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Romanus II Gold Solidus, obverse

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Byzantine

Romanus II Gold Solidus

Romanus II · Macedonian Renaissance

Christ faces Constantine VII and Romanus II beneath an altered reverse inscription, a politically charged solidus from Romanus II’s short independent reign.

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Object number
AG-041
Date
AD 959–963
Denomination
AV Solidus
Material
Gold
Weight
4.38 g
Grade
Ch AU · Strike 5/5 · Surface 4/5 · obfuscated reverse inscription
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

Romanus II succeeded Constantine VII in 959 and ruled for only four years. This solidus retains the established sacred and dynastic design: Christ occupies the principal face, while Constantine VII and Romanus II appear together on the reverse. The holder records an obfuscated reverse inscription, an unusual intervention that must remain part of the object record. Whether read as deliberate alteration or later disturbance, it adds a human layer to an official image built around continuity. The coin therefore preserves both the state’s claim of seamless succession and the less orderly history carried by the surviving object.