Object Description
A stunning and rare late Roman, early Byzantine gold solidus of Aelia Pulcheria, struck under Theodosius II. The obverse displays the pearl-diademed bust of Aelia Pulcheria, sister and guardian of the Emperor Theodosius II, facing right. She is depicted draped, wearing earrings and a necklace, with her hair drawn up. Her facial features, including her long straight nose, closed lips, and eyes, have been rendered in a serene expression. She is crowned by the Hand of God from above. The accompanying legend reads AEL PVLCHERIA AVG, which stands for Aelia Pulcheria Augusta, with Augusta signifying her role as the empress. The reverse features Constantinopolis, the embodiment of the city of Constantinople, where this coin was minted. She is depicted seated on a throne, draped, and wearing a crested helmet. Her left leg is outstretched, with her falling drapery beautifully detailed. In her right hand, she holds a globus cruciger (a cross-bearing globe), and in her left, a sceptre, both symbols of her royalty and power. A small rounded shield leans on the back of her throne and a star enriches the left field of the coin. The accompanying legend reads IMP XXXXII COS XVII˙P˙P˙, standing for Imperator quadragesimum secundum Consul septimum decimum Pater Patriae. The legend indicates that the coin was minted in Theodosius II’s forty-second year of being Imperator and during his seventeenth consulship. The mintmark COMOB appears in the exergue.
Date: Circa 441-450 AD