Sale: CNG 66, Lot: 1651. Estimate $400.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2004.  Sold For $400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

HONORIUS. 393-423 AD. AV Solidus (4.20 gm). Ravenna mint. Struck after 408 AD. Pearl diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Honorius standing facing, head right, foot on bound captive, holding standard and Victory on globe; R-V//COMOB. RIC X 1321; Depeyrot 7/1; DOCLR 735; cf. DOCLR 725 (Rome). VF, worn obverse die, clipped, wavy flan. ($400)

The style of the obverse of this coin is not typical of Ravenna solidi of this issue; rather, it is more similar to issues of the Rome mint (cf. DOCLR 725). It is likely that the obverse was struck with a die produced at Rome. The Visigothic invasion which began in 401 AD required the emperor to move the imperial court permanently to the heavily defended city of Ravenna, and the imperial mint likely accompanied this move. Although it would be necessary for the mint to produce new reverse dies with the Ravenna signature, the old obverse dies could still be used. It is consistent with this theory that the obverse die used for this coin was clearly more worn than the reverse.