Arcadius. AD 383-408. Æ (22mm, 5.40 g, 12h). Contemporary imitation. Imitating an official issue of the Alexandria mint, circa AD 378-383. Good VF.

Electronic Auction 549
Lot: 722. Estimated: $ 100

Roman Imperial, Bronze

Sold For $ 140. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Arcadius. AD 383-408. Æ (22mm, 5.40 g, 12h). Contemporary imitation. Imitating an official issue of the Alexandria mint, circa AD 378-383. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, holding spear and shield, being crowned with wreath by manus Dei / Emperor standing facing, head left, holding labarum and shield set on ground to right; to left, bound captive kneeling right; –|T//ALEA. Cf. RIC IX 7 (for prototype); cf. LRBC 2878 (same). Red-brown patina. Good VF.

From the Kings Collection. Ex Roma E-Sale 77 (26 November 2020), lot 1438.

A seemingly outstanding contemporary imitation of an Alexandrian mint issue. While the style is excellent on this piece, there are a few factors that make it unlikely to be an official issue. The reverse legend has some blundering, especially with the IA in GLORIA reversed and the first R in ROMANORVM has the appearance of a retrograde N. Additionally, the obverse legend break is not correct for this issue as RIC IX 7 has an unbroken obverse legend. In terms of style, the manus Dei descending with the wreath is somewhat unusual, and finally, the T in the upper reverse field is not known for this issue of Arcadius at Alexandria. Given these differences, it seems likely that this coin is an excellent contemporary imitation.

Closing Date and Time: 1 November 2023 at 14:00:20 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.