Beschreibung
Erhaltung: Minor flan crack, but unz- coin with excellent details. | Abkürzungen
Katalognummer: Comitatensian,
Durchmesser: 21,00 mm
weight 4,46gr. | gold Ø 21mm.
With interpunction of 5 points on the reverse.
obv. Bust of Theodosius, helmeted, pearl-diademed, cuirassed, facing front,
holding spear in right hand behind head and shield decorated with horseman
on left arm, surrounded by the legend DN THEODOSIVSPFAVG
rev. Constantinopolis seated left, holding cross on globe en sceptre,
shield on right side, star in field to left, surrounded by the legend
IMP. XXXXII COS XVIIPP, in exergue COMOB
The obverse and reverse legends on this issue are often punctuated with varying numbers of points. The curious use of a dated form of reverse legend, not seen on the Roman coinage since Constantinian times, has been explained as commemorating various noteworthy events, such as Christs birth in the forty-first or forty-second year of Augustus, the length of Theodosius reign being the longest recorded in Roman history, or that Theodosius was the forty-second in the numbered sequence of emperors (cf. Kent, RIC X, page 80). However, none of these seems to be especially convincing so the question has to be considered unresolved.
The common use of the mint mark COM OB instead of the more usual CON OB perhaps indicates that the Comitatensian, or court mint, in Constantinople was employed for the production of much of this extensive coinage.
RIC 301 (R2) | Depeyrot page 255, 84/1 | Sear 21140 RR
Minor flan crack, but nearly uncirculated coin with excellent details. Very rare.
unc-
