Constantius II, Solidus, 355-360
Arles - Very rare - Gold - AU(55-58) - RIC:234
PLEASE NOTE: this collector's item is unique. We therefore cannot guarantee its availability over time and recommend that you do not delay too long in completing your purchase if you are interested.
Bust of Constantius II, pearl-diademed, wearing crested and diademed helmet, cuirassed, facing front, holding spear diagonally over right shoulder in right hand and shield decorated with a horseman trampling an enemy in left hand.
Roma, helmeted, draped, enthroned facing, and Constantinopolis, draped, enthroned left, head left, supporting a wreath inscribed VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX; Roma holding spear in left hand; Constantinopolis holding sceptre in left hand, her right foot on prow; between them, a palm.
Superb solidus, extremely rare. Unfortunately damaged on the observe by the marks of an old mounting as jewellery. There are several marks on the whole, two on the legend at 9h, a large one on the emperor's right hand, and two on each side of the crest of his helmet. The edge also shows traces of the old mounting, at 12h and 3h, and more slightly at 6h. The reverse is completely intact and very well preserved, and was undoubtedly the visible face of the earlier jewellery. In the classical style of the period, showing the coexistence of the two capitals of the Roman Empire, Rome, the historic one, and Constantinople, newly founded by Constantine I ‘the Great’, the father of Constantius II. Minted in Arelate (Arles in France today), the solidi with the types of the cities issued by this mint are extremely rare, and for type 234 of the Roman Imperial Coinage, there are only around a dozen examples seen in sales over recent years and a single example in public collections (Göttingen, Germany). This solidus was probably struck to celebrate the emperor's 20-year reign (vicennalia), while he was residing in the city of Arelate, where he took up winter residence at the end of the summer of 353 after defeating the usurper Magnentius. On this occasion, he renamed the city Constantina, a name dropped in 340 after the death of his brother Constantine II, and made it an imperial city. RIC VIII Arelate 234; Cohen 112; Depeyrot 5/1.
FL IVL CONSTANTIVS PERP AVG
GLORIA REI - PVBLICAE / VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX // KONS(TAN)
4.45 gr
Gold
Although nowadays gold enjoys a reputation as the king of precious metals, that was not always the case. For example, in Ancient Greece, Corinthian bronze was widely considered to be superior. However, over the course of time, it has established itself as the prince of money, even though it frequently vies with silver for the top spot as the standard.
Nevertheless, there are other metals which appear to be even more precious than this duo, take for example rhodium and platinum. That is certain. Yet, if the ore is not as available, how can money be produced in sufficient quantities? It is therefore a matter of striking a subtle balance between rarity and availability.
But it gets better: gold is not only virtually unreactive, whatever the storage conditions (and trouser pockets are hardly the most precious of storage cases), but also malleable (coins and engravers appreciate that).
It thus represents the ideal mix for striking coins without delay – and we were not going to let it slip away!
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which derives from its Latin name aurum. Its origins are probably extraterrestrial, effectively stardust released following a violent collision between two neutron stars. Not merely precious, but equally poetic…
The first gold coins were minted by the kings of Lydia, probably between the 8th and 6th century BC. Whereas nowadays the only gold coins minted are investment coins (bullion coins) or part of limited-edition series aimed at collectors, that was not always the case. And gold circulated extensively from hand to hand and from era to era, from the ancient gold deposits of the River Pactolus to the early years of the 20th century.
As a precious metal, in the same way as silver, gold is used for minting coins with intrinsic value, which is to say the value of which is constituted by the metal from which they are made. Even so, nowadays, the value to the collector frequently far exceeds that of the metal itself...
It should be noted that gold, which is naturally very malleable, is frequently supplemented with small amounts of other metals to render it harder.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of gold included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ gold or 999 parts of gold per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
An “AU(55-58)” quality
As in numismatics, it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
About Uncirculated(55-58)
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has been in circulation but sufficiently little that its original beauty is preserved almost in its entirety. The wear is barely visible and any other defect can only be identified with a magnifying glass or a particularly keen eye. The number (55-58) indicates that between three quarters and almost all of the original luster remains.
