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RIC VIII Lugdunum 178

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 353–AD 355

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Solidus in gold struck at Lugdunum under Constantius II, AD 353–AD 355, catalogued as RIC VIII Lugdunum 178. Obverse: 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.

Reverse: Roma, helmeted, draped, enthroned front, and Constantinopolis, draped, enthroned left, supporting a wreath inscribed VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX; Roma holding spear in left hand, Constantinopolis holding sceptre in left hand, resting right foot on prow. Obverse legend: FL IVL CONSTAN-TIVS PERP AVG. Reverse legend: GLORIA - REI - PVBLICAE.

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

Constantius II, a son of Constantine the Great, became Augustus alongside his brothers in 337 and ruled as Roman emperor until 361. Following the suicide of the usurper Magnentius after the Battle of Mons Seleucus in 353, Constantius emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. The solidus, a highly pure gold denomination introduced in the early 4th century, was struck during these years at Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France), an important Roman city in Gaul and the capital of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Lugdunum
Issuing authority
Constantius II

Design

Obverse type
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
Reverse type
Roma, helmeted, draped, enthroned front, and Constantinopolis, draped, enthroned left, supporting a wreath inscribed VOT/XXX/MVLT/XXXX; Roma holding spear in left hand, Constantinopolis holding sceptre in left hand, resting right foot on prow
Obverse legend
FL IVL CONSTAN-TIVS PERP AVG
Reverse legend
GLORIA - REI - PVBLICAE

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.8.lug.178
Catalogue reference
RIC VIII Lugdunum 178
Type corpus identifier
ric.8.lug.178
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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