Gratian. AD 367-383. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.40 g, 6h). Antioch mint, 5th officina. Struck AD 367-375 (or AD 372). EF.

CNG Feature Auction 130
Lot: 552. Estimated: $ 1 000

Roman Imperial, Coin-in-Hand Video, Gold

Sold For $ 3 875. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Gratian. AD 367-383. AV Solidus (21mm, 4.40 g, 6h). Antioch mint, 5th officina. Struck AD 367-375 (or AD 372). Rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Victory, draped at waist, seated right on cuirass, supporting shield set on left knee with left hand and inscribing VOT/ V/ MVL/ X on it in four lines with stylus held in right hand; shield resting beside the cuirass to left; Christogram to right; ANOBЄ. RIC IX 21c var. (unlisted officina); Depeyrot 38/10 var. (obv. legend). Toned and lustrous, light hairlines. EF. Very rare.

Flavius Gratianus was the son of Valentinian I, one of the last capable Western Roman rulers. In AD 367, at the age of eight, Gratian was proclaimed co-Augustus by his father. Only eight years later, in AD 375, Valentinian suffered an apoplectic stroke and died, leaving the western throne to the 16-year-old Gratian. A few days later, a cabal led by Gratian’s stepmother proclaimed his five-year-old half-brother, Valentian II, as co-emperor. To his credit, Gratian agreed to share power with his sibling. Gratian established his court at Trier, Germany. Gratian was a devout Christian and was the first emperor to refuse the title of Pontifex Maximus. In AD 378, Gratian was on his way east with reinforcements to fight the Goths when his uncle, the Eastern Emperor Valens, was killed in the catastrophic battle of Adrianople. After careful deliberations, Gratian chose the capable Theodosius I as Valens’ replacement. Gratian’s youth and ability seemed to promise a long reign, but in AD 383 the duke of Britain, Magnus Maximus, proclaimed himself emperor and crossed the channel. Gratian advanced to Paris to intercept him, but his troops, angered at his earlier refusal to raise their pay, deserted to the usurper. Gratian fled toward the Alps, but was overtaken at Lugdunum and executed on 25 August, AD 383, at the age of 24.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 130 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 23-24 September 2025. This lot is in Session Two, which will begin 23 September at 2 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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