Usurper 392-392 AD

395-423AD

Honorius AE4. Antioch mint, 406-408 AD. (14mm)

OBVS: DN HONORIVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped bust right /

REV: GLORIA ROMANORVM, three emperors standing side by side holding spears, outermost ones rest hands on shields, the middle one holds an orb, [ANTA] in ex.

RIC 153 (nice detailed bust and reverse, with nearly full obverse inscription, and partial one on the reverse).

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395-408AD
 

Obverse: D N ARCADI-VS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.

Reverse: VIRTVS-EXERCITI, emperor standing left, head right, holding spear and resting left hand on shield. Victory, standing beside him crowns him with a wreath held in her right hand.

Mintmark ALEB.  (Alexandria)

Amazing reverse detail, which is unusual for this late period coin.  The die maker was extremely talented, something that faded in later years.

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Theodosius II (Eastern Emperor)

408-450 AD

(theodosian code & walls around Constantinople)

FLAVIUS AETIUS 396-454 AD

"The last true Roman" (a short bio)

Flavius Aetius or simply Aetius, was a Roman general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire.  Scholars often have called him "the man universally celebrated as the terror of Barbarians" for this continued victories over the barbarian invasions of that period and especially against Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons (451 AD).  This battle although considered a stalemate was the first battle that put a stop to Attila's rampage through Europe.  Attilla would never severely challenge the borders again and within 2 years was himself dead.

In 423 AD Aetius supported the new emperor Johannes who was praised for his mildness, intelligence, and general ability. Unlike the Theodosian emperors, he tolerated all Christian sects.  Aetius however arrived 3 days late (with a Hun army) to save Johannes who had been betrayed in Ravenna and killed by the army that Theodosius II (Eastern Emperor) had sent.  Valentinian III was then appointed emperor by Theodosius I.  Valentinians 25+ year rule was considered incompetent and did nothing to save Rome from the barbarians.  The final blow came in 454 AD when Valentinian III assassinated Aetius in Rome. 

Sidonius Apollinaris is credited with the famous observation,

"I am ignorant, sir, of your motives or provocations; I only know that you have acted like a man who has cut off his right hand with his left"

Rome would never recover and in within the next 25 years the barbarians would crush the last emperor, ending a thousand year empire in Europe.

Johannes (Augustus)

Usurper 423-425 AD
AE4 (11mm)

OBVS: DNIOHANNESPFAVG - Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. With distinctive beard of Johannes.

REV: VICTORIAAVGG - Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm. Exergue: RM & E (epsilon) in left field

Mint: Rome

References: RIC 1910 (very rare)

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Johannes (Augustus)

Usurper 423-425 AD
AE4 (10mm)

OBVS: DNIOHANNESPFAVG -  Pearl-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right /

REV: VICTORIAAVGG - Victory advancing left, holding trophy over shoulder & dragging captive; Christogram in left field; T in left field.

Mint: Rome

References: RIC 1916 (very rare, even in this worn state)

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425-452 AD

AE4 (11mm), 425-c.435, First Period, V4/V5 obverse, Rome, Officina 2

OBVS: D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG
Pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right

REV: SALVS [REI]_PVBLICE - Victory advancing left, wreath upward in right hand, palm in left S in left field
RM in exergue

References: RIC X, 2108 (S)

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425-452 AD

AE4 (11mm), 425-c.435, First Period, V4/V5 obverse, Rome, Officina 2

OBVS: D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG
Pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right

REV: SALVS [REI]_PVBLICE - Victory advancing left, wreath upward in right hand, palm in left S in left field
RM in exergue

References: RIC X, 2108 (S)

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Marcian (Eastern Emperor)

450-457 AD

Marcian AE4. Constantinople mint. (10mm)

OBVS: D N MARCIANVS P F AVG, diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right

REV: Monogram of Marcian in wreath, + above, S below, CON in ex.

References: RIC 545 (rare in this state with nearly a full inscription on the obverse, full wreath and partial mint visible)

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Marcian (Eastern Emperor)

450-457 AD

AE4. Constantinople mint. (11mm)

OBVS: D N MARCIANVS P F AVG, diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right 

REV: Monogram of Marcian in wreath, + above, S below, CON in ex.

References: RIC 546 more common condition, found in batch of coins.

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474-491 AD

Nummus. Constantinople mint, second reign.

OBVS: Pearl-diademed, draped bust right

REV: Monogram of Zeno.

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457-474 AD

Anastasius I (Eastern Emperor)

491-518 AD

AE4 Nummus.

Constantinople mint.

OBVS: Diademed bust right

REV: Monogram of Anastasius within linear circle.

References: SEAR 13 & DOC I 15.

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493AD - 526 AD

(respected roman way of life/laws, and held a strong relationship with eastern empire, under Justinian I)

Theodoric Information(click)

AE 10 Nummi

Struck circa 493-518 AD, Ravenna mint.

OBVS: Crowned and draped bust of Ravenna right

REV: Monogram of Ravenna within wreath.

References: Metlich 78a; MIB I 72a (Municipal Issue of Ravenna); MEC 1, 145

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Gothic Wars 535 -554 AD

The Gothic War was a war fought in Italy and the adjoining regions from 535 AD until 554 AD between the army of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) and the tribes under the control of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy (which began after Odovacar deposed the last Western Emperor in 476 AD). It is commonly divided in two phases, the first (535-540) which ended with the fall of Ravenna and the apparent conquest of Italy by the Romans, and the second phase (540/541-553), where the Gothic resistance was reinvigorated under Totila (Baduila) and was surpressed only after a long war by the General Narses, who also defeated the Frankish-Alamannic invasion of 554 AD.

The war had its roots in the ambition of Roman Emperor Justinian to recover the provinces of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost to invading barbarian tribes during the previous century.  The long duration of the conflict meant that in the end Italy was devastated and depopulated with the Italian population dropping from 7 millions to 2.5 millions as a consequence of war, famine and epidemics.  The Eastern Empire's resources were depleted and as such the East Romans were unable to resist the invasion of the Lombards in 568, which led to the loss of large parts of the Italian peninsula.

Read more here

Justinian I

Easter Roman Emperor

527-565 AD

Pentanummium 13mm

Antioch mint.

OBVS: Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.

REV: Monogram number 2 of Justinian I within linear circle.

Justinian I began the re-conquest of large parts of Africa and Italy that had previously been lost to the Vandals and Ostrogoths.  For a short period of time the Roman Empire was nearly whole again.

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Last Ostrogothic King of Italy

Baduila

541 -552 AD

9mm

OBVS: Bust of Baduila facing right

REV: DN REX with line above DN and B underneath (not visible). Surrounded by wreath.

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