Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 1260. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Monday, 10 January 2005.  Sold For $3100. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

JULIAN II. 360-363 AD. AV Nine Siliqua - 1 1/2 Scripulum (1.68 gm, 12h). Antioch mint. IVLIAN-VS AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA ROMANORVM, Victory, seated right on cuirass inscribing VOT XX in two lines on a shield supported by a small winged Genius; ANT. RIC VIII 207; Hunter -; DOC -; Depeyrot 17/1. Superb EF. Very rare. ($5000)

This gold piece is one of the enigmas of late Roman coinage - the 1 1/2 scripulum or 9-siliqua denomination. It had been introduced as part of Constantine's reform of the gold coinage, but why such an inconvenient fraction should have been issued as a coin is hard to explain. It appears only to have been struck on special occasions and perhaps filled some ceremonial role. In 383 AD Theodosius I replaced the 1 1/2 scripulum with a slightly lighter coin, the tremissis, which was valued at one-third of a solidus, or 8 siliquae.