Arcadius, 383-408. Solidus in contemporary gold frame. Constantinople. AD 397-402 (Gold, 3.3 cm diam., 4.1 cm height, 10.00 g). D N ARCADI - VS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, and helmeted bust facing slightly right, wearing cuirass, holding spear and shield emblazoned with horseman. Rev. CONCORDI - A AVGG E (5th officina) / CONOB, Constantinopolis seated facing, head right, foot on prow, holding spear and Victory. RIC X, 7. Depeyrot 55/1. Good Very Fine.
From a Swiss Collection, formed before 2005.
An elegant solidus of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius, beautifully preserved and set in a sumptuous contemporary gold mount. The openwork frame is adorned with a series of trilobate motifs, finely pierced and symmetrically arranged, and crowned by a grooved, ribbon-shaped suspension loop—clearly designed to be worn as an ornament or medallion. More than a coin, this piece served as a powerful status symbol: a tangible expression of allegiance, authority, and cultural identity at the highest echelons of Late Roman society. Its exceptional state of preservation and exquisite craftsmanship invite reflection on its history. Perhaps it was lost—or deliberately hidden—during the chaos that swept across the empire in the early 5th century. One is tempted to imagine it buried or abandoned during Alaric I’s Visigothic campaign through the Balkans and Italy, culminating in the dramatic sack of Rome in AD 410. A silent witness to the twilight of Roman glory.
