![ROMAN. Valentinian III, Solidus, Rome, 'VICTORIA AVGGG' [ARI-385] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ARI-385-1.jpg)
Description
Roman Empire, Flāvius Placidus Valentīniānus (Valentinian III), Western Augustus of the Valentinian/Theodosian Dynasty 425-455 AD, Gold Solidus (4.45g, 19mm), Comitātus mint (“Field Army mint”) in Rome 425-426 AD. Obverse: Pearl and rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Valentinian III facing to the right, with aged features, legend surrounds, “DN PLA VALENTINIANVS PF AVG”. Reverse: Valentinian III stands forward, crowned, cuirassed and draped and holding long cross in right hand and Victoria surmounting globe in left, his right foot raised on human-headed serpent, mint mark “R M” to field either side, mint name and purity “COM OB” in exergue, legend surrounds, “VICTORIA AVGGG”. RIC X-2006; Depeyrot-46/1; Cohen-19. A nice early issue of the Valentinian III of Rome mint, at the time the younger emperor was only 7-8 years old, struck with quite worn dies, particularly the reverse which has lost much detail of its devices, good Very Fine.
The obverse Latin legend reads unabridged as “dominus noster, Placidus Valentīniānus, pius fēlīx Augustus”, with an English translation of “our lord, Placidus Valentinianus, the blessed and pious Augustus”. The reverse Latin legend reads unabridged as “victōria Augustōrum”, with an English translation of “Victory of the Augusti”. The mint name and purity are detailed in the reverse exergue and into the field as “RM COM OB”, this reads unabridged as “Rōmae comitātus officīna monētae, obryzum”, with an English translation of “Field Army Mint of Rome, pure gold” – in full, this had a meaning of a “solidus minted under the authority of the Comes Sacrārum Largitiōnum (Count of the Sacred Largesses) at the Field Army Mint in Rome, the Imperial Court mint accompanying the Emperor, to a weight of 1/72 of a Roman Pound of pure gold”.
