Valentinian III

Valentinian III, Roman emperor 425-455
His complete ancient coin type set in copper (with photos below)

Table types and links reference the main late Roman page, "Guide to Late Roman AE Coin Types" (http://esty.ancients.info/ricix/) and its associated "type" pages.

What's new? 2022, Jan. 26. An example of Type 80. Larger and better photos. Added Sear numbers from Roman Coins and Their Values, volume V.

AE size	Type Description (The link is to an illustration below on this page or to the page on the type if there is no illustration for Valentinian III)	Type	Rarity
3-4	VICTORIA AVGG(G) Vict. adv. l	55	S
4	VRTVS ROMANORVM emp w st, shield	64	R4
4	SALVS REIPVBLICAE thick cross	65	R4
4	SALVS REIPVBLICE Vict adv l	66	S
4	CONCORDIA AVG Vict facing w two wreaths	67	R3
4	Cross in wreath (or cross-rho)	68	R
3	VICTORIA AVGG Vict holds strd/trophy w captive	69	R2
4	VICTORIA AVGG Vict drags captive	70	R2
4	VOT PVB camp gate	71	S
4	VOT / XX in wreath	72	R
4	VICTORIA AVGG, 2 Victs holding one wreath	73	R
2	CONCORDIA AGV 2 emps with long cross	75	R4
3/4	VOT / XV in wreath	77	R
3/4	VICTO AVG emp w. captive (various spellings)	78	R
4	VICTORIA AVG emp Virtus? l, globe and spear	79	S
4	VICTORIA AVG Vict. left, wreath, palm	80	S
4	[VICTORIA] AVGVST camp gate	81	R4
4	CASTRA(N) camp gate	82	C
4	ROMA gateway, star above	83	R4

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.] Primarily at Rome.

Valentinian III
12 mm. 12:00. 1.52 grams.

RIC X 2121. Discussed page 173.
Struck c. 430.
Sear V 21324

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

[no imagr, type not confirmed to exist for Valentinian III]

One is on the site of the Royal Library of Belgium:
http://www.kbr.be/actualites/projets/coin/questionTechnology.html

Type 65: SALVS REIPVBLICAE. Thick cross. 425-?c.430 [RIC, p. 172]

[No photo for Valentinian III. Here is one for Galla Placidia.]

11 mm. 1.06 grams. RIC X 2110f. Sear V 21359.

This coin was identified for me at the BM by John Kent himself!

Type 66: AE4. SALVS REIPVBLICE [usually crude with very abbreviated reverse legend]. Victory advancing left holding weath and palm. 425-?c.430

Valentinian III
11-10 mm
1.085 grams
Reverse legend very abbreviated, as usual
RIC X, 2108, page 376, plate 53
Sear V 21308

Also struck for Placidia. See Type 66 for more discussion.

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

Valentinian III
12 mm. 1.37 grams. 1:00.
in ex: SMKA
RIC X 438 page 274, discussed page 92f.
"R3"
Sear V 21305

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

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

Val III Valentinian III
12mm. 12:00.
Image courtesy of an anonymous friend.
Very rare.

Also struck for Theodosius II.
This type is common for Theodosius II but rare in nice condition, and when it is, it is usually from Cyzicus. This type is rare for Valentinian III and very rare in nice condition.

Type 69: AE3/4. VICTORIA AVGG. Victory left, head right, holding vertical standard or trophy and resting left hand on crouching captive (right).
?c.430-?c.437 [RIC, p. 173-4] Only for Valentinian III.

[no image]

Type 70: AE4. VICTORIA AVGG. Victory advancing left, dragging captive. ?c.430-?c.437 [RIC, p. 173-4, 380]. Only for Valentinian III. Similar to type 69, which has Victory holding a trophy and dragging a captive.

[no image]

Type 71: AE4. VOT PVB. Gateway with turrets, usually with officina number between. Also known as "camp gate" or "city gate". ?c.430-?c.437 [RIC p. 173] 435? [DOC]. Only for Valentinian III.

Valentinian III
13 mm. 1.59 grams.
Rome
RIC 2135
Sear V 21326ff

Type 72: AE4 (12 mm). VOT / XX in wreath, Q below. 434-435 [RIC, p. 173] 444 [DOC, p. 239] "AE3 [sic]" (but only 12 mm), page 378. Only for Valentinian III.

Valentinian III
13 mm. 1.83 grams. 6:00.
RIC X, 2130.
Sear V 21335.

Comment for collectors: It can be called "scarce" in the sense there are many examples, but they are almost all in terrible condition. I'd call examples as good as this one "very rare" and it is fair to call the type "rare" as a whole. However, AEs from this late period are not highly collected by reverse type and it is not highly valuable.

DOC 853, "formally dated to 444" p. 239.

Type 73: AE4. VICTORIA AVGG. Two Victories holding one wreath. ?c.430-?c.437 [RIC p. 173]. Only for Valentinian III. Rome.

Valentinian III
12 mm. 1.09 grams.

RIC 2131-2132 distinguishes two styles: good and normal. "R" and "S", from Rome, plate 53 (2 photos, AE12), p. 378. Mint mark RM.
Sear V 21323

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

Valentinian III
This reverse is also issued for Theodosius II.

22-21 mm. 6:00. 5.09 grams.
RIC X 461, plate 17.461
"R4" (but many have been found since then)
Sear V 21302

"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, but all of known provenence were found near Cherson. The mintmark "CON" does not, for this issue, guarantee it was struck in Constantinople. There remains scholarly dispute.

Type 77: AE4 (12-13 mm). VOT / XV in wreath. c. 440 [RIC, p. 174]. Only for Valentinian III.

Valentinian III
12 mm. 1.79 grams. 6:00.
Blundered obverse legend, as usual
RIC X, 2140. Sear V 21333.
Comment for collectors: If RIC X calls is "scarce" it must be because John Kent saw many poor examples. In my opinion, it is quite rare and examples as nice as this one are very hard to find. I'd call it "very rare." However, AEs from this late period are not highly collected by reverse type and it is not very valuable.

Type 78: A3/4. VICTO AVG. Emperor advancing right, head left, supressing captive (left) with right hand and holding standard (right) in left hand.
c.440-455 [RIC p. 174] Valentinian III only.

[no image]

A note for collectors: The remaining types are all rare or very rare in decent condition. Although RIC X may call some "common" or even "very common," they are very seldom seen in legible condition on the market. However, their condition-rarity does not mean they are particularly valuable. When they do appear, dealers usually list them for hundreds of dollars, but I doubt they sell at that high level. "Rare" is not the same as "high value" when the coins are small, ill struck, and downright ugly.

Type 79: AE4. VICTO(RIA) AVG. emp Virtus? l, globe and spear. c. 440-455. Only for Valentinian III.

[no image] "This is very common." RIC p. 174

Type 80: AE4. VICTORIA AVG. Victory left, wreath, palm. 440-455. Only for Valentinian III.

Valentinian III

12 mm. 1.53 grams.
DN VAL - ...
VICT - RI AVG [blundered, with at least four varieties]

RIC 2152-2158 (Rome, all seven "S") p. 380, 2 photos plate 53. This one has the legend variety of RIC 2154
Sear V 21316

Type 81: AE4. [VICTORIA] AVGVST. camp gate. Only for Valentinian III.

[no image]

Type 82: AE4. CASTRA(N) [several spelling variants]. Camp gate, star above [like VOT PVB, type 71, but with a different legend]. c.440-455 [RIC p. 174] Only for Valentinian III.

[no photo] "This is very common, and many irregular versions of it exist." RIC p. 175.

Type 83: AE4. ROMA. gateway, star above. c.440-455 [RIC p. 174-5]. Only for Valentinian III.

Valentinian III
11 mm. 1.57 grams.

RIC X 2164 (Rome, R4) p. 381, 1 photo, plate 53.
Sear V 21306

Return to the main page of "Guide to Late Roman AE Coin Types."