GRATIAN
AD 367-383AE3. 2.37g, 19.2mm
MINTED: Antioch mint, AD 378-383
REF: RIC IX 50a.1; LRBC 2668OBVERSE: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
REVERSE: VIRTVS RO-MANORVM, helmeted Roma enthroned facing, head left, holding globe and spear; ANTA in exergue.
Provenance:
Ex Maple Leaf Collection
Grade/Notes:
Very Fine. Well-centered. Dark patina with light earthen deposits. Hint of roughness on reverse. More attractive in hand.
Historical Notes:
Gratian was the eldest son of Emperor Valentinian I. When his father died in 375, the 16 year old ruled alongside his younger half-brother Valentinian II and his uncle, Valens. He was married to Flavia Maxima Constantia, daughter of Constantius II. After Valens was killed at the disastrous Battle of Adrianople in 378, Gratian invited one of his father's generals, Theodosius, to take over Valens's eastern half of the Empire. Gratian ruled over the West with some success, but in 383, he was overthrown by a usurper, Magnus Maximus, and soon thereafter murdered.
