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RIC X Petronius Maximus 2202

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 455

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Maker / issuer

Rome (ancient mint)

Solidus in gold struck at Rome under Petronius Maximus, AD 455, catalogued as RIC X Petronius Maximus 2202. Obverse: Bust of Petronius Maximus, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right.

Reverse: Petronius Maximus, crowned, 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 PETRONIVS MA-XIMVS P F AVG. Reverse legend: VICTORI-A AVGGG.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
2
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

Petronius Maximus, a wealthy senator and prominent aristocrat, served as Western Roman emperor for two and a half months in 455. Having taken part in the killings of Aëtius and Emperor Valentinian III, he secured imperial power in Rome through senatorial backing and bribery. His forced marriage of Valentinian's daughter Eudocia prompted the Vandal king Genseric to dispatch a fleet against Rome. Maximus was killed by fellow Romans while fleeing the city on 31 May 455, just before the Vandals sacked Rome. This gold solidus was struck at Rome during his brief reign.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Rome
Issuing authority
Petronius Maximus

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Petronius Maximus, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Petronius Maximus, crowned, 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 PETRONIVS MA-XIMVS 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.pet_max_w.2202
Catalogue reference
RIC X Petronius Maximus 2202
Type corpus identifier
ric.10.pet_max_w.2202
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

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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