Ancient Byzantine - AV Solidus - Valens - Circa (364-378) AD

Denomination: AV Solidus                                                                                     

Date: Circa 364-368

Mint: Nicomedia                                        

Weight: 1.48 gm - 22 carat gold

Mount: 18K Gold

Description: Obverse: Bust of Valens, diademed, draped and cuirassed, right. Reverse: Emperor standing frontal, head turned to the right, draped and cuirassed, holding Victory atop a globe in the right hand, a labrum (late Roman standard) with Chi-Rho with the left; Victory crowns the emperor; in exergue, Θ (officina mark); beaded border.

History: Flavius Julius Valens was made emperor by his brother, Valentinian, who initially appointed him director of the table when he took the purple, but then changed his mind and made him joint emperor fir the east soon afterwards. His rule was plagued with internal troubles and endless foreign problems. After squashing the revolt of Procupius in 365, Valens had to deal with the Visigoths, who had helped the pretender. In 367 and 369 he led two expeditions north of the Danube and deep into the Visigoths' territory. In 371-2 he da to suppress another conspiracy and then to renew the struggle with the Persians which, even after his successes in Mesopatamia, did not bring to Rome the peach he had wanted. In376, after Valens had become senior Augustus upon the death of his Brother, the Visigoths crossed the border en masse, pressed westward by the Huns. Allowed to settle in the Balkans by Valen's local commanders, they were mercilessly exploited and broke into open revolt.  Valens proceeded east to confront the crisis in 378 and after small bands of Goths have been dispersed by some of this generals, met with Fritigern's main force near Hadrianopolis. Valens was defeated and slain by the Goths. His most enduring legacy is the completion of a great aqueduct in Constantinople, began by Constantine the Great, parts of which still remain.

ID15004