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Posted 12/26/2009 07:51 am
The Claudius II (the one on the right) has Jupiter as the reverse type; he's holding a thunderbolt and sceptre but all I can read on the reverse is "TORI"; there's not enough legend left to tell if it's supposed to be IOVI VICTORI (Jupiter the Victorious) or IOVI STATORI (Jupiter the Upholder). The pose most resembles this VICTORI coin, but I'm afraid there's too much detail missing from this coin to tell for sure. Not that it makes much difference; both are listed at the same relatively low value in the catalogue.
The Valentinian/Valens one (on the left) is heavily corroded, but the reverse type is the emperor standing, leaning on a (now corroded away) military standard and holding a small statue of Victory on a globe. In better condition, it would look something like this one. Because the obverse legend is entirely corroded away and portraiture in the Late Empire period was highly stylized, we cannot be certain of the emperor, but only Valentinian and Valens issued this RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE (Restorer of the Republic) type.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
