GLORIA REIPVBLICAE (415)

Bust of Theodosius II to the right, cuirassed, wearing crested helmet and pearl diadem. Holding a spear with the left hand and a shield decorated with a horseman slaying an enemy, with the right hand.

Roma left facing Constantinopolis on the right also facing her. Both seated on a throne and each holding a scepter and a shield placed between them. The shield is inscribed with VOT _ XV _ MVL _ XX. Constantinopolis placing her right foot on a prow. A star in the left field.

Photo of a coin sold the 30/05/2022 by Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 132, lot 683, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9543684, link to their website: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/. Ex M&M 35, 1967, 193; Leu 77, 2000, 728; NGSA 5, 2008, 326 and NGSA 8, 2014, 194 sales (informations given by NAC).

Variant without pearl on the jewel at the top of the diadem. 

I show this coin:

Photo of a coin sold the 01/06/2022 by Hess Divo AG, Auction 340, lot 112, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9549147, link to their website: https://www.hessdivo.com/en. Besides the decoration of the cuirass which extends over the neck, I show this coin because it could be misread. Indeed on the reverse one seems to read REIRVBLICAE. It is not a letter R but the scepter which is shifted. I was able to observe several other coins where the end of the scepter is offset and the letter P is quite far away and very clear.

Several variants of shoulder decorations exist. Here are the decorations I listed for the variant without earl on the jewel (the photo illustrating this AYC #20 var, RIC 207 has a shoulder decoration type 1):

Photo of a coin sold the 17/03/2023 by Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Auction 383, lot 2158, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=10670764, link to their website: https://www.kuenker.de/en. Shoulder decoration type 2. 

Photo of a coin sold the 07/04/2016 by Roma Numismatics Limited, Auction 11, lot 892, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3020682, link to their website: https://www.romanumismatics.com/. Shoulder decoration type 3. This same decoration is visible on a copy sold the 21/04/2023 by MDC Monaco, Auction 11, lot 412, link to the sale: https://www.sixbid.com/fr/mdc-monaco/10516/empire-romain/9110914/empire-romain-theodose-ii-402-450-solidus?term&orderCol=lot_number&orderDirection=asc&priceFrom&displayMode=large&auctionSessions=12182%7C490091&sidebarIsSticky=false. We cannot determine on this copy if a pearl is present on the jewel at the top of the diadem.

Let's also see a coin with the characters appearing to float in the air on the reverse:

Photo of a coin sold the 23/05/2016 by Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 92, lot 837, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3108251, link to their website: https://www.arsclassicacoins.com/. Formerly sold the 28/05/2008 by Münzen & Medaillen GmbH, Auction 27, lot 2372, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=48026. Resold the 06/10/2008 by Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Auction 143, lot 777, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=517641. Another coin with the same dies has been sold the 10/03/2008 by Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, Auction 136, lot 1322, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=441377. One more copy has been sold the 24/11/2003 by Numismatik Lanz München, Auction 117, lot 1324, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=153272. Disturbingly, the coins all share the same type of blank cutting and centering, especially on the obverse.