The solidus was a gold coin, issued in the Late Roman Empire, at the time of Diocletian. It continued to be circulated into the Byzantine Empire until the 11th century AD. The coin had a vast circulation and was also used as a unit of weight of approximately 4.5 grams. Aelia Pulcheria, born in 398/399 AD, was the daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcardius and Aelia Eudoxia. She was their second child and the older sister of Theodosius II, born in 401 AD. He was proclaimed Augustus at nine months old by his father and ruled as the Eastern Roman Empire’s sole rule upon his father’s death in 408. Due to his young age, Aelia Pulcheria was proclaimed his guardian in 414 AD, taking a vow of virginity in that same year, and proclaimed Augusta. She was held in high esteem in her brother’s court, training him in the duties and customs of the imperial office. Upon his death in 450 AD, with no surviving male heirs, Pulcheria married Marcian, her brother’s successor, bolstering his legitimacy. Their union produced no children, as her vow of virginity was to be upheld.
Aelia Pulcheria Gold Solidus
£ 2,050.00
A stunning and rare late Roman, early Byzantine gold solidus of Aelia Pulcheria, struck under Theodosius II. The obverse displays the pearl-diademed bust of Aelia Pulcheria, sister and guardian of the Emperor Theodosius II, facing right. She is depicted draped, wearing earrings and a necklace, with her hair drawn up. Her facial features, including her long straight nose, closed lips, and eyes, have been rendered in a serene expression. She is crowned by the Hand of God from above. The accompanying legend reads AEL PVLCHERIA AVG, which stands for Aelia Pulcheria Augusta, with Augusta signifying her role as the empress. The reverse features Constantinopolis, the embodiment of the city of Constantinople, where this coin was minted. She is depicted seated on a throne, draped, and wearing a crested helmet. Her left leg is outstretched, with her falling drapery beautifully detailed. In her right hand, she holds a globus cruciger (a cross-bearing globe), and in her left, a sceptre, both symbols of her royalty and power. A small rounded shield leans on the back of her throne and a star enriches the left field of the coin. The accompanying legend reads IMP XXXXII COS XVII˙P˙P˙, standing for Imperator quadragesimum secundum Consul septimum decimum Pater Patriae. The legend indicates that the coin was minted in Theodosius II’s forty-second year of being Imperator and during his seventeenth consulship. The mintmark COMOB appears in the exergue.
| Weight | 4.38 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | L 2.1 cm |
| Region | Eastern Europe, Southern Europe |
| Metal | Gold |
