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Orbis Collectibles

RIC X Petronius Maximus 2203

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 Petronius Maximus, AD 455, catalogued as RIC X Petronius Maximus 2203. Obverse: Bust of Petronius Maximus, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right.

Reverse: Petronius Maximus, crowned with trefoil ornament, 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 M-AXIMVS P F AVG. Reverse legend: VICTORI-A AVGGG.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
3
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 was a wealthy senator and aristocrat who briefly ruled as Western Roman emperor for two and a half months in 455. Having played an instrumental role in the murders of magister militum Aëtius and Emperor Valentinian III, he secured power through Senate support and palace bribes. His short reign destabilised the Western empire further, concluding with his death on 31 May 455 as a Vandal fleet arrived to sack Rome.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Ravenna
Issuing authority
Petronius Maximus

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Petronius Maximus, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Petronius Maximus, crowned with trefoil ornament, 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 M-AXIMVS 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. 1 near-identical catalogue variant is consolidated into this entry.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.10.pet_max_w.2203
Catalogue reference
RIC X Petronius Maximus 2203
Type corpus identifier
ric.10.pet_max_w.2203
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 Petronius Maximus 2201

    Near-identical catalogue variant (same obverse and reverse legends, type and denomination, differing only in minor marks 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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