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Heraclius and His Sons Gold Solidus — CONOB+, obverse

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Byzantine

Heraclius and His Sons Gold Solidus — CONOB+

Heraclius, Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas · Heraclian Empire

Heraclius and his two sons stand as a complete imperial household, while the cross reduces the empire’s hope of continuity to one monumental sign.

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Object number
AG-017
Date
AD 632–641
Denomination
AV Solidus
Material
Gold
Weight
4.37 g
Grade
MS · Strike 4/5 · Surface 4/5 · clipped; CONOB+
Certification
NGC Ancients

Record completeness

Evidence, made visible

  • Object identityDocumented
  • Physical recordPartly documented
  • AttributionPartly documented
  • Legends & imageryNot recorded
  • ProvenanceNot recorded

The Story Behind the Strike

This is a distinct three-emperor solidus and must remain separate from the collection’s second example of the type. Heraclius appears between Heraclius Constantine and Heraclonas during the final phase of a reign marked by Persian victory, restoration of the True Cross and catastrophic territorial loss. Each ruler holds a globus cruciger, but differences of height and age establish the hierarchy. The reverse cross and CONOB mark root the object in Constantinopolitan gold. The clipped fabric belongs to this specimen; the dynastic program belongs to a government urgently making succession visible.

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