Leu Numismatik AG
Auction 7 24-25 Oct 2020
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Valentinian II, with Theodosius I and Arcadius, 375-392. Exagium Solidi (Bronze, 16x14 mm, 3.57 g), 383-392. Crowned, diademed and draped facing busts of Valentinian II, Theodosius I and Arcadius. Rev. Blank. Bendall -. CPAI -. MAH -. Pondera -. Unpublished with three imperial busts and the second known example, the other in a private collection. Very fine.
This weight belongs to a group of exagia with the design - usually two facing imperial busts - hammered into a sheet metal or cliché, which was then soldered onto a square flan (see below, lots 2015-2018). They are sometimes dated to the 6th century (see MAH 360 and 368), however, style and fabric point toward a date in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. This is underlined by the emergence of the present piece showing not two, but three Augusti of similar size: these are either Valentinian II, Gratian and Theodosius I (379-382) or, more likely Valentinian II, Theodosius I and Arcadius (383-392).
This weight belongs to a group of exagia with the design - usually two facing imperial busts - hammered into a sheet metal or cliché, which was then soldered onto a square flan (see below, lots 2015-2018). They are sometimes dated to the 6th century (see MAH 360 and 368), however, style and fabric point toward a date in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. This is underlined by the emergence of the present piece showing not two, but three Augusti of similar size: these are either Valentinian II, Gratian and Theodosius I (379-382) or, more likely Valentinian II, Theodosius I and Arcadius (383-392).