![Gratian, Solidus, Constantinople 382-383 AD [ARI-367] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ARI-367-1.jpg)
Description
Flāvius Grātiānus (Gratian), Western Augustus of the Valentinianic Dynasty 367-383 AD, Gold Solidus (4.32g, 20mm), Constantinople mint 382-383 AD, 5th officina “Є”. Obverse: Rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gratian facing to the right, legend surrounds, “DN GRATIANIAS PF AVG”. Reverse: Constantinopolis seated right on backless chair ornamented with lion’s heads, draped and wearing heavily crested helmet and holding globe aloft in left hand and sceptre in left, mintmark and purity “CON OB” in exergue, legend surrounds, “CONCORDIA AVGGG Є”. RIC IX 45a. Some trifling reverse marks in the field, otherwise a bold and very attractive piece, particularly the obverse portrait, good Extremely Fine, reverse Extremely Fine.
The obverse Latin legend reads unabridged as “Dominus noster, Gratiānus, pius fēlīx Augustus”, with an English translation of “Our Lord, Gratian, the blessed and pious Augustus”. The reverse Latin legend reads “Concordia Augustōrum” followed by the 5th officina letter “Є”, with an English translation of “Harmony of the Augusti”. The Latin in the reverse exergue reads “Cōnstantīnopolis, obryzum”, with an English translation of “of the city of Constantinople, pure gold” – this had an unabridged meaning of “minted in the city of Constantinople, 1/72 of a Roman Pound of pure gold”, as “OB” was short for the Latin “obryzum” as well as the Greek numerals for “72”.
Flāvius Grātiānus (simply ‘Gratian’) was Roman Emperor from the 24th August 367 AD until his death on the 25th August 383 AD and was a member of the Valentinianic dynasty as the eldest son of Valentinian I ‘the Great’. He was born in 359 AD and was only eight years old at the time of being granted his imperial title – his elevation to co-Augustus was a political move however, being done as a means of quelling any questions raised against Valentinian I’s succession. Following his father’s death in 375 AD, Gratian, now sixteen years old, ruled as Augustus of the Western Roman Empire, co-ruling nominally with his younger brother, Flāvius Valentīniānus (simply ‘Valentinian II’), who was four years old at the time, and their uncle, Flāvius Valens, who ruled as Augustus of the Eastern Roman Empire.
