GLOR ORVIS TERRAR (424 / 425)

Bust of Theodosius II facing, cuirassed, wearing a helmet with crest and a pearl diadem. Holding a spear passing behind his head with the right hand and a decorated shield with a horseman slaying an enemy, with the left hand.

Theodosius II standing and facing, holding a decorated standard with the right hand and a globe surmounted by a cross with the left hand. A star in the left field.

Photo of a coin sold the 29/11/2017 by Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 410, lot 427, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4565646, link to their website: https://www.cngcoins.com/.

Variant without jewel on the diadem. This officina always seems to decorate the top of the standard with 3 dots. An exception with this example showing dots above and below the standard. Coin sold the 13/10/2012 by Helios Numismatik GmbH, Auction 8, lot 116, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1384528. Note also a coin with a double strike giving degenerate beginning of the obverse legend: coin sold the 27/10/2010 by Hess Divo AG, Auction 317, lot 952, link to their website: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=875624.

I note a copy whose letter T on the obverse is badly engraved and looks like a . This particularity also exists for a coin with the officina H (see AYC #19 h, RIC 232) and for a coin with the officina I (see AYC #19 j var, RIC 232). I notice that it is the same engraver for the obverse. Here are some characteristic details of his style: the tip of the spear is wide, the shape of the ribbons, the way of representing the rider on the shield, the shape of the face and finally the double ear which must represent, in the imagination of the engraver, the space left by the helmet for the ears (this detail is also visible on many other coins created by other engravers). We therefore see that this man also engraved the legend and must be illiterate or not be of Roman origin. This engraver would therefore have produced dies used by at least three different officinas. Here is the coin:

Photo of a coin sold the 17/12/2020 by Roma Numismatics Limited, E-Sale 78, lot 1891, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7681111, link to their website: https://www.romanumismatics.com/.