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Orbis Collectibles

RIC IX Lugdunum 23A

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 375–AD 378

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

AE3 in bronze struck at Lugdunum under Gratian, AD 375–AD 378, catalogued as RIC IX Lugdunum 23A. Obverse: Bust of Valens, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed, right. Reverse: Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm. Obverse legend: D N VALEN-S P F AVG. Reverse legend: SECVRITAS-REIPVBLICAE.

Related types with the same reverse, struck at other mints or with different marks or bust details, are consolidated here and listed under varieties: RIC IX Rome 28A: Subtype xiii.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
4
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

Gratian became Western Roman Emperor following the death of his father Valentinian I in 375, sharing imperial authority with his infant half-brother Valentinian II while their uncle Valens governed the East. Although issued under Gratian's authority from Lugdunum, the capital of Gallia Lugdunensis, this coin features Valens on the obverse, reflecting the shared imperial college between West and East. Valens ruled from 364 until 378, when he was killed fighting the Goths at the Battle of Adrianople.

Physical characteristics

Material
Bronze
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
AE3

Technical characteristics

Mint
Lugdunum
Issuing authority
Gratian

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Valens, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm
Obverse legend
D N VALEN-S P F AVG
Reverse legend
SECVRITAS-REIPVBLICAE

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. 2 near-identical catalogue variants are consolidated into this entry.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.9.lug.23A
Catalogue reference
RIC IX Lugdunum 23A
Type corpus identifier
ric.9.lug.23A
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 IX Lugdunum 12

    Near-identical catalogue variant (same obverse and reverse legends, type and denomination, differing only in minor marks or bust detail); consolidated into this entry.

  • RIC IX Lugdunum 21A

    Near-identical catalogue variant (same obverse and reverse legends, type and denomination, differing only in minor marks or bust detail); consolidated into this entry.

  • RIC IX Rome 28A: Subtype xiii

    Same ruler, denomination, reverse type and reverse legend; differs in mint, mint mark, officina 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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