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Orbis Collectibles

RIC VIII Thessalonica 218

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 361–AD 363

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Solidus in gold struck at Thessalonica under Julian the Apostate, AD 361–AD 363, catalogued as RIC VIII Thessalonica 218. Obverse: Bust of Julian, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right.

Reverse: Soldier, helmeted, draped, cuirassed, standing right, head left, placing right hand on head of kneeling captive and holding trophy over left shoulder. Obverse legend: FL CL IVLIA-NVS PP AVG. Reverse legend: VIRTVS EXER-CITVS ROMANI.

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

Julian, remembered as Julian the Apostate for rejecting Christianity and promoting Neoplatonic Hellenism, reigned as Roman emperor from 361 to 363 after serving as Caesar in the West from 355 to 360. A nephew of Constantine the Great, he avoided civil war when his predecessor Constantius II died and named him successor. This gold solidus, a denomination introduced in the early fourth century to replace the aureus, was struck between AD 361 and AD 363 at Thessalonica, a city founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Solidus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Thessalonica
Issuing authority
Julian the Apostate

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Julian, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Soldier, helmeted, draped, cuirassed, standing right, head left, placing right hand on head of kneeling captive and holding trophy over left shoulder
Obverse legend
FL CL IVLIA-NVS PP AVG
Reverse legend
VIRTVS EXER-CITVS ROMANI

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.thes.218
Catalogue reference
RIC VIII Thessalonica 218
Type corpus identifier
ric.8.thes.218
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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