maximus

[hotwheelsearl]

Late Roman silvers are so expensive for me, at least. I can't afford them, unless they're $40, like this one was.

The first picture is before, the second is after a few months, when it developed a nice edge toning.

[John Conduitt]

Nice coin. I have yet to get any late silver bigger than a siliqua.

Valentinian I silver seems quite tricky to get, especially compared to Julian, Gratian and Constantius II. I don't know if that's true or related to the empire he inherited.

Valentinian I Siliqua, 364-367

Rome, 4th officina. Silver, 17mm, 2.01g. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; D N VALENTINI ANVS P F AVG. Roma enthroned left, holding Victory on globe in right hand and inverted spear with left; VRBS ROMA ; R Q in exergue (RIC IX, 11a.3). From the East Harptree (Somerset) Hoard 1887. Ex Lot 2899, Spink Auction 16006.

Edited May 31, 2023 by John Conduitt

[Magnus Maximus]

17 minutes ago, John Conduitt said:

Nice coin. I have yet to get any late silver bigger than a siliqua.

Valentinian I silver seems quite tricky to get, especially compared to Julian, Gratian and Constantius II. I don't know if that's true or related to the empire he inherited.

Valentinian I Siliqua, 364-367

Rome, 4th officina. Silver, 17mm, 2.01g. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; D N VALENTINI ANVS P F AVG. Roma enthroned left, holding Victory on globe in right hand and inverted spear with left; VRBS ROMA ; R Q in exergue (RIC IX, 11a.3). From the East Harptree (Somerset) Hoard 1887. Ex Lot 2899, Spink Auction 16006.

I always liked the style of siliqua from the mint at Rome during Valentinian’s reign. 

One of my examples:

[DonnaML]

4 hours ago, Magnus Maximus said:

The man known to us as Emperor Flavius Valentinian I was born in AD 321 in the Roman border province of Pannonia to Gratian the Elder and an unnamed wife. Valentinian's family was originally from the lower classes; however, they flourished during the reign of Constantine I, and by the time of Valentinian's birth, the family was firmly established in the upper echelons of the Roman military aristocracy.

Valentinian and his brother Valens followed their father on military tours of Africa and Britain in the 330s and 340s. By the time of the bloody civil war between Magnus Magnentius and Constantius II in 351, Valentinian I was in Pannonia. However, the extent of his service to either Magnentius or Constantius II is unknown.  Though that didn't stop the family's estates from being confiscated in the wake of reprisals after Magnentius's defeat and death in 353.

Despite these setbacks, Valentinian I seems to have managed quite well. He next appeared in Gaul in 355, where he and a subordinate were wrongly blamed for a military setback and cashiered from the army. After his military career ended in failure, Valentinian I set about starting a family on his estate near Sirmium with his wife: a son named Gratian was born in 359. Valentinian I was back in military service by the early part of Julian II's reign, though the two men did not get along well, with the most contentious issue being the religious differences between the two.

The tense relationship between Julian and Valentinian unexpectedly proved advantageous for the latter's career. Fortuitously, Valentinian was not present during the calamitous Persian campaign of 363, sparing him from the associated disaster. Conveniently positioned in nearby Ancyra when Emperor Jovian passed away in 364, Valentinian emerged as a likely successor. After much deliberation, Valentinian I was cloaked in a purple garb and held up on a shield by the soldiers. However, when he went to make a speech to the soldiers, they drowned him out by demanding he appoint a co-emperor to spare the Empire from more turmoil. Valentinian acquiesced and appointed his younger brother Valens as Emperor of the eastern dioceses.

While it is not often discussed by historians, Valentinian I and Valens were dealt a poor hand by the out-of-touch rule of Julian II and the brief rule of Jovian. The empire was essentially bankrupt due to the fiscal policies of Julian II, facing a resurgent Alamanni threat in the West—also due to Julian II—and cash strapped by the need to pay the donative for their reigns along with Jovian's. In addition, in 365 the Mediterranean would be subject to a massive earthquake that caused a tsunami that caused major damage to coastal cities in the Eastern Roman Empire.

Valentinian and Valens divided up the empire in mid-364 and would essentially rule separate empires for the remainder of their lives. Though Valentinian would be seen as the senior Augustus and would often order Valens to send field army units from the east to shore up his western frontier against the Alamanni. Despite their turbulent beginnings, both emperors managed to reign in their respective territories successfully, navigating through various military and political challenges to restore the stability and integrity of the Roman Empire during the remainder of the 360s and early 370s.

 

My latest coin comes from the early months of the reign of Emperor Valentinian I when he and Valens were likely trying to undo the damage the last two Emperors had caused. This coin was likely used to pay enormous donatives to the army that the fraternal Emperors owed to them, and was struck at the old pre-reform Constantinian standard of 144 coins to a Roman pound. 

ROMAN EMPIRE, Valentinian I, 364-378, AR Siliqua (364-367), Constantinople. Bust with rosette diadem right.

Reverse: VOT/V within a wreath. 2.96g.

Rare, very fine to extremely fine.

RIC 11g

A damaged bust of Valentinian I 

A map of the Roman world circa AD 364. Courtesy of OmniAtlas.

Is it an argenteus (the post title) or a siliqua (the description)? It looks more like a siliqua to me.

[Magnus Maximus]

42 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

Is it an argenteus (the post title) or a siliqua (the description)? It looks more like a siliqua to me.

The seller mis-attributed the coin. 
Siliqua post-355 weigh roughly 2.25 grams. This denomination is retroactively called an argenteus, but is essentially a return to the pre-reform siliqua weight standard. As stated earlier, this was likely due to the demand for bullion for the donatives for the troops.

Edited May 31, 2023 by Magnus Maximus

[Magnus Maximus]

And the coin in-hand

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I really need to pick up a siliqua of Valentinian.  The Totalus Rankium podcast made him sound really cool.  I'm possibly fouling up their respective names, but he had two pet attack bears; Gold Dust and Snowflake. 

Only a western mint will do for me, though.  It shouldn't be too hard to find one.

I wonder if the famous bronze statue resembling Patrick Troughton (ah, Wikipedia calls it the Colossus of Barletta) is meant to be Valentinian I?

Edited July 29, 2023 by Nerosmyfavorite68

[Valentinian]

On 5/30/2023 at 11:17 PM, Magnus Maximus said:

Siliqua post-355 weigh roughly 2.25 grams. This denomination is retroactively called an argenteus, but is essentially a return to the pre-reform siliqua weight standard.

My page on the late Roman silver denominations, especially the siliqua, is here:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/siliqua/siliqua.html
One example from that page:



Valentinian I, struck 364-367 
19 mm. 1.91 grams. Siliqua.
DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG
VOT X
CP • Δ for Constantinople. RIC Constantinople 13a

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Excellent!  I'll go look later tonight.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Are siliquae of Valentinian I really that scarce?  The one or two on vcoins were exorbitantly priced.

 

[Romancollector]

I have only one siliqua (coin for that matter) of Valentinian I which is pictured below. It is from the Harptree hoard which was discovered in 1887 near Bath, England. The coin, however, is from the Thessalonica mint.

[Magnus Maximus]

On 7/29/2023 at 3:53 AM, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Are siliquae of Valentinian I really that scarce?  The one or two on vcoins were exorbitantly priced.

 

Not really, he reigned while and fought a lot of wars, so he consequently minted a lot of coins. I guess that there aren't many on the market at the moment.