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.