Roman emperor Theodosius II, 402-450 AD.
    His complete AE ancient-coin type set (with photos below).

This page is part of a larger site: "Guide to Late Roman AE Coin Types" (http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/) 

References to RIC (Roman Imperial Coinage) are to volume X. 
 

Type 46: AE4.  CONCORDIA AVG(GG) Cross
Struck 404-406 [RIC]   395-408 [DO]. 



Theodosius II
CONCORDIA AVGGG
AE4. 11 mm. 12:00. 0.76 grams.
CONS
RIC X 110 or 117, Constantinople


Also struck for Arcadius and Honorius. See Type 46 for additional commentary and images.

Comment:  The type is common but very hard to find with the mintmark clear, and even harder to find with both a clear mintmark and full or nearly full flan. So, any piece as nice as the one above would be a "condition rarity."

Type 47: AE3.  CONCORDIA AVGG
Obverse facing bust. Reverse Constantinopolis seated.
Struck 401-403  [RIC]  402  [DO]
    All of these are in RIC X on page 248, dated "401-403."

  


Theodosius II
Nearly-facing bust
CONCORDIA AVGG
AE3. 16 mm. 6:00. 2.25 grams
SMKA
Cyzicus
RIC X, 96



Also struck for Arcadius and Honorius.  See Type 47 for additional commentary and images.

Type 48: AE3.  GLORIA ROMANORVM
3 emperors standing, the middle one smaller. Theodosius II, who was born in 401, was just a small child. On obverse, star to left of bust.
Struck 406-408  [RIC]

 


Theodosius II
GLORIA ROMANORVM, three emperors
AE3 (small). 15-14 mm. 12:00. 1.95 grams (but chipped)
Alexandria.
RIC X 159 under Arcadius, struck "406-8"




Also struck for Arcadius and Honorius. See Type 48 for additional commentary and images.

Type 49: AE3. VRBS ROMA FELIX
Roma standing, holding trophy and Victory.
Struck 404-408. Struck only at Rome, with a unique exception. 




Theodosius II
VRBS ROMA FELIX
AE3 (small). 16 mm. 12:00. 2.13 grams.
RIC X 1276 (pearl-diadem/Roma head right) "R2"
[But more common that that, however, rarely in good condition.]
OF T
SM ROM
Erroneously included in RIX IX as Rome 67a.


Also struck for Arcadius and Honorius.  See Type 49 for additional commentary and images.

This Theodosius II is in outstanding condition. Overall this type is scarce, but almost all examples are very crowded and poorly struck. An example this nice is very rare. A full-flan and well-struck example with little wear would be extremely unusual.

This type was originally thought to have been issued by Arcadius and Honorius in conjunction with Theodosius I, but it came to be realized that "Theodosius" was really Theodosius II. Thus it is included in RIC IX under the earlier erroneous attribution with an erroneous early date (AD 394-395) and then again in RIC X with a corrected attribution and date (404-408, given on page 130).

Type 51: AE3.  GLORIA ROMANORVM
Two emperors standing, holding spears, each resting inner hand on his shield [no globe between them -- This type is much like type 52 which has a globe.]
Star behind head.
Struck 408-423  [RIC and LRC]

 


Theodosius II
GLORIA ROMANORVM, two emperors
AE3. 16 mm. 6:00. 1.80 grrams
Heraclea
RIC X 398, page 271



Also struck for Honorius.  This type is after the death of Arcadius.
The star behind the head is on many coins of Theodosius II, but not on coins of Theodosius I.
See Type 51 for additional commentary and images.

Type 52: AE3.  GLORIA ROMANORVM
Two emperors standing, holding globe betwen them.
Struck 408-423  [DO]

  

Theodosius II
GLORIA ROMANORVM, two emperors and globe
AE4. 14 mm. 5:30. 1.98 grams.
Hahn 74, plate 4.
RIC X 418, page 272, plate 18
Alexandria.



Also struck for Honorius.  This type is after the death of Arcadius.
This type was described as "emperor receiving globe from Jupiter" in LRBC.
See Type 52 for additional commentary and images.

Type 55:  AE4.  VICTORIA AVGG(G)
Victory advancing left with wreath and palm, sometimes with christogram in right field
410-423, 425-?c.430  [RIC, p.172, different dates for different emperors.]

No image for Theodosius II. 
Here is one for Valentinian III:     AE3. 12 mm. 12:00. 1.52 grams. RIC X 2121. Struck c. 430.

Also struck for Honorius, Johannes, and Valentinian III.

There is an similar, earlier, VICTORIA AVGG type (Type 44). Type 55 is usually of crude style compared to Type 12 (GGG) and Type 44 (GG).
See Type 55 for further discussion and images.

Type 60:  AE4.  SALVS REIPVBLICAE
Victory advancing left, drags captive
Struck 423-425

 


Theodosius II
SALVS REIPVBLICAE
AE4. 12mm. 12:00. 1.15 grams
RIC Rome 1914? (mm off flan) 



Minted only at Rome by Johannes, in whose name the type is also struck.
This type is a revivial of Type 39, issued earlier from AD 388-403.
See Type 60 for addtional commentary and images.

Type 63:  AE4.  CONCORDIA AVGV (or similar)
Emperor standing facing, holding standard and cross on globe; without star.
Struck 423-425.

Theodosius II
CONCORDIA AVGV
AE4. 13 mm. 1.55 grams
The obverse legend is very weak, but RIC
gives the reverse type to
Theodosius II only.
RIC 429 "R3" p. 274, plate 18.429. 


Struck only for Theodosius II.

Only "CONS" (Constantinople) mint and only one variety. Not in Dumbarton Oaks Catalog.
"... most examples survive in late hoards in very poor condition." RIC p. 91f.
On this example the "R" in CONCORDIA is rendered like a "V" and the final two letters are uncertain. Does it end "AGA"?
Nevertheless, this reverse is remarkably clear (except for the mintmark being off the flan).
DN THEODO-SIVS PF AVG is the obverse legend according to RIC.

This type is extremely rare in any condition.
See Type 63 for further discussion.

Type 64: VRTUS ROMANORVM  [sic]
emperor standing with standard and shield, sometimes star in field left
Struck late 420's  [DO, p. 239]

[no photo]

Trier only.
RIC 2165 (Theodosius II, R4) and 2166 (Valentinian III, R4), p. 381.
"Supposed parallel pieces in the name of Valentinian III have not been confirmed, and the issue may be part of the western coinage for Theodosius alone." RIC p. 172. This type is not dated in the RIC list or discussion.
 

Type 67:  AE4.  CONCORDIA AVG
Victory facing with two wreaths
Struck 425-435

 


Theodosius II
CONCORDIA AVG
AE4. 12 mm. 12:30. 1.04 grams.
RIC X 437.



Struck in the East for Theodosius II, with a few extremely rare examples for Valentinian III.
See Type 67 for further discussion and images.

Type 68: AE3-4.  no legend, cross in wreath
Struck 425-435, 440-455  [RIC earlier for Theodosius II, later for Valentinian III]   408-419  [DO]

 


Theodosius II
Cross in wreath with no legend
AE4. 13 mm. 1.09 grams. 12:00.
RIC X 449
Cyzicus

This example is exceptionally nice.
Struck also for Valentinian III.
This type is common for Theodosius II but rare in nice condition, and when it is nice, it is usually from Cyzicus.
Ths type is rare for Valentinian III and very rare in nice condition.
See Type 68 for further discussion and images.

Type 74:  AE4.  VOT / XXX/ V  in wreath
Struck 435 AD  [RIC p. 93, in agreement with Hahn]
    Struck only for Theodosius II.



  Theodosius II
  AE4. 11 mm. 6:30. 1.09 grams.
  Mintmark CON legible, which is very unusual.
  Reverse legend variety with:  T  V / XXX/ V over CON
  (T V instead of the usual V T)
  RIC 457 (Constantinople)

"May have been followed by a considerable interval in which no bronze was struck." RIC p. 93

This is the finest example of type 74 that I have seen. It is better than the RIC and Hahn examples.
See Type 74 for further discussion and images.

Type 75:  AE2.  CONCORDIA AGV [sic, it is the spelling on all the dies]
Two emperors, each with spear, with long cross between
Obv:  Emperor right in plumed helmet and holding forward-pointing spear.
Struck ? 437  [RIC, p. 276] 



Theodosius II
CONCORDIA AGV
AE2. 22-21 mm. (AE2--much larger than other types of the period)
4.70 grams. 6:00
RIC X 460 struck "437(?)"
Hahn DORE 5th, 71 plate 4
"AD 426-450"

Struck also for Valentinian III.

"The large bronze of Valentinian III," by Korshenko, Gorshkov, and Holmes, in NC 1995, p.271-275, and plate 48 (two photos and two line drawings).
"most of these coins were in bad and very bad condition. Usually only a few characters and a part of the type were visible." "There are more than 150 specimens ... known to us from Cherson." Constantinople mint mark (CON), but all of known provenence were found near Cherson.
At the time RIC X was published, this reverse type was extremely rare. However, since then numerous examples have appeared on the market and it is still rare, but not as rare as it was. However, I have not seen a high grade example with complete legends.
See Type 75 for further discussion and images.
  

Type 76:  AE4. monogram of Theodosius II in wreath
Struck 445-450  [RIC]


Theodosius II
monogram in wreath
AE4. 12-11 mm. 1:00. 1.21 grams.
RIC X, 463, page 277.
Constantinople.
Hahn 86, plates 4-5.  Suggests a date of 447.


Struck only for Theodosius II.
This example is remarkably well-struck and preserved.
There are some minor mongram varieties of this type. Also, there are ancient imiations of this type.
See Type 76 for further discussion and images.

Return to the main page on Roman copper coins of the period AD 364 - 450.