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Orbis Collectibles

RIC X Marcian 2301

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 455

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Solidus in gold struck at Ravenna under Marcian, AD 455, catalogued as RIC X Marcian 2301. Obverse: Bust of Marcian, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right. Reverse: Marcian, draped, cuirassed, standing front, holding long cross in right hand and Victory on globe in left hand; placing right foot on head of human-headed coiled serpent. Obverse legend: D N MARCIA-NVS P F AVG. Reverse legend: VICTORI-A AVGGG.

Related types with the same reverse, struck at other mints or with different marks or bust details, are consolidated here and listed under varieties: RIC X Marcian 2304.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
4
Catalogue references
1

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Historical context

Marcian served as Roman emperor of the East from 450 to 457, having been inaugurated on 25 August 450 following the death of Emperor Theodosius II. In 452, he launched military expeditions across the Danube into the Great Hungarian Plain against Attila's Huns, aiding the Western Roman Empire. This solidus was struck in AD 455 at Ravenna, which had become the capital of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century after Emperor Honorius relocated his court there in 401. Introduced in the early 4th century to replace the aureus, the solidus served as a highly pure gold coin throughout the Later Roman Empire.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Ravenna
Issuing authority
Marcian

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Marcian, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Marcian, draped, cuirassed, standing front, holding long cross in right hand and Victory on globe in left hand; placing right foot on head of human-headed coiled serpent
Obverse legend
D N MARCIA-NVS P F AVG
Reverse legend
VICTORI-A AVGGG

Identification

How to identify
RIC separates types by mint and officina marks, obverse legend and bust form, and reverse legend and type; check the exergue and field marks against the RIC number before accepting a match.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.10.marc_w.2301
Catalogue reference
RIC X Marcian 2301
Type corpus identifier
ric.10.marc_w.2301
Source note
The type record is Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE), the American Numismatic Society's digital edition of Roman Imperial Coinage.

Documentation checklist

Denomination
Recorded
Issue or mint date
Recorded
Material
Recorded
Weight
Research required
Mint or printer
Recorded
Mint or printer mark
Research required
Catalogue reference
Recorded
Attached photograph (check rights)
Recorded

Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.

Catalogue references

Varieties

  • RIC X Marcian 2304

    Same ruler, denomination, reverse type and reverse legend; differs in mint, mint mark, officina or bust detail. Consolidated into this entry.

Research required

  • Nominal weight not transcribed from a primary reference
  • Diameter and die axis not transcribed
  • Mint mark and officina detail not transcribed
  • No rights-cleared photograph identified yet
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