Siliqua of Theodosius I

This Roman silver coin was found a few weeks back by John Ruczynski, who requested a full ID and a valuation.

Firstly, the coin is a siliqua. On the obverse is a laureate head of an emperor and on the reverse the seated figure of Roma holds a globe and a transverse spear. The legend on the reverse reads VERTVS ROMANORVM and the mint letters beneath Roma are those for Trier (TRPS). This reverse type was used first on coins of Valentinian II and continued to be used up to and including the reign of Honorius.

Unfortunately, there is a problem with the obverse legend. It will start with D N and it ends with P F AVG but the crucial area containing the emperor’s name is unclear. Even after enlarging the lettering it proved to be impossible to decipher.

After being in the soil for several centuries the coin is in quite good condition but the surface is rather rough. This could be due to impurities in the soil it has been in. The roughness hasn’t had much impact on most of the detail but it has obscured the crucial area in the lettering on the obverse.

All I can say is that I can’t be absolutely certain as to the identity of the emperor on this siliqua. It might be Theodosius I (AD 379-95) but whilst this is a possibility it is by no means a certainty.

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