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Orbis Collectibles

RIC VII Arelate 1

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 313

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Solidus in gold struck at Arelate under Constantine I, AD 313, catalogued as RIC VII Arelate 1. Obverse: Head of Constantine I, laureate, right. Reverse: Owl, standing on column inscribed SA/PI/EN/TIA; on ground to left, helmet; on ground to right, spear and shield.

Obverse legend: CONSTANT-INVS P F AVG or CONSTANTI-NVS P F AVG. Reverse legend: PRINCIPIS PRO-VIDENTISSIMI.

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

To combat inflation across the empire, he introduced the solidus, a highly pure gold coin that replaced the aureus in the early 4th century and weighed about 4.45 grams. This solidus was struck in AD 313 at the mint of Arelate, a city of considerable importance in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, shortly after Constantine established control over the Western provinces.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Arelate
Issuing authority
Constantine I

Design

Obverse type
Head of Constantine I, laureate, right
Reverse type
Owl, standing on column inscribed SA/PI/EN/TIA; on ground to left, helmet; on ground to right, spear and shield
Obverse legend
CONSTANT-INVS P F AVG or CONSTANTI-NVS P F AVG
Reverse legend
PRINCIPIS PRO-VIDENTISSIMI

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.7.ar.1
Catalogue reference
RIC VII Arelate 1
Type corpus identifier
ric.7.ar.1
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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