Obverse:
Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust
of Valentinian I facing right. Text around
D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG.
Reverse:
Valentinian and Valens seated facing, together
holding a globe, between them in the upper
portion Victory with outstretched wings, palm
branch below and between the imperial brothers
joint throne. Text around VICTORIA AVGG, mintmark
TROBT in the exergue.
History:
When Valentinian became ruler in AD 364, his
brother Valens was chosen to rule alongside
him as co-Augustus. Solidus had earned a poor
reputation for only being about 95 percent
pure and underweight. Valentinian and Valens
decreed that all gold received was to be melted
into ingots and tested before it could be
accepted for tax collection. These reforms
paid off, and the reputation of the solidus
was salvaged, with their coins rarely falling
below 99 percent purity.
Date:
Minted at Trier between 364 and 367 AD
Diameter:
2.1cm
