Rhine Valley Issue

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 888. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $1600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES. Germany (Rhine Valley). Mid-late 5th century. AV Solidus (4.42 g, 12h). Imitating Ravenna mint. Struck in the name of Valentinian III. D N PLL VLLENTI NILNVS P F LVG, rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; pellet behind / VICTORI A AVGGG, emperor standing facing, holding long cross in right hand, Victory on globe in left, stepping on head of human-headed coiled serpent; R-V//COMOB. G. Depeyrot, “Les solidi gaulois de Valentinian III,” SNR 65 (1986), group c, 2. Good VF, area of flat strike, slight die shift, traces of deposits. Very rare.

From the Mark Poncin Collection.

Depeyrot located nineteen examples of these imitations of Valentinian with a pellet in the obverse field. He noted two varieties based on the position of the pellet, which occurs either below the AVG in the legend or behind the portrait. Practically all of the known examples are from hoards found in the Rhine Valley. Interestingly, all bear the mint signature of Ravenna, save for a single specimen marked as Rome.