Theodosius I for Valentinian II AE3 RIC IX Alexandria 9B

Monetary Context and the Reform of Late Fourth-Century Bronze

The production of RIC IX Alexandria 9B belongs to a pivotal phase in late Roman monetary history, unfolding directly after the disastrous Roman defeat at Adrianople in August AD 378. The death of the Eastern emperor Valens created an acute geopolitical crisis, requiring the senior Western Augustus, Gratian, to elevate the Spanish general Theodosius to the rank of Augustus in January AD 379. To manage the immense administrative and military expenses of pacifying the Balkan provinces, reorganizing the mobile armies, and reasserting state authority, the imperial government relied on intensive emissions of base-metal currency across all functioning mints. In Roman Egypt, the provincial capital of Alexandria served as a vital fiscal node, converting agricultural surpluses into coin and fueling local commercial liquidity. The denomination designated modernly as an AE3 typically measured between 17 and 19 millimeters in diameter and conformed to a theoretical weight standard of approximately 2.2 to 2.6 grams, though wide metallurgical and mass tolerances were common in contemporary workshops. Originating from the series of bronze reform issues introduced under the Valentinianic dynasty, these copper-alloy coins functioned as everyday small change alongside circulating gold solidi and occasional silver siliquae. In late antiquity, low-value bronze denominations allowed urban and rural populations to conduct market transactions, pay localized tolls, and fulfill retail obligations. By striking RIC IX Alexandria 9B, the administration maintained active state presence and supplied transactional currency across the eastern Mediterranean basin.

Mint Organization and Production at Alexandria

The imperial mint of Alexandria operated as the primary striking center for the Diocese of Egypt. Operating with a streamlined structure during the late fourth century, the Alexandrian facility generally organized its bronze production across two distinct numbered workshops or officinae. The administrative separation of work between these two units is explicitly recorded in the exergue on the coin reverse, where the mint signature ALE is joined by the Greek ordinal numeral designating the workshop: alpha (ALEA) for the first officina and beta (ALEB) for the second officina. Die engraving at Alexandria in this period reflected a distinctive provincial interpretation of metropolitan stylistic models. Flans were prepared from cast copper-alloy strips, mechanically clipped or hot-cut, and struck by hand between engraved iron dies. The execution of the obverse bust and reverse figure demonstrates the high technical discipline of Alexandrian engravers, who maintained crisp lettering and balanced compositions despite rapid production demands. Trace metallurgical analyses of related late Roman bronze issues from the region indicate that the metal was primarily copper blended with minor proportions of lead and tin, facilitating the flow of the molten alloy into the flan molds while maintaining durability in daily handling.

Obverse Iconography of the Junior Augustus

The obverse of RIC IX Alexandria 9B presents a right-facing bust of Valentinian II, who had been proclaimed Augustus as a young child in AD 375 following the death of his father, Valentinian I. Because Valentinian II was still a minor during the early portion of Theodosius I's reign, the portraiture reflects an idealized, youthful appearance rendered according to rigid late Roman conventions of imperial majesty rather than realistic verisimilitude. The emperor is depicted wearing a pearl diadem, the standard insignia of imperial sovereignty established since the era of Constantine I. The diadem consists of a double strand of pearls tied at the back of the head, with stylized ribbon ties (taeniae) trailing down the neck. The imperial bust is dressed in military and administrative attire, featuring a cuirass overlaid with a classical paludamentum (military cloak) that is fastened at the right shoulder by a round jeweled fibula. This drapery folds crisply around the chest and shoulders, conveying the Augustus's dual authority as commander of the armed forces and supreme civil magistrate. The profile emphasizes wide eyes and linear facial contours, typifying the formal, hieratic style cultivated across eastern imperial mints in the AD 380s.

Reverse Iconography of Seated Roma

The reverse iconography of RIC IX Alexandria 9B exhibits the personification of Roma, a classical motif heavily deployed during this period to emphasize continuity, imperial defense, and the traditional core of Roman civic identity. Roma is portrayed helmeted, seated facing on an unbacked throne or seat, with her head turned gracefully toward the left. In her outstretched right hand, she supports a globe, the universal symbol of Roman cosmic dominion (orbis terrarum). In her left hand, she holds a partially seen vertical spear, signifying armed vigilance and military strength. A notable iconographical detail prescribed for this specific type is the presentation of Roma's classical drapery, which leaves her right leg and knee bare in the tradition of the martial Amazonian costume. This artistic convention was widely utilized in Fourth-Century civic personifications to distinguish the warrior-like aspect of Roma from the more conventionally draped personification of Constantinopolis, though some contemporary eastern mints blurred these attributes or substituted a turreted crown. At Alexandria, the die cutters adhered closely to the helmeted Roma motif, affirming the political solidarity between the eastern administration of Theodosius and the western territories ostensibly represented by the Roman personification.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titulature

The inscriptions on RIC IX Alexandria 9B express late Roman constitutional doctrine and imperial collegiality through standardized abbreviations. The obverse legend reads D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG, representing an epigraphic formula that translates to 'Dominus Noster Valentinianus Pius Felix Augustus' (Our Lord Valentinian, Pious and Fortunate Augustus). The title Dominus Noster ('Our Lord') firmly reflects the Dominate period's ideological framework, where the ruler was addressed as master and protector of the state, while Pius Felix evoked the traditional imperial virtues of religious devotion and divine favor. The reverse inscription, CONCOR-DIA AVGGG, features an internal syllable break flanking the seated figure of Roma. The triple G in AVGGG (an abbreviation for 'Augustorum') constitutes an essential chronological and constitutional marker: it indicates that the coin was struck during a period when three legitimate Augusti shared imperial power. Between AD 379 and 383, these rulers were Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I. By issuing coins celebrating the Concordia of the three Augusti, the eastern court of Theodosius I reinforced the perception of unbroken harmony across east and west, counterbalancing political realities of regional factionalism and military strain.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

Within the framework of Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IX, the general type Alexandria 9 embraces the CONCORDIA AVGGG issues struck across the initial period of Theodosius I's reign. The entry RIC IX Alexandria 9 is subdivided by imperial subject: subtype 9A covers coins struck in the name of Gratian, subtype 9B corresponds to Valentinian II, and subtype 9C denotes those struck for Theodosius I himself. The series was later adapted for Arcadius following his elevation in January AD 383, marking the boundary of the tri-Augustal legend system. The issuance of RIC IX Alexandria 9B is securely bounded between AD 378/379 and Gratian's assassination in August AD 383. While J. W. E. Pearce assigned the broader series to the chronological span of AD 378 to 383, the Alexandrian emissions bearing Theodosian authority commenced only after Theodosius gained control of the eastern mints in early AD 379. Within this issue, minor variants exist in die carving, specifically in the precise position of the reverse break in CONCOR-DIA, the rendering of the throne back, and the size of the exergual lettering. However, the essential typology remains uniform, demonstrating tight centralized direction over the Alexandria workshops.

Distribution, Hoard Evidence, and Monetary Velocity

Archaeological and hoard evidence indicates that RIC IX Alexandria 9B circulated extensively throughout Egypt and neighboring regions of the Roman Near East. In late antiquity, low-value bronze coinage was subject to regionalization, meaning that while precious-metal solidi travelled across empire-wide administrative borders, copper denominations tended to remain concentrated closer to their zones of manufacture. Excavations at major urban centers in Egypt, including Alexandria, Karanis, and Oxyrhynchus, have yielded considerable numbers of CONCORDIA AVGGG bronze coins, reflecting their indispensable role in local retail markets. Despite this regional concentration, the standardized weight and recognizable imagery allowed Alexandria 9B to circulate alongside parallel issues from Antioch, Constantinople, Nicomedia, and Cyzicus. Hoards buried in Palestine and Syria from the late fourth and early fifth centuries frequently contain Alexandrian bronze issues, demonstrating maritime exchange and troop movements between Egypt and the Levantine coast. Over decades of intensive circulation, these small AE3 bronzes suffered extensive wear and clipping, remaining in commercial use until they were gradually superseded by smaller fifth-century AE4 minimi and the subsequent currency reforms of Anastasius I in AD 498.

References

1. Late Roman Bronze Coinage, A.D. 324-498. Part II, p. 102
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IX Alexandria 9B. ric.9.alex.9B
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IX: Valentinian I to Theodosius I. p. 300, no. 9B