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Valens Gold Solidus, obverse

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Roman

Valens Gold Solidus

Valens · Eastern Roman Empire

Valens faces an emperor holding Victory and the labarum, combining personal command with the military and Christian emblems of late Roman sovereignty.

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Object number
AG-062
Date
AD 364–378
Denomination
AV Solidus
Material
Gold
Weight
4.37 g
Grade
MS · Strike 5/5 · Surface 3/5 · Brushed · Edge filing
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

Valens ruled the eastern empire alongside his brother Valentinian I and died at Adrianople in 378. His solidus projects the order that the battlefield would later challenge. The diademed portrait is answered by a standing emperor bearing Victory and the labarum. The reverse condenses authority, military success and Christian protection into a single ceremonial figure.